Licensed To Ill

(Light 8/10) Highly influential and important piece of hip hop history. Not my favorite from them but it's got plenty of bops.

Licensed to Ill is probably one of my favorite hip hop albums of all time. Sure the music is dated being created mostly on an 808 drum machine it would sound dated. But it fits perfectly in that era. The key to this album is to think about where the Beastie Boys came from. The were a punk group but they became interested in hip hop and Russell Simmons ever the opportunist thought he would capitalize on having a white group kind of similar to Run DMC. He signs them and they record a few songs like She’s on It. They tour with Madonna because Russ is offered $500. So they get booed. Eventually they start recording the masterpiece that is this album. Sure the producer is said to be Rick Rubin but there is a lot of disputing how much he helped. They claim they had already recorded much of the album and he came in and tweaked it a little. Who knows the truth? I also believe they created an album that was true to who they were at the time a bunch of kids. Is it jokey? Sure. But they also were partying and could do whatever brother had been partying and going to clubs since they were like 15 so they were just trying to capture who they were. I remember seeing them on this tour. They drank enough beer to make most frat boys jealous so if they were trying to parody them they had become what they were making fun of. Sure they apologized for some of the lyrics but it’s still who they were at the time. Young dudes having fun. And you felt that on the album.

Classic Beastie Boys. Has a ton of hits, and many references to White Castle. 3.8/5.0

Not my genre of music

I clearly don’t get the in joke. Repetitious lyrics, references that keep reappearing in other songs, too similar cadences, obnoxious accents. What’s to like?

Hmm dr-ooopppp

No me gusto tanto , para mi gusto se hizo aburrido

The sampling is really good, the interplay is really good but this sits in a weird space between rap and rock with all the samples and energy they come with. A great debut record but unsure what it wants to be. The next record is much better in my opinion

Number: 164 Date: 06/16/2026 Artist: Beastie Boys Album: Licensed To Ill Year: 1986 Style: Rap Rock Familiarity: Extremely (5) Rating: 5 Before: ======= Nice one. It's a 5. In fact this would be in my top 100 essential albums, without a doubt. Maybe even top 10. It's no their best but since it was the first, it gets a special nod from me. I'm a gonna go ahead and rate each song and maybe listen to the album at some point today abut seeing how's I know it so well, it's really not necessary. It will give me a chance to catch up on some other music, starting with this week's Discover Weekly, which has been leaning towards folk-chamber-pop-alt-country lately. But one final thought before that, I just wanted to say that one reason I like the Beastie Boys so much is that they have a sense of humor and don't take themselves too seriously, which counts for a lot with me. During: ======= 5 Rhymin & Stealin 5 The New Style 5 She's Crafty 4 Posse In Effect 4 Slow Ride 5 Girls 5 Fight For Your Right 5 No Sleep Till Brooklyn 3 Paul Revere 4 Hold It Now, Hit It 5 Brass Monkey 4 Slow And Low 4 Time To Get Ill ----------------------------------------------------- 4.47 WEIGHTED AVERAGE (accounts for song lengths) After : ======= Yep, I still think it's a 5, even though the average per song comes in at just below 4.5. 4 my personal rating 5 suitability for this list 5 impact ----------------------------------------------- 4.7 composite rating

I hate the Beastie Boys. I don’t care if they are celebrating or sending up the ‘fight for your right to pa-a-a-a-rdy’ attitudes, but I don’t want to hear about it.

Every song a banger. Crazy how much their songs have been sampled

i like that they mix rap n rock in one album, its kinda unique for that time. I prolly will never listen ts album agian but its good, just not my type of music

Me surpreendi ao achar pelo menos 5 músicas interessantes. Acredito que o álbum possui uma produção capaz de 4 estrelas. Porém, comparado a álbuns de outros estilos ele fica abaixo. Os caras são muito nons e talentosos mas a chega um momento que fica repetitico e enjoativo

6/10 Rap moins mon genre

1.5

Fantastic, beasties never did a bad thing

C'est sympa en vrai

Je savais que c'était connu, et franchement l'idée est bonne, avec le sample de Led Zep en ouverture. Malgré tout je ne suis pas séduit non plus. Playlist pick : Rhymin & Stealin

good but got a bit samey

Surprised how much of this I knew. Some great stuff.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIll

Very up my style, might listen to it again during the next couple of weeks and definitely want to give their other albums a try!

It’s shit isn’t it

Sick album

Very similar to the Run DMC album I had yesterday, but I think the Beastie Boys improved on that with better samples and beats. I love the way they trade lines and it's a fun album front to back.

I think the Beastie Boys are a guilty pleasure of mine. Fight for Your Right was a top 10 song for me in high school. So singular in sound, I didn't need to see the album or artist to know this was the Beastie Boys. Hit after iconic hit on this album. So radical, I wish I was a teen in the 80s when this was released. Does this hold up to hip hop now? Not totally, but it's fun lyrics, rhythmic rhymes, and simple straightforward beats. What's not to love?

Slick lyrics and good instrumentals Alot of songs of today sampled these songs I ain't know

Feels appropriate for the day after a Knicks championship. I don’t think there’s a better rap/rock fusion group, or record, than this one. The boys really cooked here. It’s everything Rick Rubin wanted to do with Run DMC & Aerosmith, but bolder and better (probably because he’d sold his proof of concept already).

lots of shouting

4/10

A third of these songs are already on my favorites list.

This is a great example of early hip-hop, when sampling started. It’s childish (adolescent-y?) but very good

"NO, SLEEP TILL BROOKLYN" Iconic

Was fun until it wasnt and i got really bored i dont know its probably on me for not being a fan of the genre very much. I liked the "girls" until the cleaning and cookin lines. I know I know but it icked me anyway -0-

Good memories

Fun enough! some quirked up white boy beats.

one of the most influential hiphop albums but does it live up to that? --NO!

