There have been dozens, hundreds of great hip-hop artists over the last 40-odd years. But the impact of Public Enemy can’t be overstated. Before the Long Island ensemble, fronted by Chuck D and Flavor Flav, put out ‘Yo! Bum Rush The Show’ in 1987, hip-hop didn’t really ‘do’ albums all that well. Not like this, at least. It made LL Cool J’s ‘Radio’ sound like sing-along Mickey Mouse material. And then ‘It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back’? Seriously.
Nutshell: Public Enemy were, and remain, a tremendously big deal. So imagine our surprise when we learned they were playing a room in London so small you’d struggle to swing a kitten without turning on a light switch or scratching the curtains. On Wednesday, August 6th, the rap legends play (the very famous indeed) Metropolis Studios, Chiswick, in an atmosphere so intimate you can expect to see what Chuck’s had for breakfast.
Naturally, such an up-close-and-personal experience comes at a cost and – brace yourselves – this is an expensive night out. Unless you’re Eminem, or Luke Shaw, or that fellow from the Cillit Bang ads. You guys can probably afford it. Tickets – and there are only 100 available – are priced at £250.
Fancy it? It is a properly once-in-a-lifetime deal. What else are you gonna do with the money? Eat? Bet you Barry Scott would be there in a shot. And if you’re up for it, tickets are here.
And should you buy two just for the hell of it, you know where I am, right? Here’s a blast from the past to help get your wallet loose.
Photo: David Wong
Buy Clash Magazine
Get Clash on your mobile, for free: iPhone / Android