S1W (group)
Encyclopedia
S1W, short for Security of the First World, began as a security organization in
Roosevelt, New York
under the name of Unity Force where they provided security at hip hop
parties during the mid 1980s. The organization was headed by Professor Griff
. Later they became part of the hip hop group Public Enemy and changed their name to S1W. Some members of the group were martial artists and some were part of the Nation of Islam
. The name "Security of the First World" implies that Africans are not inherently Third World
people and are rather First World
people as they were the first people to inhabit Earth. S1W were known for their aggressively militant
stage presence because they would wear black military uniforms and would carry Uzi submachine guns while performing. Chuck D
of Public Enemy explains that the Uzis were a symbolic reaction to perceived European oppression of black people.
Roosevelt, New York
Roosevelt, New York
Roosevelt is a hamlet in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 16,258 at the 2010 census.Roosevelt is in the town of Hempstead.-Geography:Roosevelt is located at ....
under the name of Unity Force where they provided security at hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
parties during the mid 1980s. The organization was headed by Professor Griff
Professor Griff
Professor Griff is an American rapper and spoken word artist. He is a member of the hip hop group Public Enemy and head of the Security of the First World.-Early years in Public Enemy:...
. Later they became part of the hip hop group Public Enemy and changed their name to S1W. Some members of the group were martial artists and some were part of the Nation of Islam
Nation of Islam
The Nation of Islam is a mainly African-American new religious movement founded in Detroit, Michigan by Wallace D. Fard Muhammad in July 1930 to improve the spiritual, mental, social, and economic condition of African-Americans in the United States of America. The movement teaches black pride and...
. The name "Security of the First World" implies that Africans are not inherently Third World
Third World
The term Third World arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned with either capitalism and NATO , or communism and the Soviet Union...
people and are rather First World
First World
The concept of the First World first originated during the Cold War, where it was used to describe countries that were aligned with the United States. These countries were democratic and capitalistic. After the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, the term "First World" took on a...
people as they were the first people to inhabit Earth. S1W were known for their aggressively militant
Militant
The word militant, which is both an adjective and a noun, usually is used to mean vigorously active, combative and aggressive, especially in support of a cause, as in 'militant reformers'. It comes from the 15th century Latin "militare" meaning "to serve as a soldier"...
stage presence because they would wear black military uniforms and would carry Uzi submachine guns while performing. Chuck D
Chuck D
Carlton Douglas Ridenhour , better known by his stage name, Chuck D, is an American rapper, author, and producer. He helped create politically and socially conscious rap music in the mid-1980s as the leader of the rap group Public Enemy.- Early life :Ridenhour was born in Queens, New York...
of Public Enemy explains that the Uzis were a symbolic reaction to perceived European oppression of black people.
Members
- Professor GriffProfessor GriffProfessor Griff is an American rapper and spoken word artist. He is a member of the hip hop group Public Enemy and head of the Security of the First World.-Early years in Public Enemy:...
--the third party between Public Enemy and the S1W. He was often identified as the group's leader, although several members have been alluded to as the "head man." Following his alleged anti-Semitic remarks at a press conference, Public Enemy front man Chuck D expelled him from the S1W; from then on, order in the group's "ranks" was often ambiguous. Griff returned on the album He Got GameHe Got Game (soundtrack)He Got Game is the sixth studio album by American hip hop group Public Enemy, released April 21, 1998 on Def Jam Recordings in the United States. It also serves as the soundtrack companion album to Spike Lee's 1998 film of the same name and is the group's last album for the Def Jam label. The album...
and has appeared on every P.E. album ever since.
- Sista Souljah--Griff's temporary replacement. Following the release of Fear of a Black PlanetFear of a Black PlanetFear of a Black Planet is the third studio album by American hip hop group Public Enemy, released April 10, 1990, on Def Jam Recordings and Columbia Records. Production for the album was handled by the group's production team The Bomb Squad, who expanded on the dense, sample-layered sound of the...
, Sista Souljah, a then-amateur rapper, was listed alongside the other S1W's in the credits of the liner notes. Although her time in the group was brief (it is said that Brother James was given the role of the group's leader during production of Muse Sick-N-Hour Mess AgeMuse Sick-n-Hour Mess AgeMuse Sick-n-Hour Mess Age is the fifth studio album by American hip hop group Public Enemy, released August 23, 1994 on Def Jam Recordings in the United States. The album debuted at number 14 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling 56,000 copies in its first week...
), she appeared alongside Pop Diesel and James Bomb, the only remaining members at that time, on Rebirth of a NationRebirth of a NationRebirth of a Nation is the tenth studio album by American hip hop group Public Enemy and Paris, released on March 7, 2006. The album was Mixed and mastered at Data Stream Studio in San Francisco, Ca.-Album information:...
.
- Pop Diesel--the "one-man specialty task force" of the S1W. In the group's "operations," he was supposedly given special campaigns, possibly assassinations. Although his name is sometimes spelled "Popp Diezel" in the liner notes of some albums, it is widely believed that this was either a typo or an inconsistency. His "campaigns" are supposedly in conjunction with those of James Bomb.
- James Bomb--another member with a unique role, his operations were always assumed to involve mass panic bombings, which led some political critics of Public Enemy to label him a terrorist. His name is, of course, derived from British action film character James BondJames BondJames Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
.
- Brother James--the supposed "leader" after Sista Souljah. There are several other, less well-known, and more numerous, members of the S1W with "Brother Something" as their name. After Professor Griff fell out of favor with Public Enemy frontline man Chuck D, several then-unknowns joined as "Brothers,' causing membership to be slightly ambiguous.
- Terminator X-- Because Public Enemy DJ Terminator X was often listed in liner notes under the S1W heading, and, on occasion, wore their trademark "undercover ops" garb, he is often identified as a member of the group. However, Public Enemy's current DJ, DJ LordDj LordDj LORD , is a DJ and turntablist. In 1999, Dj LORD joined the hip-hop group Public Enemy on their 40th World Tour replacing Terminator X. Soon after, Dj LORD had his own performance segment within the Public Enemy show. While DJ battles and hip hop has been at the foundation of his career, Dj...
, apparently has no connection with the S1's, and due to Terminator X's prominent membership with the band, unlike that of Professor Griff, the rumor that he was an S1W is widely disbelieved.