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Licensed to Ill

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Licensed to Ill is the debut studio album by the American hip hop group Beastie Boys. It was released on November 15, 1986, by Def Jam and Columbia Records. The album became the first rap LP to top the Billboard 200 chart, and was the second rap album to be certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It is one of Columbia Records' fastest-selling debut records to date and was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2015 for shipping over ten million copies in the United States.[1] The album received critical acclaim for its unique musical style, chemistry between the group members, and their stylized rapping. Since its release, Licensed to Ill has been ranked by critics as one of the greatest hip hop and debut albums of all time.

Licensed to Ill
A painting of the rear end of a Boeing 727, in an American Airlines livery. The "Beastie Boys" logo is printed on its tail.
Studio album by
Beastie Boys
ReleasedNovember 15, 1986 (1986-11-15)
Recorded1985–1986
StudioChung King (New York City)[1]
Genre
Length44:32
Label
Producer
Beastie Boys chronology
Polly Wog Stew
(1982) 		Licensed to Ill
(1986) 		Paul's Boutique
(1989)
Singles from Licensed to Ill
  1. "Hold It Now, Hit It"
    Released: April 15, 1986
  2. "Paul Revere"
    Released: August 13, 1986
  3. "The New Style"
    Released: November 6, 1986
  4. "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)"
    Released: December 1986[5]
  5. "Brass Monkey"
    Released: January 5, 1987
  6. "No Sleep till Brooklyn"
    Released: March 1, 1987
  7. "Girls"
    Released: May 6, 1987

Despite its popularity and success, this would be the group’s only album to be released from Def Jam due to creative differences with producer Rick Rubin, resulting in the group leaving the label to sign with Capitol Records for their next album, Paul's Boutique (1989).

Background

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The group originally wanted to title the album Don't Be a Faggot, but Columbia Records refused to release the album under this title—arguing that it was homophobic—and pressured Russell Simmons, Beastie Boys' manager and head of Def Jam Recordings at the time, into forcing them to choose another name.[6][7] Adam Horovitz has since apologized for the album's earlier title.[8]

Kerry King of Slayer made an appearance on the album playing lead guitar on "Fight for Your Right" and "No Sleep Till Brooklyn", and also appeared in the music videos, of which the latter is a parody of glam metal.[9] The name of the song itself is a spoof on Motörhead's No Sleep 'til Hammersmith album.[9] King's appearance on the track came about because Rick Rubin was producing both bands simultaneously (Slayer's Reign in Blood was released one month prior on Def Jam).[9]

CBS/Fox Video released a video album of the five Licensed to Ill videos, plus "She's on It" in 1987 to capitalize on the album's success.[10] A laserdisc version was also released in Japan.[10] All versions of the CBS/Fox release are currently out of print because the rights to the album passed from Columbia and Sony Music to Universal Music Group, and also because of the acrimonious nature of the band's departure from Def Jam Records.[10] Until the 2005 release of the CD/DVD Solid Gold Hits, none of the Def Jam-era videos had been included on any subsequent Beastie Boys video compilations.[10] The Solid Gold Hits DVD includes the videos for "Fight for Your Right" and "No Sleep Till Brooklyn", as well as a live version of "Brass Monkey" from a 2004 concert.[10]

Beastie Boys recorded a loose rendition of the Beatles' "I'm Down" for the album, which included sampling of the original song, but the track was pulled at the last minute due to legal disputes with Michael Jackson who owned the publishing rights.[11] Both "I'm Down," and another track, "Scenario," were cut at the last minute. Bootleg versions of the songs can be found on the internet.[12]

Artwork

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The full album cover, front to back, features an American Airlines Boeing 727 with a Beastie Boys logo on its tail, which has crashed head-on into the side of a mountain, the former taking the shape of an extinguished marijuana joint.[13] The tail of the plane also features the Def Jam logo and the registration number '3MTA3' which spells 'EATME' when viewed in a mirror. The idea for the album's cover came from the album's producer, Rick Rubin, after reading the Led Zeppelin biography Hammer of the Gods. The artwork was created by Stephen Byram and World B. Omes.

The album cover was featured in Storm Thorgerson's and Aubrey Powell's book, 100 Best Album Covers.[14] Additionally, the design was strongly referenced by rapper Eminem for the cover of his 2018 album, Kamikaze.

