Album Review: Public Enemy-Man Plans God Laughs

Public Enemy  (PE) the legendary rap group behind 1990’s inspiring  hit ” Fight The power”  has returned with their 13th LP entitled Man Plans God Laughs(MPGL).  The group who has become  known  over the  years as politically conscious and socially aware is back at it again, sticking it to the man and bringing cultural issues to the forefront with Chuck D’s  compelling lyrics. MPGL  has  a very  short running time  clocking in at just under 30 minutes however, it’s a very subtle listen that’s  easy to digest.

On this project, PE decided to take aim at the cultural and social issues affecting the black youth of this generation.These issues include the terrible aspects of   racism, government corruption, and warfare. It begins with ” No Sympathy for the devil”  a funky bass heavy Sample in Which Chuck D lays down three strong verses in a very heavy and deep undertone. “Me to We” decides to counteract the heavy opener with a much happier sounding instrumental. On the song, Chuck D and Flavor Flav sing along the beat on how to bring the people together in order to start the revolution.  The title track ” Man Plans God Laughs” is easily the most focused and emphatic message on the album. The  aggressive track in which Chuck D spits  to the young black youth, specifically speaking on things like shedding the aggressive black stereotype while at the same time still defending oneself.   Visuals were released  to accompany this track on July 16th, 2015, a link can be found below. Towards the middle, the project seems to drag a little bit and stays a bit stagnant until “Corplantionoply,” a forceful look at the greed and lies among corporations.  On “Earthizen” Chuck D speaks on the recurring theme that black lives matter. This is obviously an important and timely statement in light of all of the controversy facing police in America.

Production for this album played a major role in the product as a whole and all in all it turned out well. A lot of the beats were a little experimental and this time around it was executive produced by one single producer, Gary “G-Wiz” Renaldo. A lot of the instrumentals are very spacey and have  snare drums looped over heavy samples.  The producer plays a huge role on this project and does a great job complementing the rest of the group.  Earlier this month Chuck D spoke with Rolling Stone on the records inspirations, saying it plays heavily on the progressive sounds of Yeezus, Run The Jewels, and To Pimp a Butterfly.

This album is a solid addition to PE’s discography, adding to an already legendary career for the multi-talented hip-hop group.  This project plays on the same inspirations that made PE such a powerful force in the 1990’s. Back then  the political activism and powerful statements against the media and government boiled over into the  1992 LA riots; in similar fashion recently we are seeing things such as Ferguson and Baltimore turn into ugly situations.  Even well into their 50’s, Public Enemy Continues to stay timely and relevant due to the fact that there is still the same anxious and unrest tempers from The ’92 Riots  plaguing  our black communities.

Check out the new album yourself and let us know what you thought, Man Plans God Laughs