Licensed To Ill

Perhaps Licensed to Ill was inevitable -- a white group blending rock and rap, giving them the first number one album in hip-hop history. But that reading of the album's history gives short shrift to the Beastie Boys; producer Rick Rubin, and his label, Def Jam, and this remarkable record, since mixing metal and hip-hop isn't necessarily an easy thing to do. Just sampling and scratching Sabbath and Zeppelin to hip-hop beats does not make for an automatically good record, though there is a visceral thrill to hearing those muscular riffs put into overdrive with scratching. But, much of that is due to the producing skills of Rick Rubin, a metalhead who formed Def Jam Records with Russell Simmons and had previously flirted with this sound on Run-D.M.C.'s Raising Hell, not to mention a few singles and one-offs with the Beasties prior to this record. He made rap rock, but to give him lone credit for Licensed to Ill (as some have) is misleading, since that very same combination would not have been as powerful, nor would it have aged so well -- aged into a rock classic -- if it weren't for the Beastie Boys, who fuel this record through their passion for subcultures, pop culture, jokes, and the intoxicating power of wordplay. At the time, it wasn't immediately apparent that their obnoxious patter was part of a persona (a fate that would later plague Eminem), but the years have clarified that this was a joke -- although, listening to the cajoling rhymes, filled with clear parodies and absurdities, it's hard to imagine the offense that some took at the time. Which, naturally, is the credit of not just the music -- they don't call it the devil's music for nothing -- but the wild imagination of the Beasties, whose rhymes sear into consciousness through their gonzo humor and gleeful delivery. There hasn't been a funnier, more infectious record in pop music than this, and it's not because the group is mocking rappers (in all honesty, the truly twisted barbs are hurled at frat boys and lager lads), but because they've already created their own universe and points of reference, where it's as funny to spit out absurdist rhymes and pound out "Fight for Your Right (To Party)" as it is to send up street corner doo wop with "Girls." Then, there is the overpowering loudness of the record -- operating from the axis of where metal, punk, and rap meet, there never has been a record this heavy and nimble, drunk on its own power yet giddy with what they're getting away with. There is a sense of genuine discovery, of creating new music, that remains years later, after countless plays, countless misinterpretations, countless rip-off acts, even countless apologies from the Beasties, who seemed guilty by how intoxicating the sound of it is, how it makes beer-soaked hedonism sound like the apogee of human experience. And maybe it is, maybe it isn't, but in either case, Licensed to Ill reigns tall among the greatest records of its time.

One of the most entertaining debut records of all time. It has it all, extremely creative and hard-hitting funky jazzy beats, a nice variety of headbangers and funny satire of frat culture, and an edgy raw energy that is rarely seen from a contemporary hip hop outfit. Even after having listened to it many times, I never stop shaking my head and tapping my feet to Rhymin & Stealin, Fight For Your Right, No Sleep Till Brooklyn, Slow and Low and Brass Monkey, and I don't think I ever will. 5/5.

It's the fuckin' Beastie Boys, man!

If I break it down into its parts, no one bit is massively to my taste. But as a whole... Fantastic. Great fun.

Classic style, unique production, unabashedly playful. You can try and throw this on in the background, but someone will start singing along.

loved their song I want it that way 😀

This is painful to listen to. Fight for your right is the only vaguely listenable track on here, there rest is cringey, outdated and dull

It’s fantastic and I’ve heard it on vinyl (still have an original pressing), tape, CD, and then into high resolution digital audio. It’s garish and fantastic.

Great album, really didn't realise that Rick Rubin had produced this and the inclusion of Slayers Guitarist on "No Sleep To Brooklyn" is evidence of the broad nature of Ricks influence across music generally (Not forgetting his brilliant work with Johnny Cash of course) Amazing that these three white boys got the Hip-Hop Kudos they did but you have to love their mix of hip-hop humour and rock. As They say You Gotta "Fight For the Right" to Party! Well worth the listing in my opinion

I love this album. I didn't even realize how much I loved it until I listened to it top to bottom (which I'm not sure I've ever actually done in a single sitting before). It's early hip-hop that's done well. The sampling, scratching, and "hyping" at its finest. But the Beastie Boys are also punk rock. They rap AND play instruments. They're angry and anti-establishment. It's also crazy to think that this was their debut album. It has so many classics on it. Well done, boys.

