"911 Is a Joke" is a 1990 song by American hip hop group Public Enemy, from their third album, Fear of a Black Planet. It was released as a single and became their first Top 40 hit in June 1990, reaching number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The single also reached number 15 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, and number 1 on the Hot Rap Singles chart, becoming their second number-one rap chart hit after "Fight the Power". The song is about the lack of response to emergency calls in a black neighborhood, but specifically references the poor response by paramedic crews and not the police, which is a common misconception regarding the track; the "911" in the title of the song refers to 9-1-1, the emergency telephone number used in the United States.
Read more about 911 Is A Joke: Production, Samples Used, Charts, Covers and Media References
Famous quotes containing the word joke:
“What a vast fraternity it is,—that of ‘Hearts that Ache.’ For the last three months it has seemed to me as though all society were coming to me, to drop its mask for a moment and initiate me into the mystery. How we do suffer! And we go on laughing; for, as a practical joke at our expense, life is a success.”
—Henry Brooks Adams (1838–1918)