Nominally a soundtrack to
Spike Lee's basketball drama, but in reality more of an individual album,
He Got Game appeared in 1998, just the second
Public Enemy album since 1991's
Apocalypse 91. Even though
Chuck D was pushing 40, the late '90s were friendlier to
PE's noisy, claustrophobic hip-hop than the mid-'90s, largely because hip-hop terrorists like
the Wu-Tang Clan,
Jeru the Damaja, and
DJ Shadow were bringing the music back to its roots.
PE followed in their path, stripping away the sonic blitzkrieg that was the Bomb Squad's trademark and leaving behind skeletal rhythm tracks, simple loops, and basslines. Taking on
the Wu at their own game -- and, if you think about it,
Puff Daddy as well, since the simple, repetitive loop of
Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth" on the title track was nothing more than a brazenly successful one-upmanship of
Puff's shameless thievery -- didn't hurt the group's credibility, since they did it well. Listen to the circular, menacing synth lines of the opening "Resurrection" or the scratching strings on "Unstoppable" and it's clear that
Public Enemy could compete with the most innovative artists in the younger generation, while "Is Your God a Dog" and "Politics of the Sneaker Pimps" proved that they could draw their own rules. That said,
He Got Game simply lacked the excitement and thrill of prime period
PE --
Chuck D,
Terminator X, and the Bomb Squad were seasoned, experienced craftsmen, and it showed, for better and worse. They could craft a solid comeback like
He Got Game, but no matter how enjoyable and even thought-provoking the album was, that doesn't mean it's where you'll turn when you want to hear
Public Enemy. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine