Song Clearance Sheet
3 sources citedFight the Power
Hip-Hop1980s106BPM
D majKey
More around 110 BPM → · More in D major →
Tempo/key via GetSongBPM →, Deezer →
The verdict
Documented Sampling History
Confirmed songwriters of record (Chuck D, Flavor Flav, the Bomb Squad), no adversarial dispute — the real complexity is a documented dual-label history (the Motown “Do the Right Thing” soundtrack version with Branford Marsalis’ sax vs. the re-recorded Def Jam album version), documented in Rights Status.
Used by independents?
Unconfirmed — the page doesn't yet document enough sampler detail to tell.
Quick Facts
Released1989
GenreHip-Hop
LabelMotown Records
ProducerThe Bomb Squad
Recorded atGreene Street Studios, NYC
More infoWikipedia → · Discogs →
Who you need to ask
The songwriters of record — Chuck D, Flavor Flav & The Bomb Squad
Wikipedia → · checked Jul 2026
The current administrator — Not confirmed — two label eras (Motown soundtrack / Def Jam album); needs a Songview/Discogs lookup
Wikipedia → · checked Jul 2026
Has it been reused?
Yes — one of the most acclaimed protest songs ever (Rolling Stone’s #2 song of all time, 2021), widely licensed and performed; note the two official versions (soundtrack vs. album).
Do they allow reuse?
No standalone policy found; confirmed writers of record and no adversarial dispute — the complexity is the dual-label version history.
Related Songs
Same album, answer records, and songs worth knowing about
The James Brown music this song incorporates (already in this catalog)
Who Owns It
Licenses explained →The two permissions you need, and who holds them
The song itself (the writing)Chuck D, Flavor Flav & The Bomb Squad (Hank Shocklee, Keith Shocklee, Eric Sadler, Gary G-Wiz)
Two official versions (a real label split)A 5:29 “Do the Right Thing” soundtrack version (Motown, with a Branford Marsalis sax solo) and a shorter 4:42 re-recording for Public Enemy’s own 1990 album “Fear of a Black Planet” (a different label), which drops the sax largely due to the rights difference between labels.
The recording (current administrator)Not confirmed
Receipts
Every public mention of terms, policy, or past deals we've found
A rejected first pitch
Spike Lee’s original idea was a hip-hop version of the Black spiritual “Lift Every Voice and Sing”; Bomb Squad producer Hank Shocklee firmly rejected it, insisting it needed to resonate with the group’s own fanbase. Chuck D wrote the lyrics flying over Italy, drawing on the Isley Brothers’ own earlier “Fight the Power.”
uDiscover Music · read it →
Woven through “Do the Right Thing”
The soundtrack version opens with a Branford Marsalis sax solo and plays over 15 times in the film — the opening dance scene and as a recurring motif from Radio Raheem’s boombox.
Songfacts · read it →
A real controversy at release
In May 1989 Public Enemy’s Professor Griff made widely-condemned antisemitic remarks; with the film due in July, Chuck D fired Griff and briefly announced the group was splitting to keep the controversy away from the film. Griff rejoined about a year later. Stated as documented history.
Songfacts · read it →
Can You Use It for Free?
How to check PD →Is it public domain?No
Sample History
—
Times sampled
A protest-song landmark — widely performed
Covers
—
First flip
Who to Contact
PE
Chuck D, Flavor Flav & The Bomb Squad
The confirmed songwriters of record
What they'll chargeNobody's shared numbers yet
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Page history · 2 updates
Jul 2026Page created — full research (Research Queue Batch 3)
Jul 2026BPM/Key pending the automated GetSongBPM/Deezer pass