Rap's biggest band Public Enemy flew in from Japan to land at Chiang-Kai-shek International Airport last night and will play a gig tomorrow at Ministry of Sound (MoS).
"It's rare enough for Public Enemy to play together at all these days even in America. But for them to come to Taiwan and do a show is just massive," said Buff Wise, the MoS DJ and promoter. "This time you better believe the hype, because they're here."
Last week the Taipei club announced it would be postponing the event. But a last-minute effort and a flight by Wise to Tokyo saved the show and now the event will go ahead as planned.
"The whole thing was a logistical nightmare because everybody was in different places, in different time zones all round the world," Wise said. "But they're here now and the gig will launch our `Big Urban Music' nights every Friday. It doesn't get bigger than Public Enemy. We're gonna take it to a whole new level."
Thirteen group members, inclu-ding nine stage artists from the Public Enemy crew arrived around 9:30pm on a delayed flight. The party included founder Chuck D and all the principal members of Public Enemy, except Flavor Flav, who was unable to fly out from the US.
In 1987 Public Enemy rolled out with Yo, Bum Rush the Show, followed a year later by It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, one of the most influential albums of the last 30 years.
Public Enemy was at first seen as the dark side of the music industry with its songs about the ghetto, gangland killings, poverty and discrimination.
Since then the group has confirmed its place in the history of popular music as one of the most successful and long-lasting rap acts.
As Chuck D said it on Put It Up: "Rappin' in circles, words can either help you or hurt you."
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