Overall probably my least favorite Beastie Boys album. Can’t stand Foght for your right. So cringy.

Aku baru pertama kali mendengarkan album hiphop secara utuh. Sebenernya ini bukan tipe musik yang sering kudengar setiapharinya tapi aku sangat menikmati pengalaman mendengar album ini.

It's so close to 5 stars that I went ahead and rounded up. Love the samples they use. How they trade off verses is great. At 45 minutes, the album is just enough time to spend with them.

Distinctive style. Lots of production chops, punchy lyrics

go white boys go!

There is a sense of self-awareness in the jock characters that the lads play. I admire their usage of Zeppelin samples, even if they must have known that it would land them in hot water. The incorporation of rock and metal on this must as helped this record land with fans and critics who were yet to be sold on hip-hop. "Fight For Your Right" is basically a rock song with rapping gang vocals. The playfulness of this album makes it an extremely fun time. As this approaches its 40th anniversary later this year, this album does show its age in places. One listen to the beats and you can tell that this came out during the foundational years of hip hop. That doesn't hold this record back too much as this is so packed with energy and personality.

Review - it's the classic album but it's not aged so well. Influential at it's time but their later work is much better Score - 5/10 Need to listen? YES

for their time they might be good and modern but now they feel outdated

Album 220. Licensed to Ill — Beastie Boys (1986) I adore mixing my two favorite genres: jazz and hip hop — like A Tribe Called Quest do. But I don't really understand or accept this mixing: rock + hip hop. I mean, I like to listen to Beastie Boys once in a while, but it creates a strange feeling to me. Beats are great, samples are great. It's great music. But it feels weird — Run-D.M.C with more rock and screaming. It's really disturbing sometimes. What the heck. 3/5 Liked: — The New Style — Fight For Your Right — Brass Monkey — Time To Get Ill

Cool. Sounds like Odelay.

I love Beastie Boys, but I never connected with this. Maybe if I had been just a little older and experienced it in real time? With the exception of the ubiquitous singles, I only heard it in full after Check Your Head and Ill Communication, and visiting it in that order made it sound like a goof. (Coming to Paul's Boutique even later made Licensed to Ill feel even more like a footnote in a storied career.) Their charisma is obvious, but the rhymes are dumb and seem to single-mindedly exist to get babes and have a good time. That's not out of keeping with the other stuff in the early days of the genre, but its place in the modern musical canon is fueled by nostalgia (and probably a touch of racism, since this made rap music safe for the first time for an awful lot of white people).

Alcune idee molto interessanti, ma nel complesso mi è risultato un po' ripetitivo e a tratti disturbante nelle voci e nel mixaggio.

crackers

Oh fuck yeah. Oh hell yeah. As much as I love the Beastie Boys, I don't believe them when they say they were making fun of "frat boys and party bros" when they performed "Fight For Your Right." It's not like they grew up right away on Paul's Boutique...there's still a lot of hilarious shit and braggadocio on that album, too...they just had an ear for immaculate sounds and producing by the Dust Brothers. I don't think they really grew up and out of the immature phase until Check Your Head. But it sounds good for them to distance themselves from Fight For Your Right and Girls as quickly as they possibly could. This album is awesome...always has been, always will be. I keep seeing mentions about how it hasn't aged well, etc...but whatever, fuck that. This past weekend, I read an article on the DMV rap scene that was on Pitchfork...because I'm from the area, I was curious. And then I listened to some of the music from that article. All that shit makes Licensed To Ill look like nursery rhymes. The production here is immaculate. The bass is awesome. Sonically, it's a masterpiece. What a great album. Fun, hilarious, quotable...just great.

Respect for the beastie boys. But tbh is not my cup of tea (this album). I know how relevant is for the genre and for the industrie so 3/5 it’s fine (for me)

Found first half a difficult listen but improves from fight for your right

Больше нравится Ill Communication. Но и этот неплох.

iconic 80s banger

So inventive and interesting. But don’t need to listen that often but wild to do a deep dive once

I LOVE it this is what a bunch of rats would sound like if they could make an album

Nicht meins 🥹🖐🏻

Hun teksten zijn echt leuk (Fight for Your Right), maar ik vind het een beetje te veel geschreeuw sorry

this album is slay

Some songs were pretty dated, others were absolute bangers.

“Scranton the Electric City” for 45 minutes Highs: Zeppelin samples Best switch on The New Style No Sleep Till Brooklyn holds up Beat on Paul Revere Lows: Every guitar solo Girls Every song felt the same

Might've been the best white boys to do it. Beats are sick, old style hip hop. Slight overuse of everyone repeating the same lines, but still fun

Not my favorite genre, but very good album overall

A really good debut from the Beastie Boys. Doesn’t hold up as well as Paul’s Boutique but still a solid album.

Trash

If I still know every word of every song 30 years after I first heard it, it's an automatic 5.

This was pretty good. Old boom bap sound with some fun turntable work. Favourite Track(s): Brass Monkey, Slow and Low Least Favourite Track(s): Paul Revere

A lot of fun

By far the worst beastie boys album. The saving grace is i assume the success of this album gave them the freedom to do what they did with Paul's boutique and subsequent albums

Þrusugóð!

Hugsaði í byrjun: "ahh, er ég að fara að gefa Beastie Boys bara þrjár stjörnur?" En svo þegar Girls byrjaði þá kom banger eftir banger. Ekki alveg fimm stjörnu plata samt.

