Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black is the fourth studio album by American hip hop group Public Enemy, released on October 3 1991. This album peaked at #4 on the Billboard 200, only being surpassed by Michael Jackson's third best-selling album, Dangerous in the week of October 19, 1991. The album itself garned a Grammy Award nomination of Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 1992.

Album information

The singles released from the album were "Can't Truss It", "Shut Em Down" and its B-side "By the Time I Get to Arizona" (samples "Two Sisters of Mystery" by Mandrill), in which Public Enemy was depicted in the video killing the Arizona governor, Fife Symington III, who refused to recognize Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday as a national holiday.

The album also included the thrash cover of their earlier hit "Bring The Noise" featuring Anthrax and "Get the Fuck Outta Dodge" - a previously released B-Side to the "Can't Do Nuttin' For Ya Man" single from Fear of a Black Planet.

In Entertainment

• The song Shut 'Em Down is the entrance music for UFC fighter Nate Quarry, and is also included in the video game DJ Hero.

Reception

• Rolling Stone (10/3/91) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...attempts nothing short of setting a sociopolitical agenda for the black community....Apocalypse '91 needs to be watched..."

• Q magazine (9/95, p.132) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...fine by any but their own Olympian standards...showed Public Enemy ploughing old furrows..."

• New York Times (9/29/91) - "...hip-hop's prophets of rage...with songs that mix political, personal and promotional statements in quick-cutting, often oblique language..."

• NME (7/15/95, p.47) - 7 (out of 10) - "...a more soulful, funkier stew than previously served but there were a couple of fillers....Good, but not as indispensable as its predecessors..."

• Spin - Ranked #7 in Spin's list of the 20 Best Albums of 1991.

• Melody Maker (12/91) - Ranked #21 in Melody Maker's list of the top 30 albums of 1991.

Track listing

• "Lost At Birth" — 3:49 (Ridenour/Robertz/Gary G/Wiz/Depper)

• "Rebirth" — 0:59 (Ridenhour/Robertz/Gary G/Wiz/Depper)

• "Nighttrain" — 3:27 (Ridenhour/Robertz/Gary G/Wiz/The JBL/Depper)

• "Can't Truss It" — 5:21 (Ridenhour/Robertz/Gary G/Wiz/Depper)

• "I Don't Wanna Be Called Yo Niga" — 4:23 (Drayton/Gary G/Wiz/Robertz)

• "How To Kill A Radio Consultant" — 3:09 (Ridenhour/Robertz/Gary G/Wiz/Depper)

• "By The Time I Get To Arizona" — 4:48 (Ridenhour/Robertz/Gary G/Wiz/Depper/Mandrill/Santiago)

• "Move!" — 4:59 (Ridenhour/Robertz/Gary G/Wiz/Depper)

• "1 Million Bottlebags" — 4:06 (Ridenhour/Robertz/Gary G/Wiz/Depper)

• "More News At 11" — 2:39 (Drayton/Gary G/Wiz/Robertz)

• "Shut Em Down" — 5:04 (Ridenhour/Robertz/Gary G/Wiz/Depper)

• "A Letter To The New York Post" — 2:45 (Drayton/Gary G/Wiz/Robertz)

• "Get The F--- Outta Dodge" — 2:38 (Ridenhour/Houston)

• "Bring The Noise" (w/Anthrax) — 3:47 (Ridenhour/Shocklee/Sadler/Anthrax)

Samples

• "Lost at Birth"

• * "Got to Get a Knutt" by New Birth

• * "Bring the Noise" by Public Enemy

• * "Public Enemy No. 1" by Public Enemy

• * "Can I Kick It?" by A Tribe Called Quest

• "Rebirth"

• * "Funky Drummer" by James Brown

• * "Security of the First World" by Public Enemy

• "Nighttrain"

• * "Night Train" by James Brown

• * "Shoot Your Shot" by James Brown

• * "Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved" by James Brown

• * "Flash Light" by Parliament

• * "Spinning Wheel" by Blood, Sweat and Tears

• * "How Ya Like Me Now" by Kool Moe Dee

• "Can't Truss It"

• * "Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved" by James Brown

• * "Atomic Dog" by George Clinton

• * "Hihache" by Lafayette Afro Rock Band

• * "Slide" by Slave

• * "Sing a Simple Song" by Sly & the Family Stone

• * "Dumb Girl" by Run DMC

• "I Don't Wanna Be Called Yo Nigga"

• * "Hard to Handle" by Otis Redding

• "How to Kill a Radio Consultant"

• * "Cold Sweat" by James Brown

• * "I Got Ants in My Pants" by James Brown

• * "It's a New Day" by Skull Snaps

• * "Radio" by LL Cool J

• "By the Time I Get to Arizona"

• * "Walk On/The Love You Save" by the Jackson 5

• * "Two Sisters of Mystery" by Mandrill

• "Move!"

• * "Fly Me To the Moon" by Lyn Collins

• "1 Million Bottlebags"

• * "Make it Good to Yourself" by James Brown

• * "Hot Pants... I'm Coming, I'm Coming, I'm Coming" by Bobby Byrd

• * "Damn Right I Am Somebody" by The JB's

• * "More Bounce to the Ounce" by Zapp

• * "Take Me to the Mardi Gras" by Bob James

• "Shut Em Down"

• * "The Rainmaker" by 5th Dimension

• * "Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved" by James Brown

• * "Ain't I Been Good to You?" by the Isley Brothers

• "Get the Fuck out of Dodge"

• * "Sing a Simple Song" by Sly & the Family Stone

Personnel

Public Enemy

• Chuck D

• Flavor Flav

• Terminator X

Anthrax

• Charlie Benante – drums

• Joey Belladonna – vocals

• Frank Bello – bass guitar

• Scott Ian – guitar

• Dan Spitz – guitar

Additional

• Frank Able – keyboards

• Allen Givens – horns

• Ricky Gordon – percussion

• Tyrone Jefferson – horns

• Al MacDowell – bass guitar

• Steve Moss – percussion

• Fred Wells – guitar

• Lorenzo "Tony" Wyche – horns

• Michael Angelo - Mixing

Charts

Billboard (North America)