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [4]
Christgau's Record GuideA+[15]
Orlando Sentinel     [16]
Pitchfork7.8/10[17]
Q     [18]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide     [19]
The Source5/5[20]
Smash Hits6½/10[21]
Spin Alternative Record Guide10/10[22]

Licensed to Ill was met with critical acclaim. In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums.[23] It is the only album by a Jewish hip-hop act to receive 5 mics from The Source.[20] In 2003, the album was ranked number 217 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time,[24] 219 in a 2012 revised list,[25] and 192 in a 2020 revised list.[26] In 2013 the magazine named it the 48th best debut album of all time.[27] Vibe included it in Vibe's 100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century.[28] Q gave the album four out of five stars, saying "Licensed to Ill remains the world's only punk rock rap album, arguably superior to Never Mind the Bollocks ... knowing that apathy and slovenliness were just around the corner."[29] Melody Maker gave the album a positive review, saying "There's lots of self-reverential bragging, more tenuous rhymes than are usually permitted by law and, most importantly of all, an unshakably glorious celebration of being alive ... A surprisingly enduring classic."[30] In 2002, Pitchfork ranked the album at number 41 on its list of the "Top 100 Albums of the 1980s", despite their prior unflattering review of the album.[31] In the 2018 edition of the "Top 200 Albums of the 1980s", the album placed number 103.[32]

In 2006, Q magazine placed the album at number 16 in its list of "40 Best Albums of the '80s".[33] In 2012, Slant Magazine listed the album at number 12 on its list of "Best Albums of the 1980s" saying "Rife with layer upon layer of sampling, start-stop transitions, and aggressive beats, it helped transform the genre from a direct dialogue between MC and DJ into a piercing, multi-threaded narrative" and "helped set an exciting template for the future".[34] Eminem said the album was one of his favorites of all time and said it changed hip hop.[35] The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[36]

Cash Box called "She's Crafty" a "slamming tongue-in-cheek rocker."[37]

Commercial performance

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The album was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on February 2, 1987 and eventually was certified Diamond on March 4, 2015.[38] The single "Brass Monkey" was certified Gold for shipment of 500,000+ sales.[38] In 2012, in the week following Adam Yauch's death, which subsequently resulted in a surge in sales of Beastie Boys albums, Licensed to Ill reached number 1 on Billboard's Catalog Albums chart.[39] The album also re-entered the Billboard 200 chart at number 18.[40]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Beastie Boys and Rick Rubin, except where noted

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Rhymin & Stealin"4:08
2."The New Style"4:35
3."She's Crafty"3:35
4."Posse in Effect"2:26
5."Slow Ride"2:56
6."Girls"2:12
7."Fight for Your Right"3:28
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
8."No Sleep till Brooklyn" 4:06
9."Paul Revere"
3:40
10."Hold It Now, Hit It" 3:26
11."Brass Monkey" 2:37
12."Slow and Low"
  • McDaniels
  • Rubin
  • Simmons
3:38
13."Time to Get Ill" 3:39
Total length:44:32

Personnel

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  • Beastie Boys – producers
  • Joe Blaney – mixing
  • Steven Ett – audio engineer
  • Kerry King – lead guitar on "Fight for Your Right" and "No Sleep till Brooklyn"
  • Rick Rubin – producer, rhythm guitar on "No Sleep till Brooklyn"[41]
  • Steve Byram – art direction
  • Sunny Bak – photography
  • World B. Omes (David Gambale) – cover art
  • Nelson Keene Carse, Tony Orbach, Danny Lipman – horns and percussion on "Slow Ride"

