Though the future of Public Enemy was uncertain for a time, the legendary group recently reaffirmed that all was indeed right in the world. It was recently revealed that Chuck D and Flava Flav would be reuniting with Def Jam for the first time in twenty years, lining up to release their brand new album What You Gonna Do When The Grid Goes Down? on September 25th.
Nas, Rapsody, Black Thought & More">Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images
We've already heard the project's lead single "Fight The Power 2020," a stacked reimagining of their iconic hit -- this time bolstered by the lineup of Nas, Rapsody, Black Thought, YG, Jahi, and Questlove. Now, the group has come through to unveil the album's tracklist in its entirety, which features appearances from Cypress Hill, Ice-T, George Clinton, Run DMC, Mike D and Ad-Rock of the Beastie Boys, DJ Premier, and many more.
Clearly, Public Enemy are lining up an impressive roster of highly-respected hip-hop veterans, a testament to their own position as pioneers. Though basically all of the musical trends have shifted since their prime, there remains a certain comfort in knowing that Chuck D and Flava Flav have returned for another go-around. Check out the full seventeen-track tracklist below, and stay tuned for What You Gonna Do When The Grid Goes Down? coming at the end of the month.
01 - “When The Grid Goes Down” ft. George Clinton
02 - “Grid” ft. Cypress Hill and George Clinton
03 - “State of the Union (STFU)” ft. DJ Premier
04 - “Merica Mirror” ft. Pop Diesel
05 - “Public Enemy Number Won” ft. Mike D, Ad-Rock, Run-DMC
06 - “Toxic”
07 - “Yesterday Man” ft. Daddy-O
08 - “Crossroads Burning” (Interlude) ft. James Bomb
09 - “Fight The Power: Remix 2020” ft. Nas, Rapsody, Black Thought, Jahi, YG, Questlove
10 - “Beat Them All”
11 - “Smash The Crowd” ft.. Ice-T, PMD
12 - “If You Can’t Join Em Beat Em”
13 - “Go At It” ft. Jahi
14 - “Don’t Look At The Sky” (Interlude) ft. Mark Jenkins
15 - “Rest In Beats” ft. The Impossebulls
16 - “R.I.P. Blackat”
17 - “Closing: I Am Black” ft. Ms. Ariel