Public Enemy, the Def Jam luminaries who were recently praised on VH1’s Hip-Hop Honors for changing the tone and direction of rap music in the late ’80s, announced two weeks ago that they are seeking funding from fans for their forthcoming album.

Since they first asked for donations through the website sellaband.com, PE has managed to raise $50,000. According to Sellaband, Public Enemy is on track to hit the studio early next year, once they have raised $250,000 which will be used to cover all of the expenses related to recording the album.

I guess Def Jam has no retirement plan in place for its beloved artists who worked so hard to validate their company name. Maybe Flav will be able to donate some of his lovely ladies for their first video.