"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:
“We used chamber-pots a good deal.... My mother ... loved to repeat: “When did the queen reign over China?” This whimsical and harmless scatological pun was my first introduction to the wonderful world of verbal transformations, and also a first perception that a joke need not be funny to give pleasure.”
—Angela Carter (1940–1992)