Fear of a Black Planet - Definition and Overview

Fear of a Black Planet
Album by Public Enemy
Released	March 20, 1990
Recorded	Summer/Fall 1989 at Greene Street Recording in New York, New York & The Music Palace, West Hempstead and Spectrum City Studios in Long Island, New York
Genre	Rap & Hip-Hop
Length	64 min 04 sec
Record label	Def Jam
Producer	The Bomb Squad
Professional reviews
All Music Guide review	5 stars out of 5	link (http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=&sql=10:cj9us38ba3vg)
Public Enemy Chronology
Fight the Power...Live! (1989)	Fear of a Black Planet (1990)	Apocalypse '91...The Enemy Strikes Black (1991)

Fear of a Black Planet is an East Coast rap album by the hip hop crew Public Enemy, released on March 20, 1990 (see 1990 in music). The album's musical qualities were overshadowed by a recent controversy surrounding alleged anti-Semitic remarks by group member Professor Griff. Since the controversy has retreated into the past, the album's critical reception has been generally very positive, with many commentators ranking it equal to or better than their more popular and universally acclaimed prior album, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. The Bomb Squad's innovative and diverse production and Chuck D's incendiary and thoughtful songwriting have earned the album raves from many critics.

Track listing

1. "Contract on the World Love Jam" [instrumental] (Ridenhour/Sadler/Shocklee)
2. "Brother's Gonna Work It Out" (Ridenhour/Sadler/Shocklee)
3. "911 Is a Joke" (Drayton/Sadler/Shocklee)
4. "Incident at 66.6 FM" [instrumental] (Ridenhour/Sadler/Shocklee)
5. "Welcome to the Terrordome" (Ridenhour/Sadler/Shocklee)
6. "Meet the G That Killed Me" (Ridenhour/Sadler/Shocklee)
7. "Pollywanacraka" (Ridenhour/Sadler/Shocklee)
8. "Anti-Nigger Machine" (Ridenhour/Sadler/Shocklee)
9. "Burn Hollywood Burn" (Hardy/Jackson/Ridenhour/Sadler/Shocklee)
10. "Power to the People" (Ridenhour/Sadler/Shocklee)
11. "Who Stole the Soul?" (Ridenhour/Sadler/Shocklee)
12. "Fear of a Black Planet" (Ridenhour/Sadler/Shocklee)
13. "Revolutionary Generation" (Ridenhour/Sadler/Shocklee)
14. "Can't Do Nuttin' for Ya Man" (Ridenhour/Sadler/Shocklee)
15. "Reggie Jax" (Ridenhour/Sadler/Shocklee)
16. "Leave This off Your Fu*kin Charts" [instrumental] (Rodgers)
17. "B Side Wins Again" (Ridenhour/Sadler/Shocklee)
18. "War at 33⅓" (Ridenhour/Sadler/Shocklee)
19. "Final Count of the Collison Between Us and Them" [instrumental] (Ridenhour/Sadler/Shocklee)
20. "Fight the Power" (Ridenhour/Sadler/Shocklee/Shocklee)

Chart positions

Billboard Music Charts - album

1990	             The Billboard 200	                               No. 10
1990	             Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums	                No. 3

Billboard Music Charts - singles

1989	Fight the Power	                          Hot Rap Singles	                No. 1
1990	911 Is a Joke	                              Hot Rap Singles	                No. 1
1990	Brother's Gonna Work it Out	    Hot Rap Singles	                No. 22
1990	Welcome to the Terrordome  	 Hot Rap Singles	                No. 3
1990	911 Is a Joke	                              Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks	                No. 15
1990	Brother's Gonna Work it Out	    Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks	                No. 20
1990	Welcome to the Terrordome	   Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks	                No. 15
1990	Brother's Gonna Work it Out	    Hot Dance Music/Club Play	                No. 31
1990	Welcome to the Terrordome	   Hot Dance Music/Club Play	                No. 49
1990	911 Is a Joke	                              Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales	                No. 26
1990	Brothers Gonna Work it Out	    Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales	                No. 36
1990	Welcome to the Terrordome	  Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales	                No. 8
1991	Can't Do Nuttin' for Ya Man	     Hot Rap Singles	                No. 11

Personnel

• Big Daddy Kane - Rapper
• Ice Cube - Rapper
• Professor Griff - Rapper
• Chris Champion - Assistant Engineer
• Chuck D - Rapper
• Paul Eulin - Engineer, Mixing
• Flavor Flav - Rapper
• Rod Hui - Engineer, Mixing
• Steve Loeb - Engineer
• Branford Marsalis - Saxophone
• Carl Ryder - Arranger, Director, Producer, Sequencing
• Nick Sansano - Engineer, Mixing
• Keith Shocklee - Arranger, Director, Producer, Sequencing
• Paul Shabazz - Programming
• Christopher Shaw - Engineer, Mixing
• Hank Shocklee - Arranger, Director, Producer, Sequencing
• Howie Weinberg - Mastering
• Kirk Yano - Engineer
• Eric "Vietnam" Sadler - Arranger, Director, Programming, Producer, *Sequencing
• Mike Bona - Engineer, Mixing
• Norman Rogers - Scratching
• Jules Allen - Photography
• Dave Patillo - Assistant Engineer
• Dan Wood - Engineer, Mixing
• Tom Conway - Assistant Engineer