Licensed To Ill

beastie boys known to let the beat....DRORPPPPP!!!! i awake from my slumber in an agitated moood, my mom storms in to complain about the general ruckus ariousing from ym room, i yell "this is my own private domicile" before cranking up the the white boys groove, the force is overwhelming as their abrasive nature and bad boy attitude fuses with my brianm. i get ready for schhol with my jeans are black like my soul and my orbs are blue. i plug in my ipod and i blast lisecnce to ill, the opening sends a chill down my spine, and i get a crazy thrill, i then see my mate, my goat, bill and we go mad crazy cuase we have free will. idk this is what this album does to me

I hated every stupid stinking moment of this whiny, sniveling, puerile, brash, violent, unfunny collection of annoying excretions. Garbage music made for 12-year-olds to act tough to. Get in the fucking bin.

I couldn't hate this more than I do

Great album. I was like “YEAH! fuck school!” I am 44 years old. Who was I saying that to? My kids??

1/5 never been a fan of them

It's fine. I don't love beastie boys, even if this contains the big hits.

I was pretty excited to get this one, I like the Beastie Boys a lot (though not made it through the entire catalogue). This contains some true classics and is very fun and enjoyable if (and only if) you're into the BB schtick. I am, this is great, even if it doesn't quite reach the heights of later efforts.

Today's listen is Licensed to Ill, my fourth Beastie Boys album in this challenge. I've always wanted to like the Beastie Boys, but so far I've struggled to understand what all the fuss is about. Let's see if today's album can change my mind. Musically, there's some brilliant sampling and production on *Licensed to Ill*, and I can appreciate the energy and creativity that went into making it. Unfortunately, I still find the vocals quite irritating, and some of the lyrics haven't aged particularly well. The big singles are easily the best part of the album. They're catchy, full of energy and good fun, but outside of those tracks, I found much of the album rather dull and forgettable. Too many of the songs sound similar, and there's not enough variety to keep me interested. I can understand why this album was so popular when it was released, and there's no denying the Beastie Boys brought something different to hip-hop. However, listening to it today, I think a lot of the music sounds quite dated. Overall, *Licensed to Ill* is another mixed experience for me. There are some cracking tunes, and I enjoyed the better-known tracks, but the rest of the album didn't do much for me. Four Beastie Boys albums into this challenge, and I'm still not convinced! Favourite track: "Fight for Your Right". A great tune, full of energy and easily one of the highlights. Least favourite track: "Girls". I really didn't enjoy this one. The lyrics are poor, and several other tracks were equally dull and forgettable. Album artwork: I love the album cover. Easily one of the best things about the record!

A great debut, no sleep and fight for your right are total white boy anthems, and it’s great to hear the rock throughout. That said this is no monumental sorta achievement like what they cooked up on their next Paul’s Boutique, but you can see where they were headed Love the intro track mashing up the drums of When The Levee Breaks with the guitar of Sweet Leaf. A rare instance of me knowing exactly where most of a songs samples are coming from. And loads of fun samples besides My second favourite MCA, real ones know

I kinda would’ve thought I’d like the Beastie Boys more than I do given how much I like Joey Valence and Brae. It these are always just alright to me Fight for your right and no sleep till Brooklyn slap though 3

Beastie Boys have always been a guilty pleasure of mine. Love this album.

While some of the lyrics haven’t aged the well, it helps that everything is extremely tongue in cheek. Great sound design and meshing of guitar with beats. Fun back and forth verses.

First half I was wondering how they got so popular, back half: all bangers

Ed edd I eddy muzyka

Łatwo wchodzi i łatwo wychodzi. Pomimo swojej monotoniczności chłopaki tak to nawinęli że dobrze się tych krzyków słucha. Fight for your right oczywiscie zajebisty utwor, klasyczek, a podczas słuchania brass monkey czułem sie jak w pokoju bez klamek. Ogólnie przyzwoity album, choć chwilami męczący, a z plusów to ma samolot na okładce.

