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''Fear of a Black Planet'' is the third studio album by American hip hop group Public Enemy, released on April 10, 1990, by Def Jam Recordings and Columbia Records. It was produced by the group's production team The Bomb Squad, who sought to expand on the dense, sample-layered sound of Public Enemy's previous album, ''It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back'' (1988). Having fulfilled their initial creative ambitions with that album, Public Enemy pursued a different direction and aspired to create what lead MC Chuck D specified as "a deep, complex album". Their songwriting was partly inspired by the controversy with member Professor Griff and his dismissal from the group in 1989. ''Fear of a Black Planet'' features elaborate sound collages that incorporate varying rhythms, numerous samples, media sound bites, and eccentric music loops, and reflect the content's confrontational tone. Conceived during the golden age of hip hop, its assemblage of reconfigured and recontextualized aural sources preceded the sample clearance system that later emerged in the music industry. ''Fear of a Black Planet'' contains themes concerning organization and empowerment within the African-American community, while presenting criticism of social issues affecting African Americans at the time of the album's conception. Its criticism of institutional racism and White supremacy were inspired by Dr. Frances Cress Welsing's views on color. In the first week ''Fear of a Black Planet'' was released, it sold one million copies in the United States, where it charted at number 10 on the ''Billboard'' Top Pop Albums. Critics praised the record for its sonic quality, societal themes, and Chuck D's lyrics, naming it one of the best albums of 1990. It has since been viewed as one of hip hop's greatest and most important records, as well as being musically and culturally significant. In 2003, it was ranked number 300 on ''Rolling Stone''s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, and in 2005, the Library of Congress added it to the National Recording Registry. == Background == In 1988, Public Enemy released their second album ''It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back'' to critical recognition and sufficient sales.〔 It fulfilled their creative ambitions to create what they considered to be a hip hop-equivalent to Marvin Gaye's ''What's Going On'' (1971),〔 an album noted for its social commentary.〔Myrie (2008), p. 102.〕 Its dense musical textures, provided by the group's production team The Bomb Squad, exemplified a new production aesthetic in hip hop at the time.〔Christgau, Robert. Dibbell, Carola (September 1989). (Public Enemy: Fight the Power Live ). ''Video Review''. Retrieved on October 17, 2011.〕〔Myrie (2008), p. 131.〕〔Christgau, Robert (1989). (The Shit Storm: Public Enemy ). ''LA Weekly''. Retrieved on October 17, 2011.〕 The controversial, politically charged lyrics by the group's lead MC Chuck D, whose braggadocio raps contained references to political figures such as Assata Shakur and Nelson Mandela, as well as endorsements of Nation of Islam-leader Louis Farrakhan, intensified the group's affiliation with black nationalism and Farrakhan.〔 ''It Takes a Nation''s success helped raise hip hop's profile as both art and sociopolitical statement, amid media criticism of the genre.〔Reeves (2009), p. 76.〕〔 It helped give hip hop a critical credibility and standing in the popular music community after it had been largely dismissed as a fad since its introduction at the turn of the 1980s.〔 The album was the runaway choice as the best album of 1988 in ''The Village Voice''s Pazz & Jop, a poll of the leading music critics in the United States. Public Enemy also expanded their live shows and performing dynamic.〔 With the album's content and the group's rage-filled showmanship in concert, Public Enemy became the vanguard of a movement in hip hop that reflected a new black consciousness and sociopolitical dynamic that were taking shape in America at the time.〔Reeves (2009), p. 73.〕 In May 1989, Chuck D, Bomb Squad producer Hank Shocklee, and publicist Bill Stepheny were negotiating with several labels for a production deal from a major record company, their goal since starting Public Enemy in the early 1980s.〔 As they were in negotiations, group member Professor Griff made anti-Semitic remarks in an interview for ''The Washington Times'',〔 in which he said that Jews were the cause of "the majority of the wickedness" in the world.〔 Public Enemy received media scrutiny and criticism from religious organizations and liberal rock critics,〔 which added to charges against the group's politics being racist, homophobic, and misogynistic.〔〔Mark Dery et al. Forman & Neal (2004), p. 473.〕 Amid controversy, Chuck D was given an ultimatum by Schocklee and Stepheny to dismiss Griff from the group or the production deal would fall through.〔 He fired Griff in June, but he later rejoined and has since denied holding anti-Semitic views and apologized for the remarks.〔〔 Several people who had worked with Public Enemy expressed concern about Chuck D's leadership abilities and role as a social spokesman.〔 Def Jam director of publicity Bill Adler later said that the controversy "partly ... fueled the writing of (album )".〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Fear of a Black Planet」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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