911 Is a Joke

"911 Is a Joke"
Single by Public Enemy
from the album Fear of a Black Planet
ReleasedApril 9, 1990[1]
Recorded1989
Genre
Length3:17
LabelDef Jam
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)The Bomb Squad
Public Enemy singles chronology
"Brothers Gonna Work It Out"
(1990) 		"911 Is a Joke"
(1990) 		"Can't Do Nuttin' for Ya Man"
(1990)

"911 Is a Joke" is a 1990 song by American hip hop group Public Enemy, from their third album, Fear of a Black Planet. Solely performed by Flavor Flav, the track became a hit in April 1990 upon its release as a single, reaching number 15 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, and number one on the Hot Rap Singles chart, becoming their second number-one rap chart hit after "Fight the Power".[2] It also reached number one on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.[3] This was due largely to its sales, which were unusually high for the level of mainstream airplay it received; Billboard reported that only one of the stations on its Top 40 panel was playing it.[4]

The song is about the lack of response to emergency calls in a black neighborhood, but it specifically references the poor response by paramedic crews and not the police, which is a common misconception regarding the track;[5] the "911" in the title of the song refers to 9-1-1, the emergency telephone number used in North America.[6]

  1. ^ Strong, Martin Charles (October 21, 2004). The Great Rock Discography (7th ed.). Canongate U.S. p. 1226. ISBN 1841956155.
  2. ^ "Public Enemy chart information". AllMusic. Retrieved September 8, 2010.
  3. ^ "Hot 100 Sales & Airplay" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 102, no. 24. BPI Communications, Inc. June 16, 1990. p. 90. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  4. ^ Ellis, Michael (June 9, 1990). "Hot 100 Singles Spotlight" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 102, no. 23. BPI Communications, Inc. p. 85. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  5. ^ Watrous, Peter (April 22, 1990). "RECORDINGS; Public Enemy Makes Waves - and Compelling Music". The New York Times. Retrieved September 8, 2010.
  6. ^ "A note of hope from voices of experience: Correction". The Washington Post. December 3, 2009. Retrieved September 8, 2010.