Public Enemy is, without a doubt, one of the greatest rap acts of all time. Exploding onto the rap scene in 1987, the incendiary group struck fear into the hearts of white and black America with its politically laced rhymes and metallic beats. At the time, this Enemy (reinforced by the production of the Bomb Squad) seemed literally unstoppable.
A little over a decade later, PE drops its eighth release, There's A Poison Goin On, and it appears the black fist of the old days has lost its punch. The production sounds like Prof. Griff's album, lacking that hard-edged flavor that fans now expect. And song titles like "Kevorkian," "Last Mass Of The Caballeros," and "Do You Wanna Go Our Way" sound like theyΓÇÖd be great tracks, but the ideas are not executed with the lyrical rage and precision of past hits. Public Enemy gave birth to most of today's hip-hop stars. But unfortunately PE's There's A Poison Goin On sounds like a poor imitation of its former self.
