Direct naar content

Fight the Power: The song that became an anthem of protest

It's 35 years since the release of one of the most provocative songs in music history.

Fight the Power by hip-hop group, Public Enemy, was radical both politically and sonically.

The song was written at the request of filmmaker, Spike Lee, who needed an anthem for his 1989 movie, Do the Right Thing.

The film became a box office smash and - despite controversy surrounding Public Enemy's image - the song soon became an anthem of protest and rebellion all over the world.

Public Enemy frontman, Chuck D, shares his memories of that time with Matt Pintus.

(Photo: Chuck D and Spike Lee pictured in 1989. Credit: Getty Images)

Datum:
Duur:

Meer afleveringen van Witness History

  • The discovery of the coelacanth

    In 1938, South African museum curator Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer discovered a coelacanth, a fish that was believed to have been extinct for 65 million years. It is thought to be our ancestor and the missing link between how fish...
  • Dismaland: Banksy's dystopian theme park

    In 2015, Banksy turned a derelict swimming pool in Weston-super-Mare, England, into a dystopian theme park which drew huge crowds and Hollywood stars. Working under cover of darkness, the street artist created Dismaland - a 'bemusement...
  • The Balcombe Street IRA siege

    In December 1975, four members of one of the IRA’s deadliest units were chased by police through the streets of London before hiding out in a small flat owned by a middle-aged couple called John and Sheila Matthews. The resulting...