Charts

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Certifications

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Certifications and sales for Licensed to Ill
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[62] 2× Platinum 200,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[63] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[64] Diamond 10,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "John King And The Story Of Chung King Studios". Archived from the original on August 28, 2021. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
  2. ^ Parales, Jon (May 4, 2012). "Rapper Conquered Music World in '80s With Beastie Boys". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 12, 2016. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
  3. ^ Anderson, Kyle (May 7, 2012). "Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch's musical legacy: Changing all games, all the time". CNN. Archived from the original on August 9, 2016. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
  4. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Licensed to Ill – Beastie Boys". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 17, 2016. Retrieved October 12, 2011.
  5. ^ "Music: Top 100 Songs (DECEMBER 20, 1986)". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 24, 2020. Retrieved May 10, 2017. 86 Last Week: -- (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!) Beastie Boys
  6. ^ Plummer, Sean (September 16, 2011). "Beastie Boys "Licensed to Ill" – The most controversial lyrics in music". MSN Canada. Microsoft. Archived from the original on June 2, 2012. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
  7. ^ Light, Alan (September 4, 1998). "The Story of Yo: The Oral History of the Beastie Boys". Spin. Spin Media. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved May 4, 2013.
  8. ^ Williams, Zoe (April 29, 2003). "Hiphopophobia". The Guardian. London. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved November 24, 2007.
  9. ^ a b c "Beastie Boys Biography". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 1, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  10. ^ a b c d e Klep One (November 15, 2013). "Since 1984: Beastie Boys - "Licensed To Ill" Released 27 Years Ago! Def Jam". Defjam.com. Archived from the original on February 11, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  11. ^ Alper, Eric (May 23, 2016). "The Beastie Boys Covered The Beatles "I'm Down" And Promptly Got Blocked By Michael Jackson". thatericalper.com. Archived from the original on February 9, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
  12. ^ Schneider, Martin (January 7, 2016). "I'm Down: Beastie Boys Boil B-Boy Bouillabaisse of Beatles Classic". Dangerous Minds. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  13. ^ Jensen, K. Thor (March 24, 2011). "Licensed To Ill – Secrets Of Album Covers". UGO.com. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  14. ^ "Diffuser|Cover Stories: Licensed to Ill". Archived from the original on February 29, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
  15. ^ Christgau, Robert (1990). "B". Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s. Pantheon Books. ISBN 0-679-73015-X. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved August 16, 2020 – via robertchristgau.com.
  16. ^ Duffy, Tom (December 21, 1986). "Beastie Boys". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on April 7, 2017. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
  17. ^ Leone, Dominique. "Beastie Boys: Licensed to Ill". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  18. ^ "Beastie Boys: Licensed to Ill". Q (96): 123. September 1994.
  19. ^ Levy, Joe (2004). "Beastie Boys". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 49–51. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  20. ^ a b The Source (150). March 2002.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
  21. ^ Hibbert, Tom (December 3–16, 1986). "Album Reviews". Smash Hits. 8 (25): 76.
  22. ^ Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. pp. 46–47. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  23. ^ "100 Best Rap Albums". The Source (#100). New York. January 1998. ISSN 1063-2085. Archived from the original on August 7, 2017. Retrieved November 24, 2007.
  24. ^ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. No. Special Issue. Straight Arrow. November 2003. ISSN 0035-791X. Archived from the original on August 21, 2006. Retrieved November 24, 2007.
  25. ^ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time". Rolling Stone. 2012. Archived from the original on July 11, 2019. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  26. ^ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. September 22, 2020. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  27. ^ "'Licensed to Ill' | The 100 Best Debut Albums of All Time | Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. October 13, 2013. Archived from the original on September 4, 2017. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
  28. ^ "Vibe Magazine". Vibe. New York City: InterMedia Partners. December 1999. p. 158. ISSN 1070-4701.
  29. ^ "Q Magazine". Q. Bauer Media. September 1994. p. 123. ISSN 0955-4955.
  30. ^ "Melody Maker". Melody Maker. London: Holborn. July 22, 1995. p. 35. ISSN 0025-9012.
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  34. ^ "The 100 Best Albums of the 1980s | Feature". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on November 6, 2013. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  35. ^ "Eminem talks about his upcoming 8th solo album (2012 Interview)". YouTube. July 29, 2012. Archived from the original on February 17, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  36. ^ Robert Dimery; Michael Lydon (March 23, 2010). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN 978-0-7893-2074-2.
  37. ^ "Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. May 23, 1987. p. 11. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 25, 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
  38. ^ a b "RIAA News Room - Pass The Mic ... Beastie Boys Are Still 'Licensed' - Oct 02, 2001". Riaa.com. October 2, 2001. Archived from the original on March 21, 2015. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  39. ^ "Catalog Albums - Week of May 19, 2012". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 4, 2015. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
  40. ^ "Billboard 200 - Week of May 19, 2012". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 28, 2013. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
  41. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkwISstQQVw&ab_channel=RickBeato
  42. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 29. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between 1983 and June 19, 1988.
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  44. ^ "Ultratop.be – Beastie Boys – Licensed to Ill" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
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  46. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Beastie Boys – Licensed to Ill" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  47. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Beastie Boys". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 27. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 22, 2022. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
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  49. ^ "Charts.nz – Beastie Boys – Licensed to Ill". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  50. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Beastie Boys – Licensed to Ill". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  51. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  52. ^ "Beastie Boys Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
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  61. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2012". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 4, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  62. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Beastie Boys – Licensed to Ill". Music Canada. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  63. ^ "British album certifications – Beastie Boys – Licensed to Ill". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  64. ^ "American album certifications – Beastie Boys – Licensed to Ill". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 2, 2020.

Further reading

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