Bring the Noise

Screw JayZ and Lincoln Park - with Anthrax, this is the original and best metal/rap remix

Okay, binomal. We get the point. You love the song but you find yourself incredibly tortured because of it.

Man, six posts over two years, and you flipflop again and again. That borders on obsession. Whether you love or hate PE, this song, or whatever...that's fine! Opinions are just that and it's okay if you don't agree with the Nation of Islam. The rants have nothing to do with the song's meaning though.

If I see someone handing out pamphlets on the street, and they don't offer one to me, I don't freak out. It's all right. Maybe it's not meant for me...

Nobody says you have to "accept" anything from anybody. You've made your point, now just don't listen to PE if you don't agree with their message. Again, it's probably just not for you.

Oh, and to address your points on racism, they seem mighty shallow to me. You seem to have this white bourgeois mentality that everybody should just "be normal Americans" and not make waves when it comes to race issues. One of PE's central themes is that it's difficult/impossible to be "normal Americans" when there is still an imbalance of power between the races. As a result, PE's lyrics argue people who feel persecuted because of race should stand tall and fight back to empower themselves, rather than being polite and asking "normal America" to let them assimilate into that great old, perfect White European Judeo-Christian culture that passes for "normal America" to people who make the points that you are (or seem to be) making.

It's the same thing "normal America" told Native Americans to do after subjecting them to the destruction of their culture and outright genocide of their people. A whip across the back and the enslavement of your people gives you the right to be a little confrontational, don't you think? So if you think "cracka" and "nigger" have equal weight as insults or the same dark power as words of hatred and oppression, you should 1) walk outside and open your eyes, 2) read a few history books, and 3) finally realize that things (TODAY, not in the 1800's man, but right now) are still not balanced in this country!

Just because you are an idealist and think things should be perfect does not mean they are, and in the real world someone with experience different than yours has the right to say whatever they think, and sometimes people fight hate with hate. Equality shouldn't exist only when it suits your opinions or is convenient for you. Things have never been equal in this country, so don't blame a dog that gets kicked everyday of its life for biting its former master's leg. You sound seriously out of touch when you say everybody should just "play nice." Again, open your eyes man - how do you expect PE to "play nice" when the power structure they're talking about plays as dirty as it gets. Read the lyrics. Don't believe all the hype of people who call PE racists, but think for a second of where they're coming from. Try to put yourself in anybody's shoes besides your own. And then, once you actually have an educated opinion, come back and say what it is that "drives a wedge between people," as you put it. The wedge is already there, it's always been there, and ignoring the wedge doesn't mean there's not a wedge!

To each their own. It's actually got a good beat. I especiallyloved the collab version with Anthrax at one point. I just don't wanna hear people preach to me about tolerance who are less tolerant than me. It's kinda a joke. 2Pac and Nas have/had positive shit, too, and I take it more seriously. Why? Because they are/were artists first, and more human seeming, rather than trying to be some kind of role models or politicians. IF PE weren't so hypocritical, I'd take conscious more seriously from them. I can't go from listening to Pink Floyd to Public Enemy and honestly not say that I recognize which is truly more "progressive". Just mine, though.

Farrakhan is a racial separatist, hardcore black Muslim extremist, and fullfledged racist. Not exactly a supporter of human equality. Why should we

"listen to What he can say to you, what you ought to do"

All I want to say is that Belgium isn't better. Every country has shit. Every country has it's own racial issues, more because of economic and/or social problems.

In the US you have the KKK; in Belgium you have Vlaams Belang, an extremist party (heirs of neo-nazi groups) wiht 20% of the votes. In Antwerp they even earn 33% of all votes and at the same times you had racial murders, racial riots, etc. We've even had some kind of local Malcolm X (Abou-Jahjah). We have zionist lobby's who blame everything on the muslims. We've had concerts from the neo-nazi's from Blood&Honour. We have tensions between Dutch-speaking and French-speaking people. We have had problems from ghetto's from Paris.

And still, if I walk in Antwerp, Brussels or another Belgian town I don't feel bad about it. I still feel safe; I'm not afraid of being mugged or raped. Maybe the USA is just a little paranoid?

Classic. My favorite song from the album.

where's all the comments? this is such an inspirational song. I'm appaled there aren't more people here!

I like "He Got Game" better, but this is a classic.

Oh, yeah. Fuck whitey! (Turns to nearest "whitey" to be found)

Regarding the line, "Farrakhan's a prophet and I think you ought to listen to What he can say to you, what you ought to do," Prof Griff was fired from the group in '89 for making anti-semitic remarks, something Farrakhann's considered guilty of. Although he later rejoined the group just before it's disbandment, I think this proves PE as a group doesn't endorse/agree with All of Farrakhan's preachings.
I myself don't have to agree with every single line, stance, thought, etc. artists make to decide if I like their music or not. I listen to Slayer too, but I don't pray to Pentagrams and worship the devil. It just gets me pumped up when I work out. Mel Gibson's proven himself to be an anti-Semite with his recent drunken comments that "Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world". Ok so he's an idiot, but I'm still gonna watch Mad Max and Braveheart cause they're great movies.
Just take what you want and leave the rest.
PE had a message and they brought it before and during a time when most white Americans were in denial, or blissfully ignorant that racism still exists. "Five-O said "Freeze!" and I got numb Can't I tell 'em that I really never had a gun?" Man that was written 3 years before the infamous Rodney King beating. Regardless of his guilt all you gotta do is ask yourself, would a drunk, reckless driving, uncooperative, white guy have received the same ass whooping? PE took no prisoners and weren't concerned with dumbing down to guarantee airplay. I love the line, " Radio stations I question their blackness They call themselves black, but we'll see if they play this"
PE's beats and rap style are among the most talented for that era in music. Remember MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice? 'Nuff said.

Oops

EDIT: The guy making racial or religious or gender based jokes is not a huge deal. When he starts influencing people into following racist POLITICs and activism, it's a whole nother level.