Public Enemy
Fight the Power Live (CMV) (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
Released just as the first incarnation of Public Enemy was being slaughtered by the media for anti-Semitic remarks by their ”minister for information,” Professor Griff, ”Fight the Power Live” is a fast-cut primer on the first life of one of hip-hop`s most controversial bands.
Concert footage from the group`s New York performances is powerful, but it`s broken up by message-oriented clips.
Cursory looks at the group`s highly publicized show at New York`s Riker`s Island and only brief mentions of their anti-drug, pro-learning manifesto will probably leave some wondering what all the noise has been about.
Highlights include Flavor Flav`s acerbic snipes at the government`s war on drugs, backed by the live video of ”Night of the Living Baseheads”; a mock civil-rights rally staged by Spike Lee (and, oddly, featuring Tawana Brawley); and some amusing glimpses of the group that prove that while this ain`t all about revolution, it can be fun.
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