YMMV / Public Enemy

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• Award Snub: Snubbed by a single track no less. Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black was beaten out for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 34th Grammy awards by the DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince single "Summertime".
• Gateway Series: PE were the gateway for thousands of new (mostly white) fans to Hip-Hop in the late-80's, early-90's. Their aggressive, noisy production can appeal to metal fans, not to mention things like collaborating with Anthrax on a remix of "Bring The Noise" or basing "She Watch Channel Zero?!" around a Slayer sample. They have a reputation for this to this day, at least for those new to the genre.
• Germans Love David Hasselhoff: Their 2007 single "Harder Than You Think" is very popular in the United Kingdom, so much so that it would become their biggest hit there, peaking at number four five years later, thanks to Channel Four using it as the theme tune for their coverage of the Paralympics and would later serve as the Real Song Theme Tune of The Last Leg.
• Harsher in Hindsight: In "Caught, Can We Get a Witness?" they seem adamant about never "selling out". A couple of decades and mounting child support payments later, Flav needed some cash, and, once VH1 came calling, it resulted in him starring in the infamous reality television dating game show Flavor of Love.
• Never Live It Down: Regarding the Elvis Presley verses in "Fight The Power", Chuck D has had to clarify multiple times that he doesn't think Elvis was racist nor does he hate the artist. His point was that he didn't see him as "The King" the way white culture saw him, as they didn't acknowledge many of the Black artists who came before and influenced Elvis. It hasn't stopped people from using the line to disparage Elvis. It's worth noting that Elvis himself wasn't a fan of being called "The King" since he believed that title belonged to Jesus and that the rightful "King of Rock 'n Roll" was Fats Domino.
• Sequel Displacement: It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back makes it so easy to forget it's their second album...
• Signature Song: "Fight The Power" and "Bring the Noise".

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