Public Enemy return to Def Jam, announce new album featuring Beastie Boys, Run DMC, Nas + more
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Public Enemy return to Def Jam, announce new album featuring Beastie Boys, Run DMC, Nas + more

What You Gonna Do When The Grid Goes Down? will mark Public Enemy’s 15th studio effort since forming in 1985, with Chuck D, Flavor Flav and DJ Lord reuniting with Def Jam Recordings for the first time in 20 years to release the project. 

 

The 17 track album, set to arrive on Friday September 25, will feature appearances from a star-studded list of collaborators, most notably Beastie Boys’ Ad-Rock and Mike D and Run DMC on the track ‘Public Enemy Number One’, marking a miniature ’80s Def Jam family reunion. 

 

The album will also include a 2020 remix of Public Enemy’s classic stand-up anthem ‘Fight The Power’, which sees the hip-hop icons linking up with Nas, Rapsody, YG and The Roots’ Black Thought and Questlove for the new version.

 

What You Gonna Do When The Grid Goes Down? will also feature contributions from Cypress Hill, Ice-T, George Clinton, DJ Premier, The Impossebulls and Daddy-O. 

 

You can watch the music video for ‘Fight The Power 2020’ below. After the turmoil that’s plagued the Public Enemy camp in recent years, it’s a joy to see Chuck D and Flavor Flav together again and back on the Def Jam imprint – some things are just meant to be. 

 

 

What You Gonna Do When The Grid Goes Down? arrives via Def Jam on Friday September 25.