Excuse us for the news,
You might not be amused;
But did you know White comes from Black?
No need to be confused.

Chuck D, “Fear of a Black Planet,” from Public Enemy’s Fear of a Black Planet, 1990. More quotes from PE…

Many have forgotten what we came here for,
Never knew or had a clue, so you’re on the floor.
Just growin’ not known’ about your past…
Now you’re lookin’ pretty stupid while you’re shakin’ your ass.

Chuck D., “Righstarter (Message To A Black Man),” from Public Enemy’s Yo! Bum Rush the Show, 1987. More knowledge from Chuck D…

These days you can’t see who’s in cahoots,
Cause now the KKK wears three-piece suits.

Chuck D., “Rebirth,” from Public Enemy’s Apocalypse ‘91…The Enemy Strikes Black, 1991. Baseball legend Hank Aaron has been flooded with hate mail after his comments about racism in America last week. "We have moved in the right direction, and there have been improvements, but we still have a long ways to go in the country,“ said Aaron. "The bigger difference is that back then they had hoods. Now they have neckties and starched shirts.”

Elvis was a hero to most,
But he never meant shit to me, you see.
Straight up racist that sucker was,
Simple and plain…
Motherfuck him AND John Wayne.

Chuck D., “Fight the Power,” from Public Enemy’s Fear of a Black Planet, 1990. More Public Enemy quotes

No matter what the name, we’re all the same pieces in one big chess game.

Chuck D., “Rebel Without a Pause,” from Public Enemy’s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, 1988

Burn, Hollywood, burn, I smell a riot goin’ on,
First they’re guilty, now they’re gone!

Chuck D., “Burn, Hollywood, Burn,” from Public Enemy’s Fear of a Black Planet, 1990

Comin’ from the school of hard knocks,
Some perpetrate…they drink Clorox.
Attack the black, cause I know they lack exact
The cold facts, and still they try to Xerox.

Chuck D., “Don’t Believe the Hype,” from Public Enemy’s It Takes a Nation of Million’s To Hold Us Back, 1988

CIA, FBI, all they tell us is lies.
And when I say it, they get alarmed…
‘Cause I’m louder than a bomb.

Chuck D., “Louder Than a Bomb,” from Public Enemy’s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, 1988

All I want is peace and love on this planet.
Ain’t that how God planned it?

Chuck D., “Fear of a Black Planet,” from Public Enemy’s Fear of a Black Planet, 1990

It’s weak to speak and blame somebody else
…When you destroy yourself.

Chuck D., “Welcome to the Terrordome,” from Public Enemy’s Fear of a Black Planet, 1990

Bass! How low can you go?
Death row…what a brother know.
Once again, back is the incredible,
The rhyme animal, the uncannable “D!”
Public Enemy Number One.
Five-O said, “Freeze!” and I got numb.
Can I tell ‘em that I really never had a gun?
But it’s the wax that the Terminator X spun.

Chuck D., “Bring the Noise,” from Public Enemy’s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, 1988

Our freedom of speech is freedom or death,
We got to fight the powers that be!

Chuck D., “Fight the Power,” from Public Enemy’s Fear of a Black Planet, 1990

I got a letter from the government the other day
I opened and read it…it said they were suckers.

Chuck D., “Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos,” from Public Enemy’s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, 1988

These days you can’t see who’s in cahoots
Cause now the KKK wears three-piece suits.

Chuck D., “Rebirth,” from Public Enemy’s Apocalypse ‘91…The Enemy Strikes Black, 1991

Never was hot, never was Pop,
But I never, ever stopped that real Hip Hop.
Got no paparazzi, got no company that got me;
Walking alone in the ‘hood, so it’s easy to spot me.

Chuck D, “Everything,” from Public Enemy’s The Evil Empire of Everything, 2012. More from Chuck D…