Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos
Encyclopedia
"Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos" is a song by the American
hip hop
group Public Enemy from their second album, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
. The song is built on a high-pitched piano sample from the Isaac Hayes
song "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymystic" from the album Hot Buttered Soul
and tells the story of prison escape.
The vocals are done mostly by lead Public Enemy rapper Chuck D
, with sidekick Flavor Flav
appearing in between verses, seemingly speaking to Chuck over the phone. Flavor went to another room and did actually call the studio to achieve this effect.
Chuck is then taken to prison, from which he attempts to escape. "Black Steel" is a reference to a gun, which he needs to escape. By the end of the second verse, Chuck has taken a gun from a C.O. (corrections officer
) who was "fallin' asleep." ("But ever when I catch a C.O. / Sleeping on the job/My plan is on go-ahead.")
With gun in hand, Chuck and the other prisoners escape "to the ghetto - no sell out." Chuck then comments on how there are 6 C.O.s who he "ought to put their head out." He does not, at first ("But I'll give 'em a chance 'cause I'm civilized"), but after a female tries to thwart the escape she is shot, ("Got a woman C.O. to call me a 'copter / She tried to get away, and I popped her"), presumably dead ("I had 6 C.O.s, now it's 5 to go").
The final verse ends with Chuck and the rest of the prisoners on their final escape. They are confronted with shots and there is a state of chaos. Chuck makes a comment about prison and racism ("This is what I mean—an anti-nigger machine"), which later became the basis for another Public Enemy song, "Anti-Nigger Machine" (featured on the 1990 album, Fear of a Black Planet
). Finally, the S1W
s come to the rescue. The song ends with the line "53 brothers on the run, and we are gone" indicating a successful prison escape. (However, in the video for the song, this line accompanies the image of Chuck D being hanged by the triumphant warden of the prison, suggesting that the prison riot was crushed and the final verse is nothing more than the wishful thinking of a "dead man walking".)
Chuck describes his situation as a cliffhanger at the end of each verse. The first verse sees him looking for a gun ("On the strength the situation's unreal / I got a raw deal / So I'm looking for the steel"). The second verse sees him making his move for the gun ("On the strength I'm a tell you the deal / I've got nothing to lose / 'Cause I'm going for the steel"). The third verse ends with him looking for the exit ("Time to break as time grows intense / I've got my steel in my right hand / Now I'm looking for the fence"). Finally Chuck is rescued ("Now the chase is on telling you to come on / 53 brothers on the run, and we are gone.")
" by The Escorts and "Living for the City
" by Stevie Wonder
.
The lines in the scratch breaks "Now they got me in a cell" and "Death Row/What a brother knows" are used as samples on this track from another Public Enemy song, "Bring The Noise
", also on It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
group Public Enemy from their second album, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back is the second studio album by American hip hop group Public Enemy, released April 14, 1988, on Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions for the album took place at Chung King Studios, Greene Street Recording, and Sabella Studios in New York City...
. The song is built on a high-pitched piano sample from the Isaac Hayes
Isaac Hayes
Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the...
song "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymystic" from the album Hot Buttered Soul
Hot Buttered Soul
Hot Buttered Soul was Isaac Hayes' second studio album. Released in 1969, it is recognized as a landmark in soul music.-Album history:The album almost never came to be...
and tells the story of prison escape.
The vocals are done mostly by lead Public Enemy rapper Chuck D
Chuck D
Carlton Douglas Ridenhour , better known by his stage name, Chuck D, is an American rapper, author, and producer. He helped create politically and socially conscious rap music in the mid-1980s as the leader of the rap group Public Enemy.- Early life :Ridenhour was born in Queens, New York...
, with sidekick Flavor Flav
Flavor Flav
William Jonathan Drayton, Jr. , better known by his stage name Flavor Flav, is an American rapper and television personality who rose to prominence as a member of the rap group Public Enemy...
appearing in between verses, seemingly speaking to Chuck over the phone. Flavor went to another room and did actually call the studio to achieve this effect.
Lyrical Storyline
The lyrics deal with a fictional story of an escape from a US prison. Chuck has been drafted ("I got a letter from the government, the other day / I opened and read it, it said they were suckers / they wanted me for their army or whatever"); however, he refuses to become part of the army ("Picture me giving a damn / I said 'never!'" and "They could not understand that I'm a black man and I could never be a veteran!"). The main idea behind this is that the war is wrong, with a hint of pure indignation towards the treatment of Black people by other parts of American society ("here's a land that never gave a damn about a brother like me"). This serves to both criticize racism and the prison system ("Four of us packed in a cell like slaves"). Note that at the time the song was released, it had been 16 years since the abolition of conscription in the United States.Chuck is then taken to prison, from which he attempts to escape. "Black Steel" is a reference to a gun, which he needs to escape. By the end of the second verse, Chuck has taken a gun from a C.O. (corrections officer
Prison officer
A prison officer , also referred to as a corrections officer , correctional officer , or detention officer , is a person charged with the responsibility of the supervision, safety and security of prisoners in a prison, jail, or similar form of secure...
