Pop Music Reviews : Public Enemy Blends Funk and Politics

Wednesday was another summer night at the Greek Theatre. Balmy breezes, thrumming crickets . . . and rap superstars Public Enemy, pounding their blend of funk and politics into the swaying, party-hearty crowd.

The group played some big Palace dates a few months ago, but this was really its first L.A. show centered on the songs from its latest album, “Fear of a Black Planet.” The question of the evening was how the new, harder-edged material would work with its already plenty-controversial older stuff. Pretty well, as it turned out.

Lead rapper Chuck D. played it to the hilt, especially in the song “Welcome to the Terrordome,” shrugging exaggeratedly when he rapped the line “apology made to whoever pleases,” crossing himself when he followed with “still they got me like Jesus.” His speeches were almost as entertaining as the songs. And a Public Enemy show is live, unpredictable and tension-filled like nothing else in rap.

For the song “Burn Hollywood Burn,” which criticizes racist media stereotypes of African-Americans, L.A. rapper Ice Cube played out something of a stereotype himself, spewing four-letter words and gleeful descriptions of violent crime while Chuck beamed paternally and girls in the audience screamed (Ice Cube is kind of cute). PE’s clown prince, Flavor Flav, seemed something of an elder statesman in comparison.

Public Enemy (which headlines the San Diego Sports Arena on Sunday) was dressed for the occasion, Chuck in a white Raiders jacket instead of a black one, the S1Ws, PE’s dancers, in crisp, white naval uniforms where they usually wear camouflage-pattern guerrilla outfits.