---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People forget how dominant Public Enemy…"
description: "\"People forget how dominant Public Enemy became in the mid '80s. No one talks about how transformative they were. And then that led to the '90s and the ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/738/marco-rubio-355_about_people-forget-how-dominant-public-enemy_1651962.png"
---

#  People forget how dominant Public Enemy became in the mid…

![“People forget how dominant Public Enemy became in the mid '80s. No one talks about how transformative they were. And then that led to the '90s and the sort of East Coast v. West Coast stuff, which is kinda when I came of age.” quote by Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/738/marco-rubio-355_about_people-forget-how-dominant-public-enemy_1651962.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/738/marco-rubio-355_about_people-forget-how-dominant-public-enemy_1651962.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/738/marco-rubio-355_about_people-forget-how-dominant-public-enemy_1651962.png)

> “People forget how dominant Public Enemy became in the mid '80s. No one talks about how transformative they were. And then that led to the '90s and the sort of East Coast v. West Coast stuff, which is kinda when I came of age.”

[Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Public Enemy reshaped rap with political urgency, influencing later regional rivalries and the genre’s mainstream rise.

**In simple terms:** They changed rap and sparked later rivalries.

Key Takeaway

Recognize their impact on music and culture.

Themes

music history political expression cultural influence regional rivalry genre evolution

Mood

reflective critical nostalgic

Type

historical analytical commentary

When to use this quote

- Studying music trends
- teaching cultural history
- analyzing media impact

Key Concepts

Hip hop political activism media narrative

Questions to Reflect On

- How might modern hip hop sound without their political edge?
- What other artists have been similarly overlooked?

A Different Perspective

Their influence is often under‑credited in mainstream narratives.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[80S Talks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/80s-talks-662894/) [About](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Became](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/became/) [Came](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/came/) [Came Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/came-age-662896/) [Coast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coast/) [Dominant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dominant/) [Dominant Public](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dominant-public-662897/) [East](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/east/) [East coast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/east-coast/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Forget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forget/) [Forget Dominant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forget-dominant-662895/) [How](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/how/) [I came](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-came/) [Kinda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kinda/) [Led](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/led/) [Mid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mid/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Public](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public/) [Public Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-enemy-382413/) [Sort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sort/) [Stuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stuff/) [Talks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talks/) [Then](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/then/) [Transformative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transformative/) [Were](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/were/) [West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/west/) [West coast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/west-coast/) [Which](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/which/)

## Related quotes

> [Research shows that women at that mid level tend to get promoted based on performance, and men tend to get promoted based on potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-brooke/research-shows-that-women-at-that-mid-level-tend-to-get-promoted/)

[Beth Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-brooke/)

> [Anyway, in the mid 80's I was spending a fortune buying old Golden Age books from the late 30's and 40's and I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mumy/anyway-in-the-mid-80-s-i-was-spending-a-fortune-buying-old-golden-age/)

[Bill Mumy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mumy/)

> [I was in my mid 20s when email finally took off. Until then, the phone was my primary way of connecting with the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/i-was-in-my-mid-20s-when-email-finally-took-off-until-then-the-phone/)

[Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/)

> [Life is a minds attempt to win over other minds as along as it thinks the other minds are different from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thiruman-archunan/life-is-a-minds-attempt-to-win-over-other-minds-as-along-as-it-thinks/)

[Thiruman Archunan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thiruman-archunan/)

> [When I first started doing these roasts in the mid '90s, they were a lost art, like jousting or calligraphy. But I feel like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-ross/when-i-first-started-doing-these-roasts-in-the-mid-90s-they-were-a/)

[Jeff Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-ross/)

> [The end of the mid finger on my left hand is wider than normal, the nail distorted and a scar in the end. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-asher/the-end-of-the-mid-finger-on-my-left-hand-is-wider-than-normal-the/)

[Neal Asher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-asher/)

> [To play full-back for Mikel Arteta, you've got to be a centre mid, a centre-back, a winger, a number 10.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-white/to-play-full-back-for-mikel-arteta-you-ve-got-to-be-a-centre-mid-a/)

[Ben White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-white/)

> [I didn't really blossom until my mid teens, and by that time I had to work on my personality to make people like me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-longoria/i-didn-t-really-blossom-until-my-mid-teens-and-by-that-time-i-had-to/)

[Eva Longoria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-longoria/)

> [My personal style is a big mix. A lot of it's pretty vintage. I love vintage looks. I'm obsessed with the mid '60s era,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kacey-musgraves/my-personal-style-is-a-big-mix-a-lot-of-it-s-pretty-vintage-i-love/)

[Kacey Musgraves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kacey-musgraves/)

> [Go out there and try on everything - short skirts, long skirts, mid length, little jackets, men's clothing - and really look at yourself;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-rampling/go-out-there-and-try-on-everything-short-skirts-long-skirts-mid/)

[Charlotte Rampling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-rampling/)

> [Of course, Dwight D. Eisenhower gets credit for doing more for golf than any other White House resident, a mid- to high-handicapper though he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-jenkins/of-course-dwight-d-eisenhower-gets-credit-for-doing-more-for-golf/)

[Dan Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-jenkins/)