album dosc powtarzalny i znudzil mi sie po dwoch utworach :( sprawia wrazenie sluchania tego samego przez 45 minut na ogol to brak jakichkolwiek urozmaicen poza pojedynczymi wstawkami nawet najbardziej streamowane utwory mi nie siedzialy tho musze przyznac ze jako debiutowy album to jakos sie podtrzymuje - nie jest asluchalny przeszkadzal mi tez sposob w jaki bestialscy chlopcy nawijali bo w sumie to krzyczeli ale ten krzyk byl strasznie plytki? mam wrazenie ze zmarnowali potencjal sciezki dzwiekowej ktora w sumie nie byla taka tragiczna utwor ktory faktycznie zwrocil moja uwage to Hold It Now, Hit It te wstawki gwizdka mi sie podobaly i kazdy moment w ktorym panowie sie nie odzywali po namysle moge jeszcze dodac ze na odbior calosci wplynela u mnie tez pora roku xddd nie lubie sluchac hip hopu jesienia i zima a ten album to hip hop z duzej litery w skrocie nie bede za dlugo zaprzatac sobie glowy Licensed to III pozdrawiam

It's kind of okay, there are a few good tracks and some interesting samples, but it's definitely not my type of music I'd come back to.

Od pierwszego numeru bolała mnie głowa Drugi dużo lepszy dobrze to śmiga Numer trzy brzmi jak najbardziej rap dla bialasow od bialasow Na czwartym spoko się całkiem podbijają i serio spoko że są z Manhattanu i lubią Popeyes Piąty ma zajebista trąbkę na końcu albo inny dęty instrument 6 Baby robią wszystko za nich super O 7 nie mam nic do powiedzenia 8 też taki ok 9 nie podobał mi się ten numer niby storytelling ale nie było dropu w tym bicie 10 kolejny taki sam numer ze są z Brooklynu i nie są żulami 11 ciekawszy beat ten numer bardzo fajny Overall taki sobie album raczej nie wrócę do niego czuć że jest stary i że Bialasy go robiły. Dzisiaj starrije nową Skala od 1 do 10 gdzie 1 to bez szans ze do napisania tego potrzebne były narkotyki a 10 to trzeba było być nacpanym w opór Ten album otrzymuje ode mnie 7 nie wierzę że zostało to napisane na trzeźwo bez twardych pozdrawiam słyszymy się jutro W skali do przesłuchania według mnie 2 widzę zastosowania, muza dla starszych białych ziomków z długą brodą tatuażami i spowolnioną przemianą materi robiona przez nacpanych bialasow

Ćpuński album Produkcja fajna bo stary brodaty dziad Troszkę monotonny Girls to jakaś porażka Fight for your right I No sleep till Brooklyn banger

The beat is fairly good; some of the lyrics fall flat, but in comparison to other rap songs, it is fairly good. There are some interesting songs, i liked She's Crafty and Fight for Your Right as well as New Style. Was not a large fan of Girls; perhaps it was the lyrics or the xylophone that was in the background of the song that reminded me of a children's song of sorts. Strong sense of theme for the album, but perhaps that was the downfall of sorts; overall at 2.5/5.

Above average rap.

Pretty incredible introduction to a defining hip hop group. One of my favorite bands of all time, though this is actually probably their work I've listened to the least. But every time I hear it I'm reminded that I want to spend more time with it. I love the punk undercurrents here.

Classic

Very catchy all the way through. Kids even liked listening to it. I didn't realize how many of their hits were on this one album.

Gets better as it goes

Je l'ai trouvé plus sympa que l'autre, et c'était cool d'entendre le sample original de la chanson de BBno$

Surprisingly good and enjoyable. Loved it and cannot give it less than 4 stars.

The vocals get annoying after a while and some of the lyrics are questionable at best. Still, the seeds for what was to come are there and the B-side goes hard. Rating: 6/10

I love the Beastie Boys. Paul’s Boutique is one of my fav albums and took my by complete surprise when it came out because I’ve always found this one to be super annoying. I can see the innovation here but it still grates. I’m glad they grew up

Inspired by acts like Run DMC and Ice-T, the Beastie Boys emerged from the New York hardcore punk scene to bring a new style of rock and metal sampling to the hip-hop scene. Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin at Def Jam immediately snatched them up put them on tour opening for Run DMC (also signed to Def Jam), which gave them instant legitimacy in the world of hip-hop. It also started a life-long collaborative mentorship and friendship between the two bands, with Run DMC sharing songs with the Beastie Boys and the Beastie Boys inspiring Run DMC to sample more rock music (which led to the famous Aerosmith Walk This Way collab). With production work from the now legendary Rubin and the aforementioned mentorship from their heroes, Licensed to Ill is a robust, rowdy, and confident debut that combines streetwise swagger and a DIY approach to hip-hop. It's equal parts impressive and endearing because you can tell the boys from the boroughs are having a good time, something that rarely comes across through the speakers. Aside from a couple songs I could take or leave, it's one of my favorite records in the Beastie Boys discography.