Run DMC hires the singer from RATM

Possibly the best debut album in hip-hop history. It’s hard, it’s funny, and these guys tell stories with the best, as evidenced in tracks like Paul Revere. And everyone who’s ever been a teenager can relate to Fight for Your Right. A blast from start to finish.

Is this good, or is it just nostalgia.

Gave me a headache.

Haven’t listened to this whole album in years and I forgot about some of the deep cuts. This thing still bangs. Some of the lyrics are dated, but otherwise from start to finish this album is great. It starts with the crushing Led Zeppelin drum sample and doesn’t let up. It was so much fun to revisit a favorite from when I was young.

Best album in the history of recorded music!

The album that started it all, absolute classic

Hard to listen to

Followed by a masterpiece

What kind of elder millennial would I be if I didn’t like this album?! I knew several songs already.

Disappointing. I'm familiar with later Beasties material but hadn't listened to this. I knew Fight for your right and was expecting a broader approach but...yeah, a lot of this is trash. Admittedly it has some charm in the puerility of the lyrics and the roughness of the production, but mostly its just sloppy. The beats and scratching are all over the place and a lot of the lyrics are VERY dated. The beasties were never the most experimental act - they have limited flows, but at least the later material has a psychedelic, cartoonist approach to the lyrics. This is pretty much all just frat-house nonsense. 'Girls' in particular is trash. I know they matured and apologised for this kind of material later in their careers. They were young and dumb and didn't know any better. YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THIS. This is Brett Kavanagh's "I LIKE BEER" whining stretched out to full album length and performed by Gilbert Gottfried.

no

It's content was misunderstood and misconstrued a lot - even by its creators for a time but this remains an absolute steadfast classic.

Really not sure what to make of the Beastie Boys; they’re objectively bad, but they don’t seem to take themselves too seriously. Or at least I hope they don’t! Wouldn’t choose to listen to any of these apart from No Sleep Till Brooklyn.

Still fun. In small doses.

A quick disclaimer: I fully realize I'm going to sound like an old curmudgeon yelling at kids to get off his lawn with the review. Having said that, I just don't get it. It's like hearing a bunch of kids yelling at me for 45 minutes. Fight For Your Right is the one exception - I like it because it's actually musical in nature. Still shouting but at least there is more going on than that. I also (slightly) enjoyed hearing some of the samples from Led Zeppelin and CCR. Sorry, but it's just not for me. 2 stars.

I do like me a bit of the Beastie Boys. Three Jewish white kids made a place for themselves in a place they had no right to be. Rappers? Rockers? Yup!

This is a fantastic debut album. The Beasties were truly original and solid musicians on top of their legendary use of samples.

Obviously already knew some but loved this album.

oooooo nice. impressive debut album

This album is my childhood

i just like when boys are weird and have weird singing voices

Listening to this album made me realize i need to listen to more Beastie Boys. The samples from Zeppelin and Black Sabbath in the first song sucked me in from the get go. The whole album just flows from one track to the next. So. Much. Fun.

The album for when you're ready to stop taking everything so seriously.

Beastie Boys took hip hop places no one ever imagined hip hop would go with Licensed To Ill.

it’s like if hip hop and rock had a baby

Интересная музыка, очень крутые биты

Didn’t think I would enjoy as much as I did.

great album with a blend of hip hop and rock

Licensed to Ill has some standout tracks, though it feels a bit dated overall. The album has its highs but also some low points with less impressive songs. The sampling is excellent throughout, adding a lot to the sound, and the rapping is strong in places, though at times it falls short.

