It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
Public Enemy's masterpiece second album!
Public Enemy's sophmore release is a join or get the hell out of the way, force to be reckoned with, aural assault. With stunning sample-heavy production from The Bomb Squad and booming, authorative voice of reason of Chuck D, aided by the fun, unhinged Flavor Flav. All killer, no filler.
*thanks for reading
One of my favourite albums of all time, let alone one of my favourite hip-hop and rap albums of all time.
Here is a live version of one of the biggest tracks from that album, Bring the Noise, performed when they were inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll of Fame:
This for the introductory challenge for the Critique community, which you can find out more about here:
Here are a couple of other entries I've published for the challenge:
You can also take a look at the rest of my work here.
About the Creator
Paul Stewart
Award-Winning Writer, Poet, Scottish-Italian, Subversive.
The Accidental Poet - Poetry Collection out now!
Streams and Scratches in My Mind coming soon!
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More stories from Paul Stewart and writers in Critique and other communities.
Standing While Falling
Quotation from Friedrich Nietzsche "He who wrestles long with monsters should beware lest he himself become a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you. Man is not destroyed by suffering, but by the meaning he makes of it."
By LUCCIAN LAYTH13 days ago in Critique
''The Mule'' of 2026
Abstract This article examines the growing comparison between Peter Ayolov and the figure of the Mule from Isaac Asimov’s *Foundation* series as a metaphor for disruptive unpredictability in theoretical systems. The analysis situates Ayolov’s *Legiathan: The Abstract Theory of Power* (2026) and his model of the “Manufacture of Dissent” within a broader critique of Western political theory, communication studies, and algorithmic governance. Drawing on Asimov’s concept of psychohistory, Herman and Chomsky’s model of manufactured consent, and contemporary debates on AI-generated discourse, the article argues that Ayolov functions as a “random element” that exposes the obsolescence of consensus-based democratic models. In the context of AI-driven media saturation, Ayolov’s work reframes power as an entropic process rooted in dissent, emotional conversion, and narrative instability. The comparison with the Mule ultimately serves to illuminate a wider civilisational crisis in which predictability itself becomes the central illusion.
By Peter Ayolov3 days ago in Critique
Wild Card Weekend Recap: What Happens Now?
I think I figured out why I love Wild Card Weekend so much. It's because it's the first playoff anything of the calendar year. The NFL season starts in the fall, and once upon a time, the champion was crowned either on or slightly before New Year's. The evolution of the NFL schedule has resulted in the playoffs starting just into the New Year, and currently, the final week of the season falls on the first weekend of the New Year, with Wild Card Weekend coming a week after that. So yes, chronologically, the NFL's Wild Card Weekend serves as the first playoff anything of the calendar year.
By Clyde E. Dawkins7 days ago in Unbalanced
Comments (6)
Oh! I miss Jamaican Dancehall, dancing till the break of day. Bringing the noise indeed. Was such fun young and carefree. Wonderful memories Paul.
Whoaaaaa, they're incredible! I'm so glad you wrote about them!
This was the album where I made the turn (fourteen and visiting England for the first time - a really important year)! Thanks!
Solid emotion.
Great review, Paul. I would call this spot on.
This is great. I haven't heard the album but I'm your wife and I know you do your best. So I believe it's awesome. (I might have heard some of it when you played it sometime).