New Whirl Odor

Public Enemy never lost its artistic groove; it lost its crossover audience. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees have quite a few classic moments that have gone overlooked in the shadow of It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back and Fear of a Black Planet—and 2005's New Whirl Odor is among them. The era's rappers had decided partying and bling were the ways to fame and fortune, and Chuck D and his social commentary became old-school overnight. Yet, it's Chuck D who sounds completely engaged and enraged. Rev. Al Sharpton opens this album with a ringing endorsement, as if PE is running for office. From there, Chuck sets PE's sights on then–President Bush and the mass media, reprising a theme from Black Planet with "66.6 Strikes Again" and churning pointed lines throughout the dense dance grooves of "Mklvfkwr" (featuring Moby) and "What a Fool Believes." Flavor Flav counterbalances Chuck's polemics with his absurdist cheering section. Someone has to talk Chuck D into going home, since he's one angry man on the all-too-true "Check What You're Listening To."