Fun, fun, fun. These boys had a great run, sad the way it ended. Have this on vinyl - haven't listened to it in a long time and streamed this, but glad for the re-listen. Some of their subsequent releases are more imaginative than this, so not quite a 5-star rating, but glad it's here.

Classic from my teen years. I still own this album.

Not my thing, didn’t liked

Good old fashioned, classic American fun. Not always my go-to genre, but so many of these were super nostalgiac and I was in the proper mood for it today.

I'm not a fan of rap in general, so Beastie Boy's shout-rapping over stock drum beats and record-scratch effects is just... utter pants. Not ever going to be my thing.

Shout Hop The shouting is kinda stressful to listen to and the backing is really boring and doesn't go with the song. Not really at all enjoyable. It just generally disconnects like in the second song they are shout "Kick it!" and then the most boring mix came on and it was really funny 1

Hurt my head

Although I recognize the influence and the whole aura surrounding this album - and I love the Beastie Boys’ later work! - I don’t think this album has aged very well! Or maybe it’s just me who’s definitely getting older. A 4 for the genius, caustic humor, and influence of the time, but today, listening to it brought back memories - not all of them good. My favorite track was never “Fight for Your Right (To Party)”; I prefer “No Sleep Till Brooklyn.” Special mention also goes to “Paul Revere.” And that’s it. Next ;-)

Rhymin & Stealin - 2.5/5 The New Style - 3.5/5 She's Crafty - 3/5 Posse In Effect - 3/5 Slow Ride - 2.5/5 Girls - 4/5 Fight For Your Right - 3.5/5 NO Sleep Till Brooklyn - 2.5/5 Paul Revere - 2/5 Hold It Now, Hit It - 2.5/5 Brass Monkey - 3/5 Slow And Low - 2/5 Time To Get Ill - 3/5

Annoying and fun/funny in equal measure. First two tracks are so grating, just constant shouting, but She's Crafty is pretty good fun with humorous lyrics. Rest of the album follows suit, some grating but some entertaining. Girls, Slow and Low and Time To Get Ill are the standouts outside of the two I already knew (brooklyn and fight).

It's difficult to explain to someone who wasn't there just how revolutionary Def Jam felt. Not because of politics or sales figures. Because of permission. By 1986, most musical tribes had become quite protective of their borders. Then along came three New York idiots who seemed happy to nick from everybody. Hip-hop, punk, hard rock, comedy records, street chants - if it sounded good, it was fair game. The remarkable thing is how obvious the thefts are. This isn't crate-digging. It's broad daylight robbery. And that's exactly why it works. The album feels less like a crossover and more like a cultural smash-and-grab. Listening to it now, I'm struck by how little cynicism there is. The Beasties are playing idiots, but they're not playing nihilists. There's an enormous amount of joy here. Even the most ridiculous tracks sound like three mates amusing themselves rather than three professionals pursuing a career strategy. Part of the album's appeal is that even when it behaves like hip-hop, it doesn't. The samples aren't hidden. The references aren't disguised. Tracks regularly break their own momentum. The album keeps reminding you that you're listening to records made from other records. There's a collage instinct peeking through the noise, one that would eventually flower into *Paul's Boutique*, but it's already visible here in flashes. It's also much funnier than people sometimes remember. Not because it's a comedy album, but because the Beasties understand that commitment is funny. Whether discussing cocktails, crafty women, touring, or the fundamental right to make a racket, they approach every subject with absurd seriousness. The joke is never explained. It simply arrives at full volume and dares you not to join in. Of course, not everything has aged perfectly. One or two moments provoke genuine winces, and the Beasties themselves would later admit as much. One of the more admirable things about their later career is that they never seemed especially interested in defending every dumb thing they'd done at nineteen. They learned, changed, and carried on. No grand redemption narrative required. What fascinates me in retrospect is that these supposed frat-boy idiots would eventually become some of the most thoughtful and culturally curious figures in popular music. Looking back, the clues are already here. Beneath the laddishness are three magpies fascinated by records, culture and the possibilities created by smashing unlikely things together. But perhaps the biggest surprise is how much fun it still is. Forty years of influence, analysis and historical significance haven't managed to pin it down. Every time you're tempted to treat it as an Important Album, somebody shouts "Brass Monkey", steals another riff, or starts a football chant, and the whole thing wriggles free again. For all its influence, *Licensed to Ill* remains wonderfully resistant to reverence. It's simply too much fun to be held in 12 inches of vinyl.

Full of shit like me

Although plagued by unnecessary shouting, lyrics that sound like they were written by fourteen year old boys and outdated themes, some of the songs were fine.

Quirky album. Respect though.

non skip, de los mejores discos de hip hop

Love the energy

Mid as shit

Not my cup of tea

While technically it’s not the best it’s very fun

no me gusta la voz

Why is this considered “good”? Stealing Black culture and packaging it as a novelty act. Zero stars.

