Public Enemy Unleashes Urgent Call to Action in Provocative New Music Video
The iconic hip-hop duo Public Enemy has dropped a scorching new music video that is as thought-provoking as it is visually stunning. The latest offering from the group, "The Hits Just Keep On Comin'," serves as a powerful commentary on the state of our world, with Chuck D and Flavor Flav trading bars over a rambunctious guitar loop.
The video, directed by Rhiannon Rae Ellis, weaves together clips of revolutionary figures like Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Muhammad Ali, and Ruby Bridges walking into the newly desegregated William Frantz Elementary School in 1960. The scene shifts seamlessly to Safara-Cree Stiggers as a young Ruby Bridges, followed by Olympian water polo player Ashleigh Johnson taking on iconic roles such as Prince, Tommie Smith, Serena Williams, and Amanda Gorman.
Throughout the video, Flavor Flav sets the tone with his signature resilience, rapping "Knock us down, we...won't stop now, B." Chuck D echoes this sentiment, rhyming "Listen — yall got radio permission?/Hit 'em hard, knock 'em out of commission," as the visuals intensify.
What's notable about this video is its call to action. Public Enemy has always been known for their unapologetic lyrics and unwavering commitment to justice, but this new track seems more urgent than ever. Chuck D says, "These lyrics are still relevant today as much as yesterday and when they're juxtaposed with these heroes that never stopped, no one can make excuses." It's a rallying cry to wake up and take action.
Flavor Flav adds his signature flair to the mix, praising Ashleigh Johnson for her phenomenal performance in honoring modern civil rights icons. He notes that this music video has an important message and warning: "This music video got a real important history lesson, a real important message, and a real important warning."
As we navigate our turbulent world, Public Enemy's call to action feels more urgent than ever. Will we heed the warning and take action? The choice is ours.
The iconic hip-hop duo Public Enemy has dropped a scorching new music video that is as thought-provoking as it is visually stunning. The latest offering from the group, "The Hits Just Keep On Comin'," serves as a powerful commentary on the state of our world, with Chuck D and Flavor Flav trading bars over a rambunctious guitar loop.
The video, directed by Rhiannon Rae Ellis, weaves together clips of revolutionary figures like Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Muhammad Ali, and Ruby Bridges walking into the newly desegregated William Frantz Elementary School in 1960. The scene shifts seamlessly to Safara-Cree Stiggers as a young Ruby Bridges, followed by Olympian water polo player Ashleigh Johnson taking on iconic roles such as Prince, Tommie Smith, Serena Williams, and Amanda Gorman.
Throughout the video, Flavor Flav sets the tone with his signature resilience, rapping "Knock us down, we...won't stop now, B." Chuck D echoes this sentiment, rhyming "Listen — yall got radio permission?/Hit 'em hard, knock 'em out of commission," as the visuals intensify.
What's notable about this video is its call to action. Public Enemy has always been known for their unapologetic lyrics and unwavering commitment to justice, but this new track seems more urgent than ever. Chuck D says, "These lyrics are still relevant today as much as yesterday and when they're juxtaposed with these heroes that never stopped, no one can make excuses." It's a rallying cry to wake up and take action.
Flavor Flav adds his signature flair to the mix, praising Ashleigh Johnson for her phenomenal performance in honoring modern civil rights icons. He notes that this music video has an important message and warning: "This music video got a real important history lesson, a real important message, and a real important warning."
As we navigate our turbulent world, Public Enemy's call to action feels more urgent than ever. Will we heed the warning and take action? The choice is ours.
public enemy never fails to bring the heat 
with their thought-provoking vids! 
this one's got some serious vibes 
, especially when they highlight modern civil rights icons like ashleigh johnson 
and amanda gorman 
. i love how they're using history & visuals to make a point 
. so let's listen up & take action 
I'm totally vibing with this new music video from Public Enemy - it's like they're speaking straight to my soul 
. It's giving me major motivation to get out there and make some noise too 
. Can we please, for the love of all things good, listen up and take action? 
That's some scary stuff! And on top of that, public engagement with politics has reached a record low, especially among millennials – only 34% of young adults (born between 1981 and 1996) are registered to vote 
. We need more music like this to wake us up & inspire change! 
Some stats to think about: 
71% of Americans say they're not very or not at all confident in the government's ability to address social issues
Public service announcements on TV have decreased by 65% since 2000 
The top 1% of earners now control more wealth than the bottom 90% – a 2:1 ratio that's just plain unfair 
. like, i get it, they're trying to make a point about civil rights and social justice, but can't they just leave it at that without getting all dramatic and provocative? 
the way they're using these historical figures and modern icons in the video feels kinda disingenuous to me...aren't we already aware of the struggles and triumphs these people faced? does this vid really need to be so heavy-handed and sensationalized? 
also, what's with the constant references to "taking action" and "heeding the warning"? isn't that just a marketing ploy at this point? 
it's always been about provoking people into thinking, not some watered down, feel-good anthem. chucks and flavor flav are still spittin' fire as they age...the fact that ashleigh johnson is a modern civil rights icon is awesome, but who cares? the message in this video is just more of the same old thing - 'wake up and take action'...like we haven't heard that a million times before 
it's all just a bit too on the nose for me
. I mean, who doesn't love a good protest anthem? 
But seriously, it's amazing how Chuck D and Flavor Flav are using their platform to bring attention to important social issues. They're not afraid to get real and call out injustice.
.
. So yeah, let's take heed of their warning and get involved 
. We can make a difference, one voice at a time 
!
how they're combining past and present to show that the fight for justice is still relevant today 
i love how chuck d and flavor flav are all like "wake up" and "take action" - it's so empowering 
gotta listen to this track on repeat 
, but for now, let's just say I'm hyped to see where this momentum takes us 