Rob Conroy

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Member Since: 1/22/2001
Total Mixes: 629
Total Feedback: 9267

My heroes don't appear on no stamps.

Artist Song
Public Enemy  Sophisticated Bitch  
Public Enemy  Miuzi Weighs a Ton  
Public Enemy  Rebel Without a Pause  
Public Enemy  Bring the Noise  
Public Enemy  Don't Believe the Hype  
Public Enemy  Louder Than a Bomb  
Public Enemy  She Watch Channel Zero?!  
Public Enemy  Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos  
Public Enemy  Fight the Power  
Public Enemy  Welcome to the Terrordome  
Public Enemy  Brothers Gonna Work It Out  
Public Enemy  Pollywannacracka 
Public Enemy  Power to the People  
Public Enemy  Fear of a Black Planet  
Public Enemy  Lost at Birth  
Public Enemy  Nighttrain  
Public Enemy  By the Time I Get to Arizona  
Public Enemy  Hazy Shade of Criminal  

Comment:

80 minutes from my all-time favorite rap/hip-hop act. Chuck D is a genius--a flawed genius, but a fearsomely articulate human being, nonetheless, whose voice alone commands some measure of respect. Last tracks cut: "You're Gonna Get Yours," "Can't Truss It," "Night of the Living Baseheads," "Prophets of Rage," "911 is a Joke," "Burn Hollywood Burn," "Shut 'Em Down," and "Public Enemy No. 1."

Feedback:

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hemizen
Date: 5/15/2006
One of the very few rap groups I like-well done.
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Thomas_Mohr
Date: 5/15/2006
CUT "You're Gonna Get Yours"? You outta yo mind? ;)
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sport !
Date: 5/15/2006
Hell yeah!
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Pop Kulcher
Date: 5/15/2006
I would place Public Enemy alongside the Beastie Boys as one of the few rap acts I actually enjoy, rather than just tolerate. Chuck D has one of those rare voices that really makes you sit up and take notice. On the other hand, they've always had a bit of that anti-semitic baggage, which has kept me from ever really embracing them.
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dice
Date: 5/15/2006
I love Night Of The Living Baseheads! that's too bad you had to cut it :( nice mix nonetheless.
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Mark Petruccelli
Date: 5/15/2006
Yeah!, Heavy on "Fear of a B;ack Planet" (my favorite Rap album bar none). Kind of hard to take Flav these days but Chuck D is the real deal.
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The Misfit
Date: 5/15/2006
Excellent!
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DJ Karen Adams
Date: 5/15/2006
Yeeeeeaaaaahhh Booooyyyyeeee!!!! Shocklee Brothers were awesome on production as they took remnants of sound and made masterpieces. Shocklees, Double Dee & Steinski and The Latin Rascals are still big influences in the DJ Karen camp.
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fritz1
Date: 5/15/2006
nicely done, rob. a mix like this would be really challenging for me, in terms of the time limit...
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Bear
Date: 5/15/2006
Full effect brother.
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French Connection
Date: 5/15/2006
Have never heard a single second of their stuff so guess that puts me in a minority round these parts!
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Dom1
Date: 5/15/2006
No & I bet they don't wear yamulkas either...to be fair I do own cds by these lovable anti-semites and spin them in a moments of self loathing...no, seriously I do like some of their stuff...I just wish their politics didn't offend me.
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DJ Usurp
Date: 5/15/2006
This band is long overdue for a catalog remastering. Well done, though -- looks like you have all the essentials. (It's possible that the Do the Right Thing version of Fight the Power is uncensored.)
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Nomates
Date: 5/15/2006
Oh the anger, the revolutionary ranting, the militant posturing, the "justice for my people" coda, the vacuous endorsement of "causes" and "leaders", the wacky "pimp" apparel, the to-ing and fro-ing , the inevitable and tedious drugs and booze, the anti-this and anti-that political carousel, the personnel merry-go-round, the in-fighting, the out-fighting. Hey, it's like some crazy rock/rap soap opera - all the necessary ingredients - keeping it real. Bollocks! Nonetheless, in spite of all the nauseating stances and nonsensical, clichTd shenanigans, Public Enemy made some damn fine music. Yes indeedy do. So that's alright then.
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alma cogan
Date: 5/16/2006
Nice mix Rob. Nomates, on the other hand, is talking nonsense. PE were undoubtedly flawed and full of contradictions but Chuck D rapped with righteous venom and insight, and Flavor Flav was supposed to be a clown. The causes may not have seemed quite so 'vacuous' had he even vaguest understanding of the Black American experience under Reagan.
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Rob Conroy
Date: 5/16/2006
Yeah, I was following them the whole time and missed the part where Chuck D wore pimp apparel, had a drug problem, or engaged in anything resembling a "crazy rock/rap soap opera." Flavor Flav did some of that stuff (and has certainly become a raging parody of himself), but he has always existed as a foil for Chuck (in alma's accurate words, "a clown.") And their commentary certainly reflected what was going on here at the time, as the '80s and early '90s were not a particularly fine time to be American at all (let alone an African-American). I'm sure it's even worse now with the current administration and wish that PE were a more relevant voice at this point or that a worthy successor would spring up from their somewhat tarnished ashes. That said, their line-up has proven to be considerably more stable than most other hip-hop ensembles. Perhaps Nomates was thinking of NWA instead? (Btw, Nomates, thank you for your positive remark about the mix itself and for your remarks, generally. I'm respectfully disagreeing with your analysis, however.)
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sammyg123
Date: 5/17/2006
It's the mix I'm intersted in. A fine act and you've pretty much nailed their career best. I'd have included You're Gonna Get Yours but what to take off?
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Nomates
Date: 5/17/2006
Oh I have the "vaguest" understanding of Reagan's crimes against the civil rights of the African American. Naturally, I am unable to comprehend what it meant -- no doubt what it still means -- to be black in the USA. I cannot condone repression in any form. I detest racism in all its manifestations. I do not see an end to it. Prejudice is inherent in us all (and I mean all), however we try to keep it at bay. For instance, I detest shouting and railing anger aimed at the nameless powers that be. I understand the deep-rooted sense of injustice historically bestowed upon a given group or race. I understand the hatred and resentment festering in the aggrieved consciousness of the long oppressed. I have no answer for it. It is far easier to be angry than to be reasonable. Hey, why be reasonable towards the perceived enemy. It's always time to fight back, to say no more! As ye reap etc.

Public Enemy were innovative and damned entertaining with it. They were not instruments for change. They fell into all the usual traps of stardom and notoriety. They were true to their origins and far removed from the general apathy that surrounds us all. But they were human and prone to all the vagaries that implies. I realise now that my comments were in the form of a diatribe. I am, perhaps, guilty of the very hot-headedness I decry. I bow to those long-term fans and supporters of Public Enemy. You are clearly better informed than I am. I will endeavour to employ circumspection in future. You see what a wuss I am. Still like the mix though. As I have said, Public Enemy made some damned fine music. It appears I simply glossed over their "message". How very typical.
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Slack-a-gogo
Date: 5/19/2006
Sonicly those firt two PE albums were just incredible. It made so much of the other music coming out at the time seem puny. Nice collection, although I can't imagine a PE mix without "You're Gonna Get Yours". I know you hate my 98.
You gonna get yours!
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Rob_z2.
Date: 5/21/2006
Oh God! *big hug*