Public Enemy, the legendary rap group that helped shape socially conscious hip-hop into what it is today, have returned to Def Jam Recordings, the label that hosted their most iconic recordings.
The reunion launches with a remix of the group’s classic 1989 song “Fight the Power (Remix 2020),” which opened the 2020 BET Awards in June featuring Nas, Rapsody, Black Thought, YG, Jahi and Questlove. The song, originally featured in Spike Lee’s film “Do the Right Thing,” is the first single from the group’s forthcoming new studio album “What You Gonna Do When The Grid Goes Down,” set for release via Def Jam on September 25.
The group is one of the few hip-hop acts to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
“Cultural Institutions are important. Being an integral part of one is an honor bestowed and to uphold,” says the group’s Chuck D. “Public Enemy songs are forever sonic prints in the sands of time. And it’s time – it’s necessary – to bring the noise again from a place called home. Def Jam. Fight the Power 2020.”
Flavor Flav adds, “Def Jam is like the house we grew up in. It’s cool to be home.”
“Fight the Power (Remix 2020)” was recorded in June with the addition of new lyrics that reflect the global protests over the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and far too many more. The video features performances by the artists, filmed separately due to social distancing, and intercut with powerful protest footage.
“Like so many of us, I have long been a Public Enemy fan, and the group was incredibly formative for me and the path I would take,” said Def Jam Chairman & CEO, UMG General Counsel Jeff Harleston. “PE has consistently been a living example of how music can profoundly move and unite people, and affect real change in the national conversation. As we continue to confront inequality and injustice, we need PE’s voice in the national dialogue. Def Jam is proud to partner with Chuck and welcome Public Enemy home.”
“For true fans of hip-hop all over the world, this is a historic moment,” said Def Jam GM & EVP Rich Isaacson. “Bringing Public Enemy home to Def Jam – in a time when their message is more necessary than ever – is a profound statement and a much-needed reunion. We are beyond excited to once again lock arms with the legendary Public Enemy.”
Earlier this summer, Public Enemy released “State of the Union (STFU),” produced by DJ Premier, a fiery attack on the Trump Administration.