I already covered the other two Beastie Boys records officially in the books, so going back to Licensed to Ill, it really feels like their first full-length hip hop effort after pivoting from hardcore punk. The best way to view Licensed to Ill is as a frat party record. Three dudes from New York City goofing around as they rhymed over beats and guitars, live and sampled; it's as simple as that. Sure, the beats and sampling on this record aren't as creative or imaginative as they would be on later records, and some of the lyrics haven't aged well, particularly the joke lines on "Girls". But I can't deny that the vocal chemistry between Mike D, MCA, and Ad-Rock was defined well here, and that some genuinely fun tracks on here still hold up like "She's Crafty", "Paul Revere", "Hold It Now, Hold It", "Brass Monkey", and especially "No Sleep till Brooklyn" with that cool guitar solo from Slayer's Kerry King. Overall, I consider Licensed to Ill to be a solid debut. The Beastie Boys would continue to grow and develop their sound, but at least this record showcased their potential.

wasn’t my vibe today but in general just not rly my speed

I understand why some don't like it, but I do. This is FUN. Sampling low rider, Zeppelin, Sabbath, and so much more in 1986 is sick. This is a debut in the adolescence of Hip Hop that is perfect. Girls keeps it from being a 5

La première démarre fort C’est un peu du rap de con quand même Ça a assez mal vieilli sur les paroles (misogynes) comme sur le son Fight for your right : bien ! Ils me sont sympathiques quand même No sleep till brooklyn ! Ça s’écoute assez facilement mais des sons ont vieilli. Quand même certains sortent du lot

3.5 favs: she's crafty, girls, fight for your right

250526 20:55 3.5

I’m flabbergasted that a third Beastie Boys record was included in this list. I’m a little annoyed that, once again, I’ve been forced to listen to this insipid group. This gave me a wicked headache and I will do everything in my power to never listen to it again. 0*

When we reviewed the Beastie Boys’ second album, ‘Paul’s Boutique’, I was surprised how much funky, jazzy, soulful, interesting, complexly arranged sampling was being done and how the songs overall showed more restraint, maturity and general appeal than I expected based on my knowledge of the BB. As it turns out almost all of the songs I was indirectly complaining about with that review are on this album. ‘Licensed to Ill’ has moments of smart lyricism, but the overall impression is that it’s tacky, overwrought, and childish.

Real old school.. leans a little too far towards novelty to five for me but still good

The whole album kept true to form

I had such a blast

So fun

The Beastie Boys have some serious angsty teenage white boy energy, but hey I was one of those once. I definitely recognized more songs on here than I'd like to admit. "Girls" is one of those I haven't heard in ages. I remember being in the car with my childhood best friend on our way to a dual-family weekend trip to the beach when "Brass Monkey" came on and we lost our shit we thought it was so funny. God, does this mean I'm compelled to admit I liked the album and it deserves a good rating???

I was prepared for this to hurt my ears but it wasn't so bad. Two things can be true: they were cool and also I don't really care for it too much.

brass monkey är fan catchy.

Não é o meu estilo

They did get a few chuckles out of me I cannot tell a lie to you! I also believe that we should fight for our right to party so philosophically there were aspects that spoke to me

First listen: By about halfway through track three I was thinking Oh Man This Is Not My Thing and they're *all* gonna be like this. But once that was established, I could appreciate the good vibes that were in here - and more importantly, that it does feel like a very historically important listen for this genre. Second Listen (had some time over the weekend to give it another go): I did end up getting into it! It's not the kind of thing I'd seek out more of, but it is hard to argue with the sheer vitality and energy of this. And I was maybe initially bringing a bit too much of a 2026 political viewpoint to something made by 3 20-year-old Jewish kids in the 80s. Who, looking into them, all seemed like pretty decent guys? Perhaps the stuff they were bragging about having done on this record wasn't entirely accurate. Favourite tracks: well No! Sleep! Till Brooklyn!! Obviously is just a banger. I also really liked Paul Revere. The parts where it just feels like some friends goofing around endeared me the most.

Fucking masterpiece

even though Im not into rap, the rap rock genre is amazing! I love the flow of it, the heavy hiphop beats and just the overall energy. the rock is more of an acdc type. not all of the songs are raprock, though. the most notable are rhythimn'n'stealin, fight for your right and no sleep till brooklyn

Lmao I can’t get over how one of them sounds like Morty

MUUY experimental, álbum bastante divertido y variado. No mucho de mi gusto tho.

3.9/5

Lots of good memories about this one. A very good album.

Exceedingly stupid from start to finish. The relentless idiocy about guns, girls and booze but coming across like wannabe braggarts is so deliberately stupid that I wonder about how scandalous it was all viewed as back then. Maybe the live shows tipped it over into becoming what they were laughing at. Also love the slight obsession with Mr Ed.

Before Biggie Before Tupac There was BEASTIE three white boys from NYC just fuckin around end up making an all time classic that defies easy classification. It hip hops. It raps. It rocks. It’s all over the place, but never loses that infectious groove that keeps your head bobbing and if you’re ever in a group, you will get people singing song. The beasties also blended comedy lyrics and party tunes while smartly sampling sabbath, zeppelin, and others- it’s a wonderful production. So many hits off this one- fight for your right, brass monkey, girls, Paul revere, and NO SLEEP TIL BROOKLYN. Easy 5. Nostalgia, hits, longevity, and still hop hops, rocks, and raps along. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

a little too white pa mi gusto, aunque sea a propósito o eso dicen vea xd

A great band...before they become truly great.

Stop yelling at me gosh

Surprisingly great crunchy guitars!

I hated Pauls's but if it's nostalgia or just better music I'm not sure but I like this one much better. Not top to bottom but has its moments

Cool, nostalgic, annoying, limited appeal when all is said and done. Several songs sound like they were made by Lonely Island to spoof the Beastie Boys.

Way ahead of its time in terms of sampling and attitude. Knew a lot of the songs off this record independently for better or for worse but never realized they were all crammed onto one album. Front to back is a great listen but any more beastie boys in one sitting would be too much I think.

Apart from the few popular songs, the rest seem a bit cringe to me - like improv rap battle boom-clap tracks.

I think this album is great. It's definitely not my favorite. While I like the Beastie boys I just don't feel them. They are a good listen yet they don't motivate me.