Raw youthful energy!

3.75 Is it possible to love a rap album just for samples? I'm not a huge Beatie Boys fan, despite being genetically predisposed to love them (white). But it's hard to deny the genius and influence of this album.

Generally ok. I prefer Ill Communication lyrically to this album (the testosterone is strong in Licence to Ill, and of the lyrics haven’t aged well in it). It’s a shame, as musically there are 3 or 4 songs that have remained timeless without the misogyny.

no me gusto. lo unico bueno es q ahora se de donde salio la musiquita de la propaganda, la de tara tara tara ta ta tara ta ta 4/10

What rufus said

I don’t know what I expected but it wasn’t this. Really not an enjoyable album.

This album changed rap. Definitely not what I would normally listen to and it's not my favourite, but I still immediately knew some of the songs and enjoyed such an amazing album.

Brooklyyynnnnn (and I also mostly mean Manhattan) in the mother fucking house!!

No sleep till brooklyn is the pinnacle

Real cool

It was interesting getting Paul's Boutique two albums before. This isn't as enjoyable/more gimmicky than the PB, and frankly, I don't align with it as much. Still a fun album.

Strangely I listened to Paul's Boutique 17,168 times but hardly ever listened to this one. It sounds similar but not as good for some reason I can't quite put my finger on. Nostalgia?

I think this album is hard carried by Brass Monkey and No Sleep Till Brooklyn.

Not my style but okay

I was fully prepared to hate this. It’s NOT my style at all and I have generally disliked these songs when heard outside of the context of this album. And dude….this was so fun. Is it repetitive? Sure. Silly? Sure. Is it good? I don’t know. But it’s creative and enjoyable. And damn, I had a good time

i do like the beastie boys but i also feel like if you were to remove the backing track it would sound like several drunk men on a street corner at 3am

Gotta love the singles. The rest... Meh

i am also snatchin gold chains and nickin pieces of eight

I don't know, if I'd been between 14 and 25 when the album came out, I might have liked it. I recognize "pieces" of other artists' work, and those are usually good. Oh shit, I just realized I was that age. Anyway, I've never listened to the album all the way through and I'm not going to again. As for the familiar songs, I haven't heard them on the radio in ages. Are they outdated? I'm not sure whether to give it one or two stars; I've definitely heard much worse. The whole thing is typical adolescent boy stuff, which can be good, but it doesn't have to be.

Yeah alright. I can get into this. High blood pressure music if I've ever heard any. What the hell are we talking about. This is kinda 14 year old music I can't lie. I like the New York accents. It's quite fun. I'm actually rocking with this quite a bit. Big fan of whatever's going on. Oh wait let em cook. Why are we tropical all of a sudden. Ok nevermind what are we doing. When it's good it's real good when it's bad it's literally a buncha kindergarteners banging pots and pans. I'm fighting Mr. Boys I'm fighting. Well it's the most popular song for a reason. God these guys are so aura less. Wait hold on they're cooking. Def not the best song or even one I would listen to but this is kinda crazy. Wait what justice for the piano player. Kinda lost me in the middle there but they're bringing me back. That spells ill?? I thought they were saying it's time to get three. Interesting. I do like this. Favourite: Paul Revere Least favourite: Girls

Fucking fun, full throttle, high octane thrill ride, zero calories. It's the aural equivalent of some dumb 80s/90s action movie and it's wonderful.

Like their music and I'm a fan of this album in particular

3.75

4.5

It's been so many years since I've listened to this boys.. I thought it might have aged poorly, but all I am is transported back to my youth and totally chuffed that I remember as many lyrics that I do. 5 beasties / 5 boys

Riktig klassiskt DEBUTALBUM! Ser mig själv strosa runt på Manhattan med en jävla attityd.