One of the most groundbreaking Hip Hop albums of the 80's even if it didn't age all that well when held against albums like those from Public Enemy. The combined energy of Rick Rubin's production which he showcased on previous albums like Run-D.M.C or even Slayer with three white guys that mixed Rap and Rock that created the first #1 Rap album in the US. Still to this day, the Beastie Boys get some legendary credit, mainly for pushing Hip Hop into a more commercial frame that ultimately helped artists later to be as popular as they are. Still, it is a relic of its time and at many points sound simply dated which does give it some very Old-School vibes (it's Mid-School Hip Hop but whatever) that might hit a nerve with some but to me it's more influential than an actual good listen. The fitting description of Hip Hop with 'Rhymin & Stealin' opens the quite fittingly. Because that's what they are doing: sampling rock records to make beats and rapping on top. That's what Hip Hop (at least back then) was and was about. The song itself is pretty good as well with a lot of Rock and even a tad bit of Metal which is abviously accompanied by the energetic and playful rap vocals. It's a very typical Beastie boys track in terms of sound and delivery and even if it does sound good, there is still the fact that I find that it sounds incredibly dated and not as interesting as when it released in '86. There seems to be lack of focus, knowledge as well as ideas even if that's not the problem here. It's above average but just slightly. On 'The New Style' they go more into Hip Hop than Rock but with enouh influence to not sound too far off. It also does some very interesting and experimental things with the beat which feels like a predecessor of the Trap genre but still is undeniably 80's (with the turntable bridges). Even in terms of delivery it's more interesting and the mix of ideas, production & rap results in a much more interesting song that even if it isn't perfect because there are just too many things happening, it's still good. 'She's Crafty' has a really well implemented riff that repeats throughout the track with some interesting elements added like a cowbell. The delivery has a nice energy but it doesn't come over the best way and has some moments that feel very dull. I think it sounds good but I don't care much about what it ultimately does. The Electro influence in the beat of 'Posse in Effect' does make it very much feel like early, early Rap and even though I think it's done better than Afrika Bambaataa did it, I still think that this isn't really the best way to make Hip Hop. The rapping also isn't the most interesting and I'm often more annoyed than hyped. It's still okay. The mix of Jazz and Latin Funk on 'Slow Ride' does make the song in the intro and the times it appears later on but sadly it's not there when they are rapping which does make the verses feel a bit empty. Again, it's okay but if they did more with the verses, they might've made an overall better track. The "Comedy" Rap of 'Girls' that combines a very silly New Wave sounding beat with some very annoying deliveries on the even more annoying instrumental. This is absolutely horrible to listen to and the text doesn't make it remotely better. Easily the worst song that they ever did on a major project. The legendary 'Fight for Your Right' which combines Stadium Glam Metal with Hard Rock and of course a bit of Hip Hop but mainly Rock... The result is a song that sees them do a much better performance that works incredibly well with the beat and stays interesting throughout the entire track. I think that it's a bit sad that they do the "Rock" better than the "Rap" (at least on this album) but it is what it is. It's an incredible track. On Side 2, the second legendary Rap Rock track 'No Sleep Till Brooklyn' starts with a pretty Heavy riff that repeats throughout. Both the production and the delivery doesn't feel much different than what they did before but it's both so much more effective and makes this easily one of the best songs here. It's the sound that they did all these songs before but something changed that makes this so much better. It's nearly a perfect song and one of the best Beastie Boys tracks ever. With 'Paul Revere', one of the most Experimental tracks on the album with the reversed drums and simple but weird production. Additionally the verses are much longer and feel more stiched together than on previous tracks but I personally am just irritated with what they did here. I get that some might like it but I personally think that this is a time when experimentation doesn't mean better. I can appreciate what they did but it's still pretty bad. 'Hold It Now, Hit It' continues the experimentation but does it less and a bit better. It does sound really dated with the Electro beat and the rapping is just 'eh' but the sampled interludes are pretty cool. I think that it's a middle of the road track with some nice moments that ultimately don't do much as well as some annoying parts that do effect the final outcome. With 'Brass Monkey' they go even further into the Electro Hip Hop which I am not a big fan to begin with because it just sounds incredibly dated. This song especially also doesn't much sound like them and could've easily been from someone else. Plus, it's annoying with both the rapping and the beat. It's really annoying and honestly bad. The return to more Rock on 'Slow and Low' also means another high in quality because even with some really annoying parts with the rapping, the beat and the energy is enough to make a really enjoyable track that is honestly pretty good. Only the bridge does ruin it a bit but it's still enough that I'd call it "good". The final track 'Time to Get Ill' which combines a lot of stilistic ideas that they played with throughout. I really like the instrumental at some points as well as the chorus but there are times that I do not enjoy it quite as much, mainly because it sounds a bit weak and not fully fleshed out but ultimately it's still a nice track. favourites: No Sleep Till Brooklyn, Fight for Your Right least favourites: Girls, Paul Revere Rating: strong 5 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes

Licensed to Ill I’m never quite sure if they are joking on this, or if they actually mean it. I can see why they would say it’s a joke, and bearing in mind the rest of their career, I’m probably inclined to believe them. Even if their wordplay, pop culture references and delivery are all great, and whether it is all tongue in cheek or is actually sincere, the constant fixation on and references to girls, beers and defying the authority of teachers and parents does get a little tiresome over the course of the whole album. Musically it’s also very of its time and very 80s Rick Rubin, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The Led Zep sample on Rhyming and Stealing is great and sets the tone for well chosen samples and big, echoey beats, and its fusion of rock and rap is clearly hugely important, along with Run DMC (with Rick Rubin of course), in Rap's emergence into the mainstream. I suppose the flip side of that is that it also birthed some god awful rap-rock in its wake, like Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit and particularly and most egregiously Kid Rock. Rhymin and Stealin, Slow Ride, Girls, Fight For your Right, No Sleep till Brooklyn, Brass Monkey and Time to Get Ill are the standout tracks. I particularly like the Led Zep, War and Creedence samples on Rhymin, Slow Ride and Licensed to Ill and of course Fight for Your Right is a great tune. Girls (aside from the lyrics) and Brass Monkey do indicate some of the musical playfulness they would subsequently exhibit It may be a bit low, but in the context of their whole career a high 3 probably feels about right - it shows glimpses of their sense of humour, and their ears for a hook, but it misses the sense of inventiveness and fun that you get from Paul’s Boutique onwards. 🤒🤒🤒 Playlist submission: Fight For your Right

45 minutes of three guys yelling at me over a drum machine, is not really my thing. Some of the tracks that have actually music on them are not bad, though. Fight For Your Right is a classic, but I can't listen to No Sleep Till Brooklyn without thinking of Morris Minor and the Majors.

This should be good but it's not the beastie boys that resonate with me

They sure yell a lot. Probably why I liked it so much as an 8 year old.

Every song sounded so alike I didn't realize it was a next one.

I can’t help my foot tapping along and I know this is ground-breaking and technically v clever in an analogue 80s world…but it’s hard to take a whole album of this. Just sounds so samey.

Very obnoxious, would give it one star but I know its very influential

Cheesy beats, cheesy rhymes, samples where the original is infinitely better than the resulting song, it gets an extra star for the iconic cover.

I've never quite gotten the appeal of the Beastie Boys. After listening to Licensed to Ill all the way through, I...still don't get the appeal. But then I have listened to this album all the way through before. It's interesting, amusing, and am glad to listen to it as a cultural thing, but it's just not that interesting, musically, intellectually, or any other way.

I really love no sleep till Brooklyn and fight for your right, but would have been fine listening to just those 2 songs. So much yellinf

I just don't like the Beastie Boys, unfortunately

J'aurais mis 2.5 si on me laissait le faire...

not my taste

I’ve learned through this exercise that that there is an art to sampling. When done right it can create a whole new art form, enhancing not just the new song but recontextualizing and updating the old. When I heard the ‘ocean’ riff in ‘she’s crafty’ I felt like I’d just seen a retarded 8 year old draw a dick on the Mona Lisa. And then the crowd all clapped and said congratulations, good job buddy. This is pablum. This is the decline of western civilization. This is music for pedophiles in disguise as 40 year old sneakerheads. I know I’m prone to hyperbole but this album is the most inane, infantile bullshit I’ve ever heard in my entire fucking life.