) who was "fallin' asleep." ("But ever when I catch a C.O. / Sleeping on the job/My plan is on go-ahead.")
With gun in hand, Chuck and the other prisoners escape "to the ghetto - no sell out." Chuck then comments on how there are 6 C.O.s who he "ought to put their head out." He does not, at first ("But I'll give 'em a chance 'cause I'm civilized"), but after a female tries to thwart the escape she is shot, ("Got a woman C.O. to call me a 'copter / She tried to get away, and I popped her"), presumably dead ("I had 6 C.O.s, now it's 5 to go").
The final verse ends with Chuck and the rest of the prisoners on their final escape. They are confronted with shots and there is a state of chaos. Chuck makes a comment about prison and racism ("This is what I mean—an anti-nigger machine"), which later became the basis for another Public Enemy song, "Anti-Nigger Machine" (featured on the 1990 album, Fear of a Black Planet
Fear of a Black Planet
Fear of a Black Planet is the third studio album by American hip hop group Public Enemy, released April 10, 1990, on Def Jam Recordings and Columbia Records. Production for the album was handled by the group's production team The Bomb Squad, who expanded on the dense, sample-layered sound of the...
). Finally, the S1W
S1W (group)
S1W, short for Security of the First World, began as a security organization inRoosevelt, New York under the name of Unity Force where they provided security at hip hop parties during the mid 1980s. The organization was headed by Professor Griff. Later they became part of the hip hop group Public...
s come to the rescue. The song ends with the line "53 brothers on the run, and we are gone" indicating a successful prison escape. (However, in the video for the song, this line accompanies the image of Chuck D being hanged by the triumphant warden of the prison, suggesting that the prison riot was crushed and the final verse is nothing more than the wishful thinking of a "dead man walking".)
Chuck describes his situation as a cliffhanger at the end of each verse. The first verse sees him looking for a gun ("On the strength the situation's unreal / I got a raw deal / So I'm looking for the steel"). The second verse sees him making his move for the gun ("On the strength I'm a tell you the deal / I've got nothing to lose / 'Cause I'm going for the steel"). The third verse ends with him looking for the exit ("Time to break as time grows intense / I've got my steel in my right hand / Now I'm looking for the fence"). Finally Chuck is rescued ("Now the chase is on telling you to come on / 53 brothers on the run, and we are gone.")
Beat
The song features a slower, more melodic beat in comparison to other songs from It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back but still remains highly chaotic. Aside from the aforementioned Hayes sample, the song samples "Little Green ApplesLittle Green Apples
"Little Green Apples" is a song written by Bobby Russell which was most successful as a 1968 hit single by O. C. Smith.According to Buzz Cason, who partnered Bobby Russell in the Nashville-based Rising Sons music publishing firm, Russell wrote both the songs "Honey" and "Little Green Apples" as "an...
" by The Escorts and "Living for the City
Living for the City
"Living for the City" is a 1973 hit single by Stevie Wonder for the Tamla label, from his Innervisions album. Reaching #8 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart and #1 on the R&B chart, the record is driven by a slow bass synth groove that manages to exude a certain amount of tension, an appropriate...
" by Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
.
The lines in the scratch breaks "Now they got me in a cell" and "Death Row/What a brother knows" are used as samples on this track from another Public Enemy song, "Bring The Noise
Bring the Noise
"Bring the Noise" is a song by the hip hop group Public Enemy. It was included on the soundtrack of the 1987 film Less Than Zero and was also released as a single that year. It later became the first song on the group's 1988 album It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back...
", also on It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back is the second studio album by American hip hop group Public Enemy, released April 14, 1988, on Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions for the album took place at Chung King Studios, Greene Street Recording, and Sabella Studios in New York City...
.
Charts
| Chart (1988) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | 86 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Singles | 11 |
Covers
- This song has been covered by the BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian metal band SepulturaSepulturaSepultura is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte, formed in 1984. The band was a major force in the death metal, thrash metal and ultimately groove metal realms during the late 1980s and early 1990s, with their later experiments melding nu metal, hardcore punk and industrial.Sepultura...
. - It has been performed live on separate occasions with Chuck D on vocals by Asian Dub FoundationAsian Dub FoundationAsian Dub Foundation are a British electronica band that plays a mix of rapcore, dub, dancehall and ragga, also using rock instruments, acknowledging a punk influence...
and Rage Against the MachineRage Against the MachineRage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...
