Bring the Noise

Produced by the Bomb Squad — Bill Stephney, Hank Shocklee, and Chuck D — and originally recorded in 1987 for the 'Less Than Zero' film soundtrack before being re-released on Public Enemy's second album 'It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back' in 1988, the track was built around a dense collage of samples including a prominent saxophone screech from the JBs that became one of the most recognisable sonic signatures in hip-hop. First released in 1987 on Def Jam Records, 'Bring the Noise' was immediately recognised as a landmark of hip-hop production, with the Bomb Squad's abrasive, multi-layered sonic construction and Chuck D's declarative lyricism drawing widespread critical acclaim; it articulated a confrontational aesthetic that repositioned hip-hop as a vehicle for serious political and cultural statement. The track became one of the most sampled and referenced recordings in hip-hop history and inspired a celebrated 1991 collaboration with thrash metal band Anthrax, whose version introduced Public Enemy to a rock audience and stands as one of the most significant genre-crossing moments in 1990s popular music; the track is a permanent fixture on critical lists of the greatest hip-hop recordings ever made.