It worked... I am ill

Boring with nit great lyrics or sounds

To anyone alive during the 80s the Beastie Boys are simply iconic- a genre unto themselves. Attempts to make them apologize for anything are revisionist bullshit. Rock solid Gold.

ma you're just jealous cuz it's the beastie boys

Es ist eins meiner Lieblingsalben: knackig frisch, immer in Bewegung, sorgt stets für gute Laune und musikalisch hervorragend produziert. Ein Hammer-Album.

I was so happy to get this album. I needed it today. Classic.

One of the ones I grew up with. I love the over the topness.

i think they've been to white castle more times than Harold and Kumar

Love it ! ;D

Beastie Boys is yet another of those bands that has a unique and instantly recognizable sound. The beats are punchy, the rap is punchier, the lyrics are wacky, and the party never stops. While portraying a parody of frat culture Beastie Boys pokes fun of any genre or style within spitting distance, and sound damn good doing it Standouts No Sleep Till Brooklyn Girls Fight For Your Right "Deliver Colonel Sanders down to Davey Jones' locker"/5 (5/5)

One of the best

It was so amazing. The best album i have heard so far from this. Perfect beats and fun hip hop and great beat switches

This one's just a ton of fun. It's a staple of the 80s and inspired a ton of 90s artists. The crossing of Punk and Rap make for such an interesting sound that stood out then and still stands out now. Favorites were No Sleep til Brooklyn, Fight for your Right, Paul Revere, Brass Monkey, and Girls.

This one is a classic. It’s sounds like they had an absolute blast recording it. Girls and Fight For Your Right were some of the first songs I had on my iPod Shuffle back in 2008 and they still bang. While the sampling is more simplistic here compared to Paul’s Boutique it still works for what they are trying to do. Lyrics are funny and the wordplay is absolutely on point.

Rap rock. Está muy bien. Venga, vinilo.

I heard this at the skatepark at a very young age, and it changed the course of my life. Girls has aged poorly for me, but the rest still holds up. Paul Revere is one of my favorite songs ever. I have so many memories with this record.

Solid. What a debut album. I love it when an album peaks at the end.

I love this record so much. They were Eminem before Eminem. They revolutionized rap in the 80's being white and they drew tons of criticism because of that. It's clear that when somebody is good at something they will get shit. This record is magnificient. I remembered my father showed me this in my teens and it has stuck with me ever since. The rock influence it has is amazing, from sampling Led Zeppelin to writing huge riffs in 'Fight For Your Right'. Landmark album. Even Eminem himself copied the cover art for his record 'Kamikaze'. When the goat copies you, you must have done something extraordinary.

Perfect album to represent its time. Mix of rock and rap

previously listened 5 stars

One of the best...ever.

Ali Baba and the forty thieves... Ali Baba and the forty thieves... Ali Baba and the forty thieves... ALI BABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES This album is so goofy, the peak hits are often worse than the rest of the album, the vocal delivery gets grating, and yet its undeniably fun, creative throughout, the boom bap rock stuff is done really well. I can see why a lot of people will hate this, but it's an awesome album.

Pretty sure this is my favorite Beastie album. Am I lame? I know Paul’s Boutique is supposed to be the gym. But I just love these jams. I like the simpler samples and catchier songs. It's a classic through and through. 4.5+

On of the best rap albums ever. Such a great time all the way through.

Nothing reminds me quite so much of being 12 than this album. I was really surprised it came out in 1986, it's hillbilly in the right kind of way.

Love it listened to it when it came out

It’s fun, catchy, unique, all the good stuff, basically.

Complete turnaround for me. When this came out I thought the Beastie Boys were a puerile one hit wonder. Listening back now it's influence seems to be like a classic Motown album spawning countless samples and immediately recognisable loops. Who Sampled claims The New Style has been sampled by 359 other tracks! Such a large footprint, a cultural icon.

Such a great listening experience

Essential. First album I bought that I’d still listen to today.

From that first sample to the last… just perfect! Also quite back heavy with the hits, but the first half is just as good.

Klasse Album. Hervorragende Musik.

New spin on hip hop, brought power to new genre and withstands the test of time.

Really one of my favorite albums, the childhood memories is envokes are priceless

One of my favorite golden era hip hop records. Just plain fun to listen to.

Somehow, I’ve never listened to the whole thing front to back. So many good samples and a great cohesive vibe.

