In this pivotal year and racially charged era, the BET Awards chose to open their show in June with a new version of Public Enemy’s iconic 1989 song “Fight the Power,” which sadly is as relevant today as it was 31 years ago.
Public Enemy have revealed the track-listing for ‘What You Gonna Do When The Grid Goes Down?’, their first album on Def Jam records in over two decades.
Set for release on September 25, the record will see the pioneering hip-hop group join forces with the likes of Nas, YG, Rapsody, DJ Premier, Black Thought, Questlove, Cypress Hill, Run-DMC, Ice-T, PMD, George Clinton, Daddy-O, Jahi, The Impossebulls, Mark Jenkins, S1Ws Pop Diesel and James Bomb and Mike D and Ad-Rock of Beastie Boys.
The group have also shared a new version of ‘Fight The Power: Remix 2020’, a song which was first heard opening the 2020 BET Awards in June. It features Nas, Rapsody, Black Thought, YG, Jahi and Questlove.
You can check out the track-listing in full below.
01 – ‘When The Grid Goes Down’ ft. George Clinton
02 – ‘Grid’ ft. Cypress Hill and George Clinton
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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
Speaking about the new record, Chuck D said: “Cultural Institutions are important. Being an integral part of one is an honour bestowed and to uphold.
“Public Enemy songs are forever sonic prints in the sands of time. And it’s time – it’s necessary – to bring the noise again from a place called home. Def Jam. Fight The Power 2020.”