Slow Ride... Shoebill sampled this 😮 So much fun! 😆 Paul Revere... This must have inspired Hamilton the musical 🙃 By the end this album gave me a bit of a headache though 😅 I don't see myself revisiting any of this😥, but it was a fun experience. I had lots of fun🤍

This is a weird one in that I could’ve sworn I’ve had this album already on the album generator. Nonetheless, I liked a few tracks and the energy but struggled to get properly into it.

nothing about this album is objectively good - i love it

It is undeniably historic and possesses an incredible, raw energy, but the heavy use of straightforward hard rock riffs and standard drum machine beats makes it a bit primitive compared to their later, far more complex cut-and-paste sampling work. Still, the Led Zeppelin and AC/DC loops give it a heavy rock foundation that makes it a blast to spin when you just want unfiltered, aggressive noise.

Man I hate it. I feel like I'm taking crazy pills when it comes to the Beastie Boys. On this album - the production sounds like shit, the lyrics are dumb, the flow is amateurish even by 80s standards.....and the voices. They sound like a flock of geese being strangled all at the same time. And why are they always shouting? It's just horrible. I'll be honest - I listened to a few songs all the way through and gave the others a cursory 30-45 seconds before skipping. I just couldn't do much more. Sorry. This is terrible. One extra star because I thought "Rhymin' and Stealin'" was actually kind of funny. TWO STARS TWO STARS

Sorry to the haters, I love this album. My brother and I tortured my mother with it. We made her play it when she drove us to school. She really, really hated it the way I hated Bob Dylan. So it was used as leverage. The girl is crafty. 4 Boolean: yes yes y’all

A classic

me gusto la bateria y las voces pero no es tan pegadiza como me gustaria, es demasiado gritos en un momento

This album is so fucking funny man

I never really cared much about the beastie boys until I saw a video of them doing whatever the hell they were doing on American Bandstand and that really endeared them to me. I can respect opening your debut album with a pirate themed rap. Just don't ask these guys what rhymes with "page". I didn't like the percussion in Posse in Effect, but I think it might’ve been an issue with my headphones. I like how they foreshadow Brass Monkey in at least 2 songs. I just can't hate juvenile frat boy rap/rock no matter how stupid it is.

I prefer later Beastie Boys albums. Too snotty boy sounding on this album. Of course they were young pups. They already had a distinct sound. “Girls” is a lot of fun. I like to think that there’s self mockery going on, but who knows. Still it’s delightful. I understand why “Fight for Your Right” was a hit. It speaks to the teen in me. I lean toward “No Sleep Till Brooklyn”. Probably the use of “Sugarhill Groove” is what catches the ear.

2,9 Highlights: Rhymin And Stealin, Fight For Your Right

Three Idiots (and Rick Rubin) Create A Masterpiece 5/5 Highlights: - Rhymin & Stealin - She’s Crafty - Slow Ride - Fight For Your Right - No Sleep Till Brooklyn

I've loved the Beastie Boys since I was about 12 and I knew all the words to their Hello Nasty album. I love how their discography ranges across punk and funk as well as their core hip-hop sound. However, I think this is probably their worst album. The music is pretty dated 1980s hip-hop with not a lot of variety ( compared to their wider catalogue). The lyrics are mostly pretty puerile ramblings about "girlies", with a few unconvincing brags about carrying a gun. There are a few funny moments, but not a lot. It's an important and influential record, but it's not that great a listen, and I can't imagine why you'd need it on the list in addition to a masterpiece like Paul's Boutique (which is on the list along with Ill Communication). 2.5*

Licensed to Ill is a really fun debut, it feels like this would have been pumping out the stereo of many a party back in the late 80s largely due to the major crossover appeal of Fight for your Right and No Sleep as well as there use of rock samples generally. They weren’t the first group to use rock samples as Run DMC had already been doing that but this album sold way more than anything Run DMC would ever put out and was the first hip hop album to top the billboard charts. There no doubt the impact this had on the careers of both BB and Rubin. Looking back now, there’s a lot of dumb stuff on it but its still potent and moves you from start to finish. It’s definitely of it’s time but it’s a time that’s good to revisit every once in a while.

Eh. Meh.

Another one? Did their shout singing and loud crash backing tracks really evolve that much from album to album?

How did we get all three Beastie Boys albums already?

This is very much of it's time. Childish, snotty, sort of punk hip hop by bratty boys. It's pretty good too!

always preferred Ill Communication but its had to argue with the hits here

it took half a minute to figure out how to actually navigate this site and i'm still not sure if my personal list is separate from the group i'm in. this is necessary context because i need to establish that the first album i was given to listen to before i maybe figured out the web site was Stevie Wonder's Innervisions, and moving from that directly to Licensed to Ill was like enjoying a long, picturesque drive down a scenic coastline, then reading the end of that coastal road and turning back onto the main urban grid, immediately hitting a long red light and seeing worse-than-average congestion ahead for the entire length of the drive back home. i can recognize the contemporary importance of an album but beastie boys ain't for me, kin. it made me smile a couple times i guess but my white boy quotient is far too low for me to enjoy it.

algunas canciones tenían buen ritmo pero la letra dejaba mucho de desear.

How is this 40 years old?! So juvenile — I was a contemporary of those guys, but at the time, they sounded younger to me, no doubt because of "Fight for Your Right," a high school song if ever there was one. I recall picking up the album in a record store and shaking my head at the cover art; I didn't buy it. I really liked some of their later work better ("Sabotage," for example), but this is a great kickoff to their recording career, and "Brass Monkey" is a highlight for me.

