Two months after pulling a “haha, just kidding” on Flavor Flav’s highly public split from the group, a reunified and reinvigoratedPublic Enemy has returned with a new single, “State of the Union (STFU).” Produced by DJ Premier, the track is the latest anti-Trump statement to come from Public Enemy frontman Chuck D, who’s spoken out about the president and his policies in his solo work and through the supergroup Prophets of Rage.
Here, Trump is a “dictator,” a “joke,” a “state bozo”—a Nazi piece of shit, basically—in an infectious old-school track punctuated by Flavor Flav’s unmistakable voice repeating, “State of the union! Shut the fuck up!” As well as condemning Trump, the track also implores people of color to learn their history and vote, because “another four years gonna gut y’all hollow,” as Chuck D puts it. The music video for the track further evokes the recent wave of protests prompted by the death of George Floyd, juxtaposing footage of killer cops with the chorus, “sorry ass motherfucker, stay away from me!”
In a press release about the song, Chuck D says, “Our collective voices keep getting louder. The rest of the planet is on our side. But it’s not enough to talk about change. You have to show up and demand change.” He adds, “folks gotta vote like their lives depend on it, because it does.”
“State of the Union (STFU)” is available as a free download on Public Enemy’s website, as well as on all major streaming platforms.
“Looking for ways to advocate for Black lives? Check out this list of resources by our sister site Lifehacker for ways to get involved.”