Public Enemy Drops Surprise Album, Celebrates 35 Years of ‘Fight The Power’ at Royal Albert Hall

The rap pioneers Public Enemy surprised fans with a new 12-track release titled Black Sky Over The Projects: Apartment 2025 on June 27. In an unexpected twist, they let listeners set their own price for the first 72 hours on Bandcamp.

Chuck D and Flavor Flav took to social media to make the announcement. "WE WANNA THANK ???????????????? THE FANS…THIS ALBUM IS THE GIVE BACK! PAY WHATCHA WANT FOR 72 HOURS...AND PASS IT ON!" 

The music drop hits just as the group steps onto UK soil for their first show in a decade at London's Royal Albert Hall. Concert-goers scored CD copies of the fresh tracks, marking 35 years since their groundbreaking "Fight The Power" shook the world.

Chuck D and Flavor Flav split production duties, each bringing their own crew to the mix as they divide the album into two parts. "Me and Flavor said, you're going to do your productions and I'll jump on it, and I'm going to do mine with my team. Then, the teams came together. It was also kind of my test to see how serious Flav was," Chuck D said to SPIN.

He also expressed that tracks like "Slick" and "Ageism" featured on the album tackle hot topics, from technology's stranglehold on daily life to age bias in rap music. Their new protest song, "March Madness," addresses gun violence and corrupt politicians, with all proceeds from it going to support the Black Music Action Coalition Human Rights Fund and Everytown for Gun Safety.

The track list packs heat with songs like "Siick," "Confusion," "What Eye Said," and nine more bangers. Early birds got to snag it on Bandcamp from June 27 to 30 at their desired price, but you can still get a digital copy for $9.99.

What's next for Public Enemy? They'll continue hitting stages across Europe with Guns N' Roses until July 21 in Bulgaria. Back stateside, they'll rock festival crowds at Newport Folk on July 26 and Atlanta's Shaky Knees this fall.

Want to see them perform live on stage? You can find more details on their upcoming shows, including dates, venues, and ticket prices, on Public Enemy's official tour page.