The iconic New York collective Public Enemy have announced that they will be releasing a new vinyl reissue of their 1988 sophomore album, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, as it celebrates its 35th anniversary.
The release, which will be released on November 10th, is available to purchase as a double vinyl package or a quadruple set. The latter will feature bonus tracks from the deluxe CD as well as instrumentals, acapella mixes, a Public Enemy logo sticker, and a booklet with letters from the ensembles’ by founding members Chuck D and Flavor Flav.
Ahead of the reissue’s release, Chuck D (real name Carl Ridenhour) said, “Thanks to Run-DMC, LL Cool J and Whodini, we knew that hip-hop albums could explode on cassettes. At about the same time, [The Bomb Squad producer] Hank Shocklee was the manager of a record store, and he would point out how rock bands like Iron Maiden, The Rolling Stones, and even Bruce Springsteen were getting the most out of the album concept.
It continues, “So, we took that and went further with It Takes a Nation, approaching it like a rock band. It ended up becoming a part of rap’s evolution from a singles-driven genre into the dawn of rap’s album age.”
Public Enemy performed several times this year as acts for the HipHop50 celebrations that swept the US over the summer. Their legendary status is indisputable, and tracks such as ‘Fight the Power’ exemplify pure political hip-hop.
Notes and letters included in this reissue not only feature words written by Public Enemy members but also passages from the likes of Q-Tip and Questlove who worked closely with the group during their prime.
The It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back exclusive vinyl reissue is available to pre-order now and arrives on November 10th via UMe.