On a personal enjoyment front this was more of a trial to go through than even a passive listen. Fundamentally I simply do not enjoy the vocals when its so heavily weighed on said aspect it makes it incredibly hard to ignore otherwise. Also the forced visual of the TMNT shouting in my face. On a foundation/history/culture front this gets a 5/5. Early disc jockey techniques and sound are absolutely dripping from every song and modern day dj'ing simply wouldn't be the same without the beastie boys. Favorite Song: No Sleep Till Brooklyn

I mean No Sleep Till Brooklyn is a classic the rest is w/e. TMNT ass band. Not my vibe.

one of the most gleefully, knowingly boneheaded albums i've ever listened to. you know these guys were absolutely CHEESING in the booth rapping about white castle and russell simmons smoking angel dust also something crazy about how THIS was the first rap album to hit the billboard top 200, especially since it was already 2 years out from Run-DMC's debut. Whodini had two records out! but rick rubin, for all his myriad faults, knows (knew?) the business and i guess he had a hunch that what people needed was for it to be some white boys anyway: Paul's Boutique clears

one lonely beastie I be...

I gave myself an edit window via settings to move this down to 2 so I could give public enemy a 3

The nostalgia factor is high with this one. I had it as a kid and listened to it endlessly with my Walkman. That was decades ago. This is my first listen to the full album as an adult. It’s still fun and dumb and full of posturing and misogyny. 12 year old me gives it a 5. Adult me wants to tell these overprivileged boys to grow up. A 3 seems right.

4/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/beastie-boys/licensed-to-ill/ Not their best by a long shot, but the stretch from Girls (yes, sue me) to Paul Revere is great. The rest is never bad, but just not yet shows their bright future ahead.

Maybe the album on the list that is most perfect, to me. Best Song: No Sleep Til Brooklyn Rating: 10/10 Stars: 5

Rock americas no... Non mi piace

Just not my jam at all

Brappppp

Oh hell yeah, it's the BEAST-IE-BOYS This is a ridiculously amusing album, I love this stupid comedy record. Only downside is I've had "You've gotta fight - for your right - to paaaaarty" stuck in my head for the past 24 hours

Good, fun. Not sure I can listen over and over again.

unfortunately, this album does not hold up this good for today`s projects and even other Rubin projects such as LL COOL J and RUN DMC Albums, but it still has some flavor, you just need to get used to it

Too much noise and Rick Rubin's production is all over the place, even though he's a great producer

Hip hop, eh…

So fun and entertaining, on paper I feel like I wouldn't even like this group but somehow it works so well

Can’t deny their influence and I do enjoy some of these songs every once in a while but I get bored of their style pretty quickly

Some of the sampling was interesting, otherwise this was not for me.

"This is my second Beastie Boys album I've listened to on this thing, and I hated the first one. This one wasn't so bad. I can't help it if every song makes me think of the ""Boats and Hoes"" rap from Stepbrothers. But this album has all the classic BB songs, this might as well be their only album. "

I know this has some great songs on it, but as an album there was a lot of crap. It's a 2 for me.

I have girls stick in my head it’s kinda bad cuz I’ll be doing my work and then suddenly my head will just be like girls! And all I really want is girls! And in the morning it’s girls!

Beastie Boys are like those ugly but funny dudes who chicks are wild about

girls song is lowkwy kinda vibey

Not the worst we had

just hooting and hollering

Album #147 Beastie Boys: Licensed To Ill I suppose I just found out where every white kid got their flow from. Normally, when listening to a formative album from a genre, I find it interesting to note all of the influences that it has had on music to come; from Licensed To Ill, the most obvious disciples of the sound that I recognize are white comedy rappers like The Lonely Island, Smosh, and The Warp Zone. The only avenue that this sound has been able to survive in is through YouTube sketch songs and video game raps. 90s rap in general is too over the top for me, though Beastie Boys at least seem to be (hopefully) playing up the absurdity for comedic effect. Some of the lines on here are quite funny, albeit very of their time, notably a line about being like Jimmy Page because he likes his girls underage, as well as the dozens of lines about White Castle and KFC. I think it’s the kind of album I’m not supposed to analyze and just enjoy, but even then, the schtick gets pretty old quite fast; there are only so many times I can be caught off guard when the rest of the band says the last word of a sentence. The strongest point of the album is definitely the middle, with a spell of classic songs; honestly, quite unusual for an album to have a weak beginning and end. Though I didn’t completely hate it, it is really more of a novelty album and not one I’d be quick to return to. Best Songs: No Sleep Till Brooklyn, Brass Monkey, The New Style Worst Song: Slow And Low Score out of 10: 5.5

Some great beats, some decent rhymes, but definitely not the full mature sounds of later albums. But that's to be expected from a debut album.

A classic hip hop album

Some serious white boy, dusty, mid 80s rap. The type where they say "girly" and it sounds like the 808 was invented the week before. These boys have serious charisma though and rap off each other like its nothing. Very fun album undeniably, though I understand their sound would coalesce on later albums. Can we talk about the guitar break on Fight for your Right? Rick Rubin got Kerry King in there and was like Ok play a pentatonic solo. He could not do it - listen to that shit. Maybe the worst solo on a major hit. Why would he make Kerry king do that? How does Kerry king not know how to do that? Why leave it on the track? Thankfully he realized the error of his ways and allowed him to do it Kerry style on the next track. 3.5

I like beastie boys generally but they have better albums than this

Has some classic party songs but otherwise I felt heavily annoyed by this album. Maybe it just wasn’t my day but I felt like the beats sucked, especially the drums which was most of what every beat was, and the rapping was over the top and about nothing. I grew up with my dad’s CD of Check Your Head which is an album I still love but this falls so short of that

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

somehow had only heard the singles from this - really funny how they have this really overblown rap rock sound and the rest of it mostly have that really minimal production. especially liked 'the new style' (loved hearing the origin of those samples on Donuts) and the one with the reversed 808. 3.5

