Beastie Boys – Licensed to Ill (CD)
Product Details
Produced by Rick Rubin and released on Def Jam, Licensed to Ill became the first rap album to hit number one on the Billboard 200, a milestone that landed in 1987 when hip-hop's commercial ceiling still felt very low. The Beasties had come up through New York's hardcore punk scene before pivoting hard, and that restless genre-hopping energy is baked into every track here, from the Zeppelin-sampling "Rhymin & Stealin" to the arena-ready "Fight for Your Right."
The joke of Licensed to Ill's cover--that the Beasties could crash their jet into the side of a mountain and keep on tickin'--serves as a good metaphor for a career that even some of their 1986 admirers thought might be over after the one-time-only shock of this full-length debut. That thousands of funk-junkie wannabes have since failed at re-creating its groove, breaking-the-law vibe, and ear-splitting mix of rock and rap is an even better joke. And funniest of all is the record itself, which packs dexterous boasts, aural puns, and lots and lots of yelling into a disc that can still be listened to with as much pleasure as it gave in '86.
Tracklist
UPC: 731452735126
Label: Def Jam
Release Date: 3.28.95
Format: CD