Man Plans God Laughs

Man Plans God Laughs
Man Plans God Laughs
Studio album by Public Enemy
Released	July 16, 2015
Recorded	2014–2015
Genre	Hip hop
Length	27:55
Label	Spitdigital
Producer	Gary G-Wiz, Carl Ryder
Public Enemy chronology

Man Plans God Laughs is the thirteenth studio album by American hip hop group Public Enemy. The album was released on Spotify on July 16, 2015.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Background

The title of the album, "Man Plans God Laughs", is a well known English translation of a Yiddish proverb: "Der mentsh trakht un got lakht"^[4] as reported in The Forward^[5] and reviewed on Pitchfork.^[6]

The album is a critique of corporate domination of the recording industry, what Public Enemy frontman Chuck D calls a "corporate plantation". According to Chuck D, "CBS, RCA and EMI, today's music-biz corporateplantationopolies are Apple, Google and Facebook. He says "The pigs are walking as tall as the men, but it's impossible to say which is which." and adds "I feel like the government controls the media and the people are not being fed the truth. " He says the album's title 'Man Plans God Laughs' was inspired by legendary basketball player Julius Erving mentioning the proverb in the documentary about him titled The Doctor. Chuck D had narrated the project. He says "When Dr. J said it, he was referring to all his plans for him and his brother, and then his brother passed away. That spoke volumes." Chuck says, "The message I got from that was, 'Stay humble'." He also included the song 'Mine Again' written ten years earlier about African Americans feeling conflicted about their African roots.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	70/100^[7]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[8]
The Arts Desk	^[9]
Consequence of Sound	B−^[10]
Newsday	B+^[11]
NME	6/10^[12]
Pitchfork	6.2/10^[13]
Spin	7/10^[14]
Vice (Expert Witness)	^[15]

Man Plans God Laughs received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 70 based on 7 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".^[7]

Track listing

All tracks are produced by Gary G-Wiz

No.	Title	Length
1.	"No Sympathy from the Devil"	2:50
2.	"Me to We"	2:15
3.	"Man Plans God Laughs"	2:04
4.	"Give Peace a Damn"	3:01
5.	"Those Who Know, Know Who"	2:11
6.	"Honky Talk Rules"	3:48
7.	"Mine Again"	2:12
8.	"Lost in Space Music"	2:26
9.	"Corplantationopoly"	2:27
10.	"Earthizen"	2:27
11.	"Praise the Loud"	2:14

References

^ Blistein, Jon (July 16, 2015). "Public Enemy Navigate Violence, Salvation in 'Man Plans, God Laughs'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
^ Reeves, Mosi (July 13, 2015). "Inside the 'Most Intense Public Enemy Record of the Century'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
^ Vain, Madison (July 17, 2015). "Chuck D finally got to use Rolling Stones' 'Honky Tonk Woman' on new Public Enemy album". EW.com. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
^ Yiddish proverb
^ Rogovoy, Seth (August 26, 2015). "The Secret Yiddish History of Public Enemy". The Forward. New York City: Forward Association. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
^ Pearce, Sheldon (July 27, 2015). "Public Enemy: Man Plans God Laughs". Pitchfork. Chicago, Illinois: Pitchfork Media. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
^ ^a ^b "Reviews for Man Plans God Laughs by Public Enemy". Metacritic. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (July 24, 2015). "Man Plans God Laughs - Public Enemy | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
^ Harsent, Barney (August 15, 2015). "CD: Public Enemy – Man Plans God Laughs". The Arts Desk. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
^ Madden, Michael (July 24, 2015). "Public Enemy – Man Plans God Laughs". Consequence of Sound. New York City: Consequence Holdings, LLC. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
^ Gamboa, Glenn (July 24, 2015). "'Man Plans God Laughs' review: Timely statement from Public Enemy". Newsday. Melville, New York: Newsday Media. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
^ Pattison, Louis (August 3, 2015). "Public Enemy - 'Man Plans God Laughs': Flimsy beats outweigh blistering funk on the Long Island hip-hop titans' 15th album". NME. London, England: TI Media. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
^ Pearce, Sheldon. "Public Enemy: Man Plans God Laughs". Pitchfork. Chicago, Illinois: Pitchfork Media. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
^ Staff, Spin (September 18, 2015). "SPIN Overlooked Albums Report: Tenement's Sprawling Half-Time Punk, Matana Roberts' Free Sax Collages". Spin. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
^ Christgau, Robert (September 25, 2015). "Chance the Rapper and Friends Count Their Blessings: Expert Witness with Robert Christgau". Vice. New York City: Vice Media. Retrieved September 25, 2015.