FUUUUUUUUUUCK. the motherlode of barrett and co. annoyance™️. shoot me. please. it's fine. go listen to (no like genuinely slow and low's a cover {cover's better but ["king ad rock" in the same tone rev run says "king of rock" is noted] y'know}) Run DMC. young men amongst (the thing about verhoeven esque critique that's so good it's subsumed into what it's targeting is that verhoeven bashes over the head; y'all just slow) frat boys 👁️ . an early exercise in rick rubin slamming the shit out the drum mix. singles are (begrudgingly) classics. well. some of them. back in the day (👵) artists could afford to drop multiple singles. thank you for giving them the ll cool j beats. and reversing the 808 on paul revere. baller move. stop player hating. 3.5. (related but unrelated) why do i (abby has mentioned this) share a bday with ad rock? is it bad that there were multiple moments that reminded me of SNL Sandler (and/or YFM)? anyways. it's objectively funny that kerry king had to take time off from writing Reign in Blood to bash power chords for MCA. albums recommended by yt music: body count, the EMF album, shout at the devil. i mean. why not. style boyz in the house. and we gives a fuck. so whip out your nuts and shut the.... (actually related) it's cool i can recognize the sample family tree (eg run dmc samples on the new style to travis scott sampling it for CAROUSEL). posse in effect gated reverb on the 808 snare>>>. that's the note. the other note: slow ride (+ time to get ill)? i Know these niggas aren't serious right now. but are you niggas SERIOUS right now? i have similar thoughts on girls. AR built like lena dunham indeed.

Would buy

Le daría una puntuación de 5/10 en la primera escucha. Es de estas canciones que escuchándolas en otro sitio sin ponerlas yo me flipan y mejoran el ambiente, pero de ahí a guardarlas en mi playlist o ponerlas yo... hay un trecho, no creo que guarde ninguna en mi playlist pero ha sido divertido escuchar su álbum y darme cuenta que ya había oído alguna de las canciones de pasada.

Best Beastie Boys album has the hits and kick ass samples of songs by legendary acts like Led Zeppelin. You can't listen to this and not smile, it is so much fun. 4.5/5

Amazing but they weren't at their best yet

Released the same year as Slayer’s “Reign in Blood” and had the same producer, and they are both sonically the same. Hilarious, obnoxious, vibrant, ridiculous fun. Listening to the rhymes about Phyllis Diller, Abe Vigoda, classic TV and “Guys and Dolls,” you wonder how anyone ever thought these guys were really dangerous — they’re obviously having a laugh and they’re a blast to listen to. But there’s no ignoring the homophobia and sexism in some of the lyrics; in places it’s glaring and gross.

Everything in this album its repetitive, maybe its because I was born in a different era but this album its like it was made for a 90's kids show

no sleep till... was one i liked and overall it was good just need to be in right vibe

Now that’s an album - fun, exciting and every sample makes me laugh. Favourite track: Slow Ride

This album still holds up 40 years later. I love it from start to finish. I remember when I first got into this album, and I would drive around in my moms Eagle Talon, listening to this. I didn't have my own car at the time, so I had to take hers. I remember liking her stereo speakers since the bass was good for a car that didn't have a kicker box or bazooka in it. I remember cranking the volume on her car as I drove the car down suburban streets to showcase the bass, which was ridiculous to assume that the bass even made it out to the street where anyone could hear it; that was life on the mean streets of northwest suburban illinois.

First Beastie Boys album I’ve listened all the way through. I enjoyed it for the most part, but it took a while to get going and there were a few tracks that I just couldn’t really get behind (Girls especially.

Liked some parts of the music. Did not like the singers/rappers at all. It felt like they were just screaming the whole time.

2026.05.01

released in 1986???? gosh they’re so cool 4.5

haaaated the start of this album but really enjoyed more as it got into it. fun

A great album for when you want 45 minutes of Walk This Way - this is an extended elaboration of the idea of mixing of rock samples and 1980s rap delivery. Gets pretty tiresome how the whole crew chimes in on the words that rhyme, even on the novely songs. But, No Sleep Till Brooklyn is great, and Fight for Your Right is a timeless adolescent classic. A fun, lighthearted and playful album even when its being annoying.

Album was great, unique. But not really what im looking forward. Crazy fan of hip hop btw

not my piece of cake. old school hip-hop. hip-hop/rock fusion. in "The New Style" i really liked the beat-switch.

Inte min smak alls

Classic album. Fun, full of bangers and a great intro to what the Beastie Boys are and a great precursor to what they eventually become in their amazing career.

This was great. The samples are really cool.

Je comprend l'histoire important pour rap Pas pour moi trop lent vraiment super lent 😱

This is the first one that I didn't love. I feel the same way about a lot of 80s hip hop as I do about 50s rock: I appreciate this more as a historical artifact than an album I'd seek out. I like the rawness and looseness of the production, but the flow is too samey for me. The songs aren't there for me, but I get it.

Absolute classic album with a trio of goofy ass guys pretending to be hard. As long as you look at the lyrics as the joke they were intended to be you’ll have a ball.

Hyvää oldschool meininkiä.