. In 1998, a live version from 1996 featuring Chuck D appeared on the Rage Against The Machine album Live & Rare. - TrickyTrickyTricky is an English musician and actor. As a producer and a musician, he is noted for a dark, rich and layered sound and a whispering sprechgesang lyrical style. Culturally, Tricky encourages an intertwining of societies, particularly in his musical fusion of rock and hip hop, high art and pop...
covered the song, changing its name to "Black Steel", on his debut album MaxinquayeMaxinquayeMaxinquaye is the debut album of the English musician and actor Tricky, released in 1995. Expanding on the sonic template of fellow Bristolians Massive Attack, and featuring then-girlfriend Martina Topley-Bird on vocals, Maxinquaye is a dark, mysterious album featuring a combination of hip-hop,...
released in 1995. The stripped down rap sound of the original (which includes samples of Isaac HayesIsaac HayesIsaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the...
and Stevie WonderStevie WonderStevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
) is replaced by pounding drums and guitars. Martina Topley-BirdMartina Topley-BirdMartina Topley-Bird is a British vocalist and songwriter who first gained fame as the featured female vocalist on trip hop pioneer Tricky's debut album, Maxinquaye...
sings the lyrics instead of rapping. http://sample-as-that.blogspot.com/2006/10/tricky-black-steel-cover-version-of.html - The same Isaac Hayes sample is used by The GameThe Game (rapper)Jayceon Terrell Taylor , better known by his stage name Game, formerly The Game, is an American rapper and actor. As a member of G-Unit, he rose to fame in 2005 with the success of his debut album, The Documentary, which earned him two Grammy Award nominations...
in the Just BlazeJust BlazeJustin Smith, better known as Just Blaze, is an American hip hop music producer from Paterson, New Jersey. Blaze is also the CEO of Fort Knocks Entertainment. He is most well known for producing Jay-Z songs on the albums The Blueprint, The Blueprint 2, and The Black Album. He is also known for...
produced song "Remedy" on the album Doctor's Advocate. Chuck D's line "they got me in a cell" from "Black Steel" is also scratched in the hook. - The song "Officer" by The Pharcyde opens with the lines, "I got a letter from the DMVDepartment of Motor VehiclesIn the United States of America, a Department of Motor Vehicles is a state-level government agency that administers vehicle registration and driver licensing. Similar departments exist in Canada...
the other day. I opened and read it, it said they were suckers". - The beginning of the song is sampled heavily in the song "Make Some Noise" by "Dougal & Gammer".
- The lines "They wanted me for their army or whatever, Picture me", are used in the song Untimely Meditations by the hip-hop artist Saul WilliamsSaul WilliamsSaul Stacey Williams is an American poet, writer, actor and musician known for his blend of poetry and alternative hip hop and for his leading role in the 1998 independent film Slam.-Biography:...
, from his debut album Amethyst Rock StarAmethyst Rock StarAmethyst Rock Star is the first album release by Saul Williams.-Track listing:All songs written by Saul Williams#"Lalala" – 2:40#"Penny for a Thought" – 4:34#"Robeson" – 4:21...
. - On the song "Southern Gangsta" from LudacrisLudacrisChristopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
's album Theater of the MindTheater of the MindThough the album was well received by music critics, it debuted at number five on the Billboard 200, selling 214,000 copies in its first week, making it his sixth top 5 album. It was his first album since 2000's Back for the First Time and 2001's Word of Mouf to not reach number one status, and his...
, Rick RossRick Ross (rapper)William Leonard Roberts II , better known by his stage name Rick Ross, is an American rapper. He derived his stage name from the drug trafficker "Freeway" Ricky Ross, to whom he has no connection...
begins his verse with the line: "I got a letter from the government the other day; I opened and read it, it said we was hustlers". - ParisParis (rapper)Oscar Jackson, Jr. , better known by his stage name Paris is an American rapper from San Francisco, California, known for his highly charged political and socially conscious lyrics...
song What would you do (from album Sonic JihadSonic Jihad (Paris album)Sonic Jihad is the fifth studio album by rapper Paris, released in 2003, recorded, mixed and mastered at Data Stream Studio in San Francisco.- Track listing :# "Ave Bushani"# "Field Nigga Boogie"# "Sheep to the Slaughter"...
) begins with words I see a message from the government, like every day/I watch it, and listen, and call 'em all suckas/They warnin' me about Osama or whatever/Picture me buyin' this scam I said never which references to first verse of the song. - Minnesota rapper Brother AliBrother AliAli Newman , better known by the stage name Brother Ali, is an American hip hop artist signed to Rhymesayers Entertainment.-Personal life:...
opens his song "Letter From the Government" with the line, "I got a letter from the government the other day, I opened and read it, and burned it, man." The song appears on Brother Ali's 2007 album, The Undisputed Truth.
External links
- Music video on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....