[1] Blistein, Jon (July 16, 2015). "Public Enemy Navigate Violence, Salvation in 'Man Plans, God Laughs'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 22, 2015.

[2] Reeves, Mosi (July 13, 2015). "Inside the 'Most Intense Public Enemy Record of the Century'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 22, 2015.

[3] Vain, Madison (July 17, 2015). "Chuck D finally got to use Rolling Stones' 'Honky Tonk Woman' on new Public Enemy album". EW.com. Retrieved July 22, 2015.

[4] Yiddish proverb

[5] Rogovoy, Seth (August 26, 2015). "The Secret Yiddish History of Public Enemy". The Forward. New York City: Forward Association. Retrieved April 20, 2019.

[6] Pearce, Sheldon (July 27, 2015). "Public Enemy: Man Plans God Laughs". Pitchfork. Chicago, Illinois: Pitchfork Media. Retrieved July 28, 2015.

[metacritic1-7] "Reviews for Man Plans God Laughs by Public Enemy". Metacritic. Retrieved September 19, 2015.

[allmusic-8] Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (July 24, 2015). "Man Plans God Laughs - Public Enemy | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved July 28, 2015.

[9] Harsent, Barney (August 15, 2015). "CD: Public Enemy – Man Plans God Laughs". The Arts Desk. Retrieved February 19, 2023.

[consequence_of_sound-10] Madden, Michael (July 24, 2015). "Public Enemy – Man Plans God Laughs". Consequence of Sound. New York City: Consequence Holdings, LLC. Retrieved July 28, 2015.

[newsday-11] Gamboa, Glenn (July 24, 2015). "'Man Plans God Laughs' review: Timely statement from Public Enemy". Newsday. Melville, New York: Newsday Media. Retrieved July 28, 2015.

[nme-12] Pattison, Louis (August 3, 2015). "Public Enemy - 'Man Plans God Laughs': Flimsy beats outweigh blistering funk on the Long Island hip-hop titans' 15th album". NME. London, England: TI Media. Retrieved August 7, 2015.

[pitchfork-13] Pearce, Sheldon. "Public Enemy: Man Plans God Laughs". Pitchfork. Chicago, Illinois: Pitchfork Media. Retrieved July 28, 2015.

[14] Staff, Spin (September 18, 2015). "SPIN Overlooked Albums Report: Tenement's Sprawling Half-Time Punk, Matana Roberts' Free Sax Collages". Spin. Retrieved February 19, 2023.

[vice-15] Christgau, Robert (September 25, 2015). "Chance the Rapper and Friends Count Their Blessings: Expert Witness with Robert Christgau". Vice. New York City: Vice Media. Retrieved September 25, 2015.

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v t e Public Enemy
Chuck D Flavor Flav Professor Griff DJ Lord S1W Terminator X Sister Souljah
Studio albums	Yo! Bum Rush the Show It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back Fear of a Black Planet Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black Muse Sick-n-Hour Mess Age He Got Game There's a Poison Goin' On Revolverlution New Whirl Odor Rebirth of a Nation How You Sell Soul to a Soulless People Who Sold Their Soul? Most of My Heroes Still Don't Appear on No Stamp The Evil Empire of Everything Man Plans God Laughs Nothing Is Quick in the Desert Loud Is Not Enough (released under the name Enemy Radio) What You Gonna Do When the Grid Goes Down? Black Sky Over The Projects: Apartment 2025
Live releases	Fight the Power... Live! Fight the Power: Greatest Hits Live!
Compilations	Greatest Misses Power to the People and the Beats: Public Enemy's Greatest Hits
Singles	"You're Gonna Get Yours" "Rebel Without a Pause" "Bring the Noise" "Don't Believe the Hype" "Night of the Living Baseheads" "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos" "Fight the Power" "Welcome to the Terrordome" "911 Is a Joke" "Can't Truss It" "Shut 'Em Down" "Give It Up" "Make Love Fuck War" "Hell No We Ain't All Right!" "Harder Than You Think"
Other songs	"Self Destruction" "By the Time I Get to Arizona" "Long and Whining Road"
Related articles	Discography Harry Allen 360 Degrees of Power The Bomb Squad Bring the Noise 2000 East Coast hip hop PE 2.0 Political hip hop

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