As part of Anthrax’s 40th-anniversary livestream in 2021 Public Enemy’s Chuck D reunited with Anthrax to perform their rendition of “Bring the Noise” and now the complete Anthrax XL celebration is available digitally and on Blu-ray / CD.
In the video Chuck D (born Carlton Douglas Ridenhour) jumps about the stage and raps his verses as guitarist Scott Ian and bassist Frank Bello shout out Flavor Flav’s parts.
The energetic performance ends just like it did on the1991 single, with the Public Enemy frontman toasting drummer Charlie Benante and saying, “Hear the drummer get wicked.” “Happy 40th to the greatest.” “Nothing tops the feeling, every once in a while, I get invited by the band to come out and do ‘Bring the Noise.’ Nothing tops the joy.”
In a mini-documentary put together by the Smithsonian Museum of American History several years ago, Anthrax reflected on connecting with Public Enemy. In the piece, the group talks about how they wrote their own rap song, “I’m the Man,” in the late-1980s that eventually caught Chuck’s attention by how frequently Ian wore a Public Enemy shirt. Though D was initially suspect of the collaboration, they were able to convince him by recording their own metal version of the song and adding his verses on top. “Everybody said, a rap group and a metal group, how can that be done?” Bello says in the clip. “It can be done, and it can be done right. And we did it right.”
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Author: Saul Goode
Photo: John Leffmann