In a provocative new music video, Public Enemy urges viewers to "do something" in response to the turbulent state of politics today. Directed by Rhiannon Rae Ellis, the visual brings together clips of revolutionary figures like Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., and Muhammad Ali with Chuck D and Flavor Flav in a room full of televisions.
The video begins with footage of Ruby Bridges walking into New Orleans' William Frantz Elementary School in 1960, ending the school's years of segregation. It then shifts to actress Safara-Cree Stiggers depicting a young Bridges, opening a door that leads into the video's main setting. There, Olympian water polo player Ashleigh Johnson assumes the roles of beloved figures such as Prince, Tommie Smith, Serena Williams, and Amanda Gorman.
As Public Enemy trades bars over a rambunctious guitar loop, Flavor Flav sets the tone with his signature bombast, rapping "Knock us down, we won't stop now, B." Chuck D follows up with a defiant refrain, rhyming "Listen - y'all got radio permission?/Hit 'em hard, knock 'em out of commission." The visual aims to reflect the world's turbulent political state as urgently as Public Enemy's refrain.
According to Chuck D, the lyrics remain relevant today, even more so than yesterday. "It's time to wake up and DO something," he emphasizes. When asked about his role in the video, Flavor Flav praised Ashleigh Johnson for her phenomenal performance, saying that the video has a real important history lesson, message, and warning.
Public Enemy's latest visual comes on the heels of their recent "Black Sky VIDmash" clip, which brought together three different songs. As an official sponsor of the U.S. women's water polo team at the 2024 Olympics, Flavor Flav is now set to play a similar role for the U.S. bobsled and skeleton team at the 2026 games.
The music video for "The Hits Just Keep on Comin'" serves as a call to action, urging viewers to take concrete steps in response to the world's turbulent state of politics today.
The video begins with footage of Ruby Bridges walking into New Orleans' William Frantz Elementary School in 1960, ending the school's years of segregation. It then shifts to actress Safara-Cree Stiggers depicting a young Bridges, opening a door that leads into the video's main setting. There, Olympian water polo player Ashleigh Johnson assumes the roles of beloved figures such as Prince, Tommie Smith, Serena Williams, and Amanda Gorman.
As Public Enemy trades bars over a rambunctious guitar loop, Flavor Flav sets the tone with his signature bombast, rapping "Knock us down, we won't stop now, B." Chuck D follows up with a defiant refrain, rhyming "Listen - y'all got radio permission?/Hit 'em hard, knock 'em out of commission." The visual aims to reflect the world's turbulent political state as urgently as Public Enemy's refrain.
According to Chuck D, the lyrics remain relevant today, even more so than yesterday. "It's time to wake up and DO something," he emphasizes. When asked about his role in the video, Flavor Flav praised Ashleigh Johnson for her phenomenal performance, saying that the video has a real important history lesson, message, and warning.
Public Enemy's latest visual comes on the heels of their recent "Black Sky VIDmash" clip, which brought together three different songs. As an official sponsor of the U.S. women's water polo team at the 2024 Olympics, Flavor Flav is now set to play a similar role for the U.S. bobsled and skeleton team at the 2026 games.
The music video for "The Hits Just Keep on Comin'" serves as a call to action, urging viewers to take concrete steps in response to the world's turbulent state of politics today.
! The way they're using all these iconic clips and visuals is pure genius 
. It's like, we need a wake-up call and Chuck D and Flavor Flav are giving it to us straight up 
. I love how the video ties everything together with that dope guitar loop - it's infectious 
! The message is clear: we gotta take action and make our voices heard 
. And let's be real, with all the craziness going on in politics right now, it's more important than ever 
. I'm definitely gonna share this vid with my friends and get them pumped up to do something 
.
Can we all just do something? 
. Ashleigh Johnson is a total boss in that video, I love how she's playing all those iconic roles - Prince, Tommie Smith, Serena Williams... she's basically a superhero 
️. And Flavor Flav is just bringing the energy as always 
I mean, I guess its cool that Ashleigh Johnson was in it but what does she have to do with Malcolm X and all those other people? is this some kinda educational thing or something?
. The way they're using footage of these iconic figures from history is so cool - it's like a reminder that this stuff isn't new, and that we can learn from the past if we pay attention 
.
... that's some crazy talent right there. I love how Flavor Flav is hyping up the video, but also giving credit to Ashleigh for bringing her A-game 
. It's like, yeah, let's make some noise and do something about this stuff - we can't just sit back and watch the world go by 
.
. Let's see what happens...
... The message from Public Enemy is loud and clear: we need to do something, but what exactly? It feels like they're just throwing a punch without throwing a plan 
... And what about the role of privilege? As someone who's been outspoken on social media, I know how hard it is to balance speaking out with staying silent when it's not safe 
... Maybe instead of urging people to "do something", we should be asking them to educate themselves and take action in a way that's informed by their own experiences 
.
The way they're mixing historical footage with Ashleigh Johnson's epic performance is GENIUS 
. And Chuck D's lyrics are so relevant to what's happening in the world today... I mean, we NEED to WAKE UP and DO SOMETHING about all this craziness 
. It's not just a music video, it's like they're calling out to us for a change 
. I'm totally hyped to see Flavor Flav play a role with the US bobsled team at the Olympics - he's going to bring that same energy and passion to the sports world 
. This video is a CALL TO ACTION, folks... we need to listen up and take action