> [When I started, I had a really hard time getting work. It was the mid- to late-nineties. There was the WB. My age was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-zea/when-i-started-i-had-a-really-hard-time-getting-work-it-was-the-mid/)

[Natalie Zea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-zea/)

> [I quit it because at the end of seven years in an ensemble show with one leader, I thought: 'I will be known as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-duffy/i-quit-it-because-at-the-end-of-seven-years-in-an-ensemble-show-with/)

[Patrick Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-duffy/)

> [I read a great deal of science fiction with consummate pleasure between, say, the ages of 12 and 16. Then I got away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gibson/i-read-a-great-deal-of-science-fiction-with-consummate-pleasure/)

[William Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gibson/)

> [“The Beetle’s body, whether it be a ’49 split or a ’73 Jeans Bug, or an ‘03 Mexican, was originally conceived in the mid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-engela/the-beetle-s-body-whether-it-be-a-49-split-or-a-73-jeans-bug-or-an-03/)

[Christina Engela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-engela/)

## More by Marco Rubio

> [Conservatism is not about leaving people behind. Conservatism is about empowering people to catch up, to give them the tools at their disposable that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/conservatism-is-not-about-leaving-people-behind-conservatism-is-about/)

[Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/)

> [However, however, if the goal is to abandon America's free enterprise economy, if the goal is to convert America into a submissive member of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/however-however-if-the-goal-is-to-abandon-america-s-free-enterprise/)

[Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/)

> [The president we have today is a typical Washington politician that's prone to hyperbole and decisiveness and false outrage. And I think it's very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/the-president-we-have-today-is-a-typical-washington-politician-that-s/)

[Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/)

> [Donald Trump is not going to be the nominee, because we are not going to allow - people will wake up and we're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/donald-trump-is-not-going-to-be-the-nominee-because-we-are-not-going/)

[Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/)

> [My first job paid well for a young attorney. I was making over $50,000, which was more than either of my parents had ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/my-first-job-paid-well-for-a-young-attorney-i-was-making-over-50-000/)

[Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/)

> [My dad was a bartender. My mom was a cashier, a maid and a stock clerk at K-Mart. They never made it big. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/my-dad-was-a-bartender-my-mom-was-a-cashier-a-maid-and-a-stock-clerk/)

[Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/)

> [Now, look, it's true, Americans do want leaders that will come to Washington, D.C. and work together to get things done, but that comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/now-look-it-s-true-americans-do-want-leaders-that-will-come-to/)

[Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/)

> [I have been an underdog my whole life, both in life and in politics. We're going to do well. We're going to pick up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/i-have-been-an-underdog-my-whole-life-both-in-life-and-in-politics-we/)

[Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/)

> [Certainly being governor is an important job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/certainly-being-governor-is-an-important-job/)

[Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/)

> [The conservative movement is about government playing its important yet limited role, and about not falling into the trap of believing that every problem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/the-conservative-movement-is-about-government-playing-its-important/)

[Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/)

> [The greatest thing that we can do for the world is be America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/the-greatest-thing-that-we-can-do-for-the-world-is-be-america/)

[Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/)

> [Our people want jobs. They don't want a safety net as a way of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/our-people-want-jobs-they-don-t-want-a-safety-net-as-a-way-of-life/)

[Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/)

> [I believe that every single human being is entitled to the protection of our laws, whether they can vote or not. Whether they can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/i-believe-that-every-single-human-being-is-entitled-to-the-protection/)

[Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/)

> [I don't measure success by how many buildings have my name on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/i-don-t-measure-success-by-how-many-buildings-have-my-name-on-it/)

[Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/)

> [Any time you can degrade or take away the top leadership of an organization, it's a positive step forward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/any-time-you-can-degrade-or-take-away-the-top-leadership-of-an/)

[Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/)

[Explore all 649 Marco Rubio quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/)

## More About quotes

> [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/)

[Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/)

> [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/)

[Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/)

> [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/)

[Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/)

> [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/)

[Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/)

> [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/)

[Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/)

> [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/)

[Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/)

> [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/)

[Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/)

> [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/)

[Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/)

> [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/)

[Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/)

> [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/)

[Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/)

> [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/)

[Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/)

> [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/)

[John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/)

> [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/)

[Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/)

[Browse all 26,122 About quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "People forget how dominant Public Enemy became in the mid '80s. No one talks about how transformative they were. And then that led to the '90s and the sort of East Coast v. West Coast stuff, which is kinda when I came of age.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Marco Rubio"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/people-forget-how-dominant-public-enemy-became-in-the-mid-80s-no-one/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "About"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/people-forget-how-dominant-public-enemy-became-in-the-mid-80s-no-one/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/738/marco-rubio-355_about_people-forget-how-dominant-public-enemy_1651962.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/738/marco-rubio-355_about_people-forget-how-dominant-public-enemy_1651962.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/738/marco-rubio-355_about_people-forget-how-dominant-public-enemy_1651962.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“People forget how dominant Public Enemy became in the mid '80s. No one talks about how transformative they…” — Marco Rubio",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Marco Rubio",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "People forget how dominant Public Enemy...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/people-forget-how-dominant-public-enemy-became-in-the-mid-80s-no-one/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/people-forget-how-dominant-public-enemy-became-in-the-mid-80s-no-one/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
