Each summer, the Lawrence Art Center’s Free State Festival celebrates ideas, art, film and music in a week-long celebration downtown. It returns again this year on Monday, June 20 and is proud to announce that legendary hip-hop group Public Enemy featuring Chuck D and Flava Flav will close out the festivities on Saturday, June 25 with a FREE outdoor concert at 9th and New Hampshire. Gates open at 6:30pm.
The Long Island-based Hall of Famers arrived on the scene with the group’s very first album “Yo! Bum Rush the Show” (1987) featuring the single “Public Enemy No. 1.” The second album, “It Takes Nations of Millions to Hold Us Back” (1988) went all the way to No. 1 on the Top R&B Albums chart. In fact, its first five records gained either gold or platinum status. The group garnered a ton of success on the R&B singles chart throughout the ’80s and had its first of four No. 1 hits on the Hot Rap Tracks chart as well with “Fight the Power” (1989).
SINGLES IN THE 1980s
“Public Enemy No. 1” (1987)
“You’re Gonna Get Yours” (1987)
“Rebel Without a Pause” (1987)
“Bring the Noise” (1988) [No. 56 R&B]
“Don’t Believe the Hype” (1988) [No. 21 Dance/No. 18 R&B]
“Night of the Living Baseheads” (1988) [No. 62 R&B]
“Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos” (1989) [No. 86 R&B/No. 11 Rap]
“Fight the Power” (1989) [No. 20 R&B/No. 1 Rap]
With continued success into the mid-’90s, Public Enemy became emblematic of its genre and one of the most acclaimed bands in music history. Now, you can see the group perform live and at no charge right in the heart of Lawrence. Get ready with this music video playlist and join the monumental celebration.
