AceShowbiz - Public Enemy's fan fundraising initiative has paid off - the rap supergroup has secured the $51,000 they asked devotees to raise so they could record a new album. The group, fronted by Chuck D and Flavor Flav, asked fans to help them raise the cash via website Sellaband, and their followers have followed through after a similar idea fell flat a year ago.

A statement from the group reads, "We just received word that our fundraising campaign has completed. This is truly a great moment for us and we owe it all to our fans on Sellaband - our true 'Believers' ".

"It has been a long and winding road. We've had explosive starts, media attention, corporate troubles, media criticism, recalculations and finally resurgence. When it's all said and done, the bottom line is that we never lost faith in ourselves, our fans and the future of fan funding as a model."

Fans were offered early copies of the album, signed merchandise and even visits to hang out with Public Enemy in the studio in return for their donations. The new album, the group's 11th, will be the follow up 2007's "How You Sell Soul to a Soulless People Who Sold Their Soul?".