Download "Prophets of Rage"

Prophets of Rage by Public Enemy

Release Date
Tue Jun 28 1988
Performed by
Public Enemy
Produced by
Hank Shocklee & Chuck D
Writed by
Eric Sadler & Chuck D & Hank Shocklee & Flavor Flav
About

Chuck D says about this song in Check the Technique: Liner Notes for Hip Hop Junkies: “The title came from an article I saw in Life magazine that had that caption about Malcolm X. It said, ‘What ever happened to the prophets of rage?’ I like to make the title to a song first because it helps me writ...

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Prophets of Rage Lyrics

[Intro + scratching]
You're quite hostile
I got a right to be hostile, man, my people are being persecuted!
"Chuck, Chuck, Chuck, run, run, run a power move on them"

[Verse 1: Chuck D]
With vice, I hold the mic device
With force, I keep it away of course
And I'm keeping you from sleeping
And on a stage, I rage, and I'm rollin'
And to the poor, I pour in on in metaphors
I'm not bluffing, it's nothing that we ain't did before
We played, you stayed, the points made
You consider it done by the prophets of rage
(Power of the people, say)

[Ad-lib 1: Flavor Flav]
Yo, Griff, you and S1W's get to the East side
We gotta kick it to the East side, G!

[Verse 2]
I roll with the punches, so I survive
Try to rock 'cause it keeps the crowd alive
I'm not ballin', I'm just callin'
But I'm past the days of yes-y'allin'
I wiggle round and round, I pump, you jump up
Hear my words, my verbs and get (Juiced up, juiced up!)
I been around a while, you can't describe my sound
Clear the way for the prophets of rage
(Power of the people, say)

[Ad-lib 2: Flavor Flav]
Ay yo Griff, we gotta get to my man Ralph in the South
Let's kick it to the South side, G!

[Verse 3: Chuck D]
I rang ya bell, can you tell I got feeling?
A just peace, at least, 'cause I want it
I want it so bad that I'm starving
I'm like Garvey, so can you see, B?
It's like that, I'm like Nat, leave me the hell alone
If you don't think I'm a brother, then check my chromosome
And then you check the stage, I declare it a new age
Get down for the prophets of rage
(Can you kick it like this?)

[Segue 1]
"Okay, okay, come on" (Ugh!)
"Okay, okay, come on" (Ugh!)
"Okay, okay, come on" (Get down!) (Ugh!)
"Okay, okay, come on" (Yo, kick it, Chuck!) (Ugh!)
Come on!

[Scratching 1]
"Get-get-get a little stupid! (How-how-how stupid?)
Get a little stup-get-get a little stupid! (Aw, yeah!)
Get a little-get a little-get a little stupid!
Stup-stup-stup-stup-stup-stup-stupid!
Get-get-get-get a little stupid! (Come on, now!)
Get-get-get-get a little stupid! (Ha!)
Get a little-get a little-get a little stupid! (Come on!)
Get a little-get a little-get a little-get a little stupid!"

[Ad-lib 2: Flavor Flav]
Ay yo, kick it for the West side!

[Verse 4: Chuck D]
You back the track, you find we're the quotable
You emulate -- brothers, sisters, that's beautiful
Follow a path of positivity you go
Some sing it or rap it or harmonize it through go-go
Little you know, but very seldom I do party jams
About a plan, I'm considered the man
I'm the recordable, God made it affordable
I say it, you play it back in your car, even portable
(Stereo, stereo) Describes my scenario
Left or right, Black or White
Attack lies in the books that you're readin'
It's knowledge of yourself that you're needin'
I'm like Vesey or Prosser, we have a reason why
To debate the hate, that's why we're born to die
Mandela, cell dweller, Thatcher
You can tell her clear the way for the prophets of rage
(Power of the people, you say)

[Segue 2]
"Okay, okay, come on" (Ugh!)
"Okay, okay, come on" (Ugh!) (Yo! Yo, man!)
"Okay, okay, come on" (Yo, G!) (Ugh!)
"Okay, okay, come on" (Ay yo! Yo, G!)
(Yo, kick it! Chuck, man!) (Ugh!)
Come on!

[Scratching 2]
"Get-get-get a little stupid! (Yeah, yeah, yeah!)
Get a little stup-get-get a little stupid! (Come on, now!)
Get a little-get a little-get a little stupid! (Just shake it!)
Stup-stup-stup-stup-stup-stup-stupid! (Shake it, shake it! Come on, y'all!)
Get-get-get-get a little stupid! (Ha!)
Get-get-get-get a little stupid! (Yeah! Come on, come on!)
Get a little-get a little-get a little stupid! (Shake -- come on!)
Get a little-get a little-get a little-get a little stupid!"

[Ad-lib 3: Flavor Flav]
Yo, yo! North side, North side, G!

[Verse 5: Chuck D]
It's raw and keeping you on the floor
Its soul and keeping you in control
It's part two 'cause I'm pumping what you're used to
Till the whole Juice Crew gets me in my goose down
I do the rebel yell (And I'm a Duracell!)
I call it plain insane, brothers causing me pain
When a brother's a victim
And the seller's a dweller in a cage
(Yo, rock the acapella, G)
(Power of the people, say)

[Outro]
"You're quite hostile"

Prophets of Rage Q&A

Who wrote Prophets of Rage's ?

Prophets of Rage was written by Eric Sadler & Chuck D & Hank Shocklee & Flavor Flav.

Who produced Prophets of Rage's ?

Prophets of Rage was produced by Hank Shocklee & Chuck D.

When did Public Enemy release Prophets of Rage?

Public Enemy released Prophets of Rage on Tue Jun 28 1988.

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