Hemskt dåligt. Jobbiga röster och dåliga texter.

Vilken jävla pangdebut! Det är skoj och ibland behöver det inte va mer komplicerat än så

nej fyfan

Tänker att det lär ha varit ett jäkligt bra partyalbum 85. En extra poäng för You gotta fight for your right to paaaaaaaartay

If you’re gonna make yourself listen to The Beastie Boys, might as well go with this one. It’s got all the songs you know.

Paul's Boutique is the Beastie Boys album everyone should hear, and if they like it they should hear Licensed to Ill.

A bit juvenile at points, but still good

Party-rock anthems that were originally made in jest to the party rock scene of the mid-80's. The entire album was made to get people up and moving, which it did quite well. Lyrically and sonically, the beginning of mainstream sampling techniques and young hedonistic rhymes take center stage. Great listen to discover earlier hip-hop gems and samples.

No sleep til Brooklyn. What we needed and still need

The Mr. Meeseeks vibe is again strong with this one.

not their best.. paul revere is the shit still tho

Some hits, some misses. Hard to listen to the whole album back to back but can't deny the bangers. 2 stars but leaning 3.

Bis auf die beiden Banger in der Mitte ziemlich durchschnittlich. Meilenweit von der "Ill Communication" entfernt.

Stabil, aber kein Vergleich mit den späteren Alben.

Some classics in here but a few filler songs too

Good energy of the songs throughout. Even though hip hop is not really something I usually listen to or really enjoy, this was great.

God forbid a white boy get some motion

hard pass comedic [derogatory]

When the opening track starts with the drumming of "When the Levee Breaks", it had better be Led Zepellin. Oh no, it's shoutiest wankers in the world shouting "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" over and over again. FFS. The rest of the album is just more shouting, and more samples. The last time a Beastie Boys album came up on here, I think I wrote something rude about Mike D. Still stands.

4.08 / 5 stars for Beastie Boys, but it's getting the bump to 5 stars because it's an amazing album. One of the best debuts for a rap group in history. Tons of sampling, but not as funky as their later albums, this one explores all sorts of music, but it's still the classic hip-hop. It wasn't until Paul's Boutique where they really started getting funky, but this album is just awesome. Surprisingly a lot of Led Zep samples on this, and even some Creedence, can't go wrong there!

Sitting down to actually think about this question and ponder its answer, I think I finally have it. Country is the worst music genre, followed closely behind by hip hop. I just can't stand listening to it. This old-school hip hop is just so repetitive; it's just yelling violently into the mic. Yeah, I know it's about the lyrics, the tone, the message, and the emotion, but I just get nothing from it. It's not conveyed through a medium that speaks to me or that I can understand. I can't say good things or bad things about this album in particular because it's the same old thing, just like with past albums of this sort. It's just not for me.

Beastie's debut album was remarkable in several ways. A group of white jewish rappers mix hip-hop with rock and creates absolute party anthems like Fight For Your Right or No Sleep till Brooklyn.

The og white rappers

Nah

Some of the songs still rock. But then some of them grate. And almost all are devoid of decency. As my daughter said, I don't think they like girls very much.

Starter sterkt med god 4er-følelse helt til og med "Slow Ride". "Girls" gjør at jeg kommer helt ut av flyten, synes det funker ekstremt dårlig og trekker nedover mot 3ern. "Fight For Your Right" og "No Sleep til Brooklyn" gjør lite for å løfte nivået, slitsomt rockepreg som det ikke føles som de får helt til. Synes andre halvdel generelt er svakt. Albumet klart best når de holder seg til hiphop. En del kult og en del svakt resulterer i en 3er.

Slitsomt å høre på på en mandags morgen.

Balanserer mellom 2 og 3 her. En del kule partier, og albumet tar seg litt opp etter hvert, men generelt blir dette for bråkete og slitsomt å høre på. Tekstene er ikke så mye å skryte av heller. Får følelsen at det er laget av 14-åringer.

