War at 33-1/3

Album: Fear of a Black Planet (1990)
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Songfacts®:

  • A song with Chuck D rapping about black power and the strength of Public Enemy, this track is notable for its tempo. Chuck explained to Keyboard magazine in 1990: "'War at 33-1/3' is at 128 beats per minute, which is the fastest thing I've ever rapped to, rapping right on top of the beat. I wanted to do something around 155, but it would have gotten to a point where it was just crazy. The lyrics are flying by so fast, you can't even figure out what I'm saying, even though I work at saying every single word clearly. It's important that people understand the words, because what we're saying means something."

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