Which 1988 Public Enemy album includes “Bring the Noise” and “Don’t Believe the Hype”?

Public Enemy’s 1988 album “It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back” includes “Bring the Noise” and “Don’t Believe the Hype.”

The album was released on June 28, 1988, by Def Jam Recordings. Chuck D delivered forceful lead vocals, Flavor Flav provided contrasting comic energy, and Terminator X handled much of the group’s DJ identity. Production by the Bomb Squad created dense, layered arrangements built from samples, noise, and abrupt rhythmic shifts.

The album followed Public Enemy’s 1987 debut, “Yo! Bum Rush the Show,” but expanded the group’s political and sonic ambitions. “Bring the Noise” addressed media and racial politics, while “Don’t Believe the Hype” challenged the way popular culture and journalism framed rap artists.

The title is sometimes shortened in conversation to “It Takes a Nation,” but the full title is the canonical album name. It is also distinct from “Fear of a Black Planet,” Public Enemy’s next studio album, released in 1990.