Noen kule ting her og der, men jevnt over ikke min kopp med rap. Jeg kan høre innflytelsen på andre artister jeg liker, men gjør det ikke i seg selv bra. Sterk 2 sikkert

favs: slow ride (you gotta) fight for your right (to party) no sleep till brooklyn rating 1.2/5

Not for me

Was excited to listen to this album for the first time given the songs I already knew and the critical acclaim attached to it. However, I came to the conclusion quite quickly that: once you’ve heard one Beastie Boys song, you’ve kinds of heard them all. The style is very repetitive and the tunes and beat rarely changed. Still an enjoyable listen and couldn’t score it any lower in good faith given the absolute bangers on this record.

I was about 13 when this came out and absolutely loved it. Haven't listened to the whole thing in years, and was fearful that it would make me cringe with how dated it sounds and how juvenile my tastes were. But you know what? It's fucking awesome.

Extremely dated, outside of historical value for the evolution of hip hop or nostalgia value for whom this was a major album of their youth, it's hard to believe anyone else would put this on for entertainment or artistic value 30 years on in 2026. Girls is genuinely one of the worst things I've ever heard in my life, irredeemable rubbish. Purile lyrics that may have been shocking at the time, just sound comical at this remove and most tracks are weak in terms of vocals, hooks etc. Fight for Your Right and No Sleep are good tracks and the only reason to listen to this. They would do other records that have aged far better, this is an influential album in terms of the rock/rap mixing etc. but it's a total relic that isn't that enjoyable to listen to really. 3/10

Wasn’t all that crazy about this when it came out. It really just felt like a comedy/novelty album to me. Over time I;ve learned to appreciate it more.

Such a perfect album cover. And an amazing debut album, it’s chaotic, it’s punk, and it’s the start of the blend between rock and hip hop which is a combination I love. There are a few tracks that are misses but as a whole it’s a great album

First album in this challenge that I give a 5. Absolute blast of an album! 2 of my favorite tracks from Beastie are here, and the rest is a complete banger!

It never gets old.

Finishing my time with Beastie Boys on the list with their delicious debut. Yum yum yum

I think with the songs in this album they tend to be a bit like marmite you either hate or love them. This album is okay like there is some great songs on here: my personal favourite would have to be “no sleep till Brooklyn” but that’s also because I have vivid memories of my brother and me singing along to it in the car. However there is some unlistenable shit on here like “girls” I couldn’t not even make it past the intro it was just an awful beat regardless of lyrics. Overall I like the lyricism and the more ‘satire’ elements of the songs, but I would definitely not listen to the whole album just the specific songs I liked. I’m giving this 3 stars but I wouldn’t push it further.

I had been buying Def Jam 12" since T La Rock (sampled herein),so I was primed for this LP and bought it the day it came out. It was fun at the time but certainly not groundbreaking. Hold It Now, No sleep, and Paul Revere are the only songs that I would like past a year. Eric B, BDP, and Ultramagnetic were just a few of the stone classics that came in 86. Most of my attention was there. This album is important in its time, bringing in the burbs,as it did eventually, but it doesn’t age well and the Beastie Boys did a lot better work down the road. Rick Rubin, Russel Simmons and RUN DMC were my heroes back then, but Rick and Russ turned out to be marketing geniuses, not musical ones. RUN DMC’s Raising Hell was 86s best hip hop album,their peak, but I don’t listen to that anymore either. 4 stars for the memories.

I could never be impartial about the Beastie Boys. With their debut coming during the start of Golden Age of Hip-Hop, they fit right in and proved that white people could actually do a decent job in the genre (sorry Debbie Harry and Joe Strummer). Not shy to be what they weren't, these three NYC clowns threw in wild pop culture refences and silly lines and it somehow all worked and they had the respect of their contemporaries (with I'm sure some contempt as how well the Beastie Boys were accepted by the MTV generation). Rick Rubin's production here is also legendary. Bringing the rock sound that he'd introduced with Run-D.M.C.'s Raising Hell, the sound was built on to perfection. Yes, some of the lyrics are misogynistic and not great (the group themselves quickly distanced themselves from the "characters" they were playing - and in some ways started embodying - during the era) but beyond that, it's still a fun listen.

Reminds me of growing up in NY in the 90s

This album is an absolute classic must listen Hip Hop album. I think I have owned this album in every format possible from vinyl to cassette to CD. This is an album I can agree with needing to be heard. Album is great front to back and has that old skool feel. no argument here that is 10/10 and gets 5 stars.