The Beastie Boys were highly influential, using their punk origins to blend hip-hop with rock. Born from that was their massive debut album "Licensed to Ill", eventually becoming the first Billboard #1 rap/hip-hop album ever. All from three white Jewish dudes in New York. This is probably one of the greatest debut records of all time. It certainly got a lot of play from me when I was younger and still getting exposed to hip-hop. The rock samples (as well as ACTUAL guitar play from Kerry King himself) mixed with the group's goofy delivery (and equally goofy lyrics) commanded my attention then and still does to this day. Not really a bad track here, although I think the run of tracks from "Fight for Your Right" to the end especially are matched by few in all of music. The best part is that their discography somehow gets even better from here depending on who you ask. It turns out that these dudes were just getting started.

When I want to listen to the Beastie Boys I usually gravitate towards Ill Communication, Paul's Boutique, or Check Your Head, but that doesn't mean this one is bad. When comparing this to their later albums, this album feels a little incomplete and immature (quality and personality wise). The production here is good, but once again compared to their later works feels a little unrefined. Shoutout to She's Crafty, I don't think that song gets enough attention. This album is probably closer to a 4, but compared to all the bland 70's crap I've had this past month this is a breath of fresh air.

It's just so good.

This is rightly held as a classic and like becks Odelay, the one album you need to introduce yourself to the beastie boys. Yes they grow and change but you start here. 4.5

Gush warning. I feel spoilt, to listen to not one but two (yes 2) Beastie Boys albums on this list. I would never have considered a whole album of their stuff. I thought they had a few fun tracks and that was it. Turns out they make a lot of thumping catchy stuff which I love and smile to (its so out there as to be almost mock ironic and hence - for me - hilarously fun as well and pumping rock). Perfect shit silly for a middl aged man to krank it up loud. Fully. Music for stomping around the house when you're feeling too silly and to listen to RATM. :-) Oddly, I am having too much fun to be annoyed by his nasal pee wee voice. And I have always liked the cover art to this album. There's something in that, isnt there? Some fo their most entertaining lines /rhymes: "I don't mean to brag I don't mean to boast; but I'm intercontinental when I eat French toast" " 'Cause I'll be rockin' this party eight days a week " "I'm Mike D and I'm back from the dead; chilling on the beach down at ClubMed" "I’m a writer, a poet; a genius, I know it" "Well I’m a 6.7 on the Richter Scale. Got rhymes galore and then I never fail. Like gravy to potatoes, Luke to Darth Vader, I’m a souped up sucker and I’ll see you all later."

Most illingest B-boy, I got that feeling I am most ill and I'm rhymin' and stealin'! This album was kind of a shot heard 'round the world for suburban teenagers in the mid 80s. They were ridiculously obnoxious and would probably describe themselves even as stupid, but they were OURS! And they could rap surprisingly well and their rhymes were often hilarious with a variety of cultural references that hinted at a depth that said they were not your typical Adidas and Kangol bboys, nor your typical teenage idiots even. I still have my Volkswagen hood ornament medallion and would not hesitate to drop everything and bust it out if I saw the bat signal go up. The first time I heard "Girls" was at an unofficial cast party for our high school production of "Grease" and a girl put it on and when I saw all the girls dancing to "Girls" I intuited that the adult complaints about Beastie misogyny just didn't get it. That was also probably the first time in my life that I chose to dance. My only complaint is that it's a pain in the ass to be confronted with this on a Monday morning, as happened to me with this project, because now I have to blow off work and shotgun a six-pack of Bud tallboys and chase it with some of that funky monkey! NO SLEEP TIL BROOKLYN!

Yes it's incredibly dated and fairly juvenile. But when this came out it sounded like nothing else. Rap and rock fused together made everyone take notice, and it screamed up the charts as a result. Arguably one of the greatest debut albums of all time.

So this album has a lot of nostalgia for me. Cosart and I listened to this on repeat driving from NC to Maine. Yes it is belittling to women though I think some is tongue in cheek. However, their rhymes are on time and clever. It is still a great album and was ahead of its time for hip hop.

I know this may not be their best but it is such a classic from top to bottom