13/05/26 wow, rap com guitarra, foda se ficar repetitivo vai ser uma bosta essa primeira é bem banger loud and nonsense, gostei da vibe, combina cmg e com um amigo meu que é foda a segunda tbm nossa vai se fuder é bom pra caramba tinha que ser o rick rubin os beats, a voz, a sonoridade mais experimental e guitarra é bom pra cacete que beat switch, caralho que rap bom vibes total a sonoridade não muda, mas ela é versátil na própeia exploração do melhor jeito possível - os vocais francamente não são uma voz boa, mas a vibe deles no instrumetnal é perfeita e esse defeito eletrônico em posse in effect, foda pra caralho esses scratches tbm, do caralho slow ride tem algum sample latino (a mais paia, e é tipo nota 7) girls tem um beat estranho mas funciona de algum jeito meio maluco essas porras são contagiantes, dá vontade de dançar - rick rubin goat letra meio machista, ignorarei pra continuar gostando fight for your right é mais rock infused comparado ao resto, mas tbm é agradável e a produção eclética junto com a voz berrada faz isso aqui se diferenciar e ser mto perfeito pensei que ia ser solo, foi quase é foda como vc consegue ouvir como os instrumentos são gravados de forma eletrônica mas ainda assim de um jeito humano muito foda o beat ao contrário, visionário o melhor beat invertido existente na vida, o melhor que eu já ouvi esse beat de apito puta que pariu é simplesmente sensacional essa produção do rick rubin, ele usa de tudo e fica incrível: apito, rock infusion, sampling, hi-hat ao contrário, etc a vibe dos caras combina demais com tudo, é animado, é grito, é estrondoso e isso faz esse álbum ser tão foda pra mim: ele não é comum e não tem medo disso, funciona melhor que muita merda hoje em dia amo hiphop 10/10 / 5/5 (surpresa sensacional)

mainly shouty shite.

For the level of nostalgia alone it gets a 4. Is it a perfect album? Absolutely not. But it kicked off the career of one of the greatest rap groups of all time.

I don’t really need to listen to this album, it’s the only time the police ever showed up at my house because the music was too loud. Regardless, a reason to re-listen cannot be passed up!

4/10, чисто крутые хип-хоп ребята в бэгги джинсах с примесью рока

Didn't like it as much as Paul's boutique although it had some more famous tracks.

The Beastie Boys ran so Eminem could fly and NYSNC and the Backstreet Boys could walk. They hit their sound on their first album and awesome songs like Fight for Your Right, No Sleep Til Brooklyn, and Brass Monkey bring a good, but ultimately not to my tastes genre up into the 3 range.

They are a vibe. Sometimes when a whole album is a single vibe it wears a bit, and this one does drag a bit in the middle.

I thought this was just childish rubbish when it came out in the 80s, and all these years later, I think even less of it. When they grew up, they went on to make some pretty great records, but this is just the sound of whining, spoilt, rich kids trying to be controversial. I'm probably missing the irony - it might be one of the cleverest records ever made for all I know, but I can't bear it.

It sounds like this was a whole lot of fun to make, I remember friends going crackers over the Beastie Boys when this came out and I feel the same about is now as I did then: ambivalent. I assume this was the first mix between Rock and Rap? Probably good fund to spot where all the samples are from, if you can be bothered. I can't. The odd track I might smile wryly at but the whole album drags on.

I really like the Beastie Boys. Ill Communication has been one of my favorite albums I've received so far. However, this debut is not doing it for me. You can tell that these guys were having a lot of fun making this album, shooting the shit and rapping about whatever they wanted. The production, however, leaves a lot to be desired, and it's just not as exciting or interesting as their later stuff. I'm not really vibing with the Brass Monkey.

I am so unsure how to rate this album, which is reportedly considered one of the greatest hip hop albums ever made? But as long as it gets in over under my thumb I think we'll be ok Also lol re: having two zeppelin samples in the first 3 tracks 😂

Never understood the appeal

Normally don't like shouting in basically any context but I actually would quite reluctantly say it just about worked here. I enjoyed the rhythms! And I liked the steady early rapping style like in 6 'N the Mornin' (and probably loads of other 80s rap I don't know). The thing is even if I don't fully like the genre, all of these albums are going to be probably just good enough to appreciate and enjoy anyway. I'm sure I had a favourite track but it's the first day I've been busy enough not to find time to review yesterday's album so I can't remember! (Worth it for a lovely walk in the sun and board games though)

Esta muy bueno para ser tan viejo.

Listening to this felt pretty childish. But then again that's kinda the beastie boys. Decent listen with some gems and some stinkers

Así como con el rap, no soy fan del hip hop, pero siento que mínimo con este último se puede bailar. En fin, interesante álbum (¿debut?) que tiene dos canciones (al menos en Apple Music son las más populares) que incorporan las guitarras rockeras de los ochenta en el género hip hop que me gustaron.

Listening in the morning: god these guys are obnoxious and whiny. Listening in the evening: YOU GOTTA FIGHT. FOR YOUR RIGHT. TO PARRRRTYYY

very much not looking forward to this this is honestly probably closer to a 2, but I feel like being a bitch rn so I'm gonna give it a 1 :D Just really annoying and dumb and not my style, sorries

ну есть угарные треки, но это ваще не моя музыка

Hablando de cosas que se me hacen bola: el hip hop. Cuando todo el mundo asociaba el rap a las bandas de personas negras salidas de suburbios que hablaban de droga, violencia y sexo, llegan tres muchachitos neoyorquinos blancos de familias bien y se comen el negocio a base de punkear el hip hop de los bajos fondos. Le añaden algo de originalidad y guitarreo al rap, pero para mí, en más de la mitad de las canciones, creo estar escuchando una copia barata de la introductoria de "El Príncipe de Bel Air". Sí, bueno, "Fight For Your Right" está muy chula.

hot trash

Not my favorite type of music, but still knew all the classics in here. Definitely some hits. I still enjoy them, but I'm not sure I'd say they're musically good. Probably a product of its time. 3.5 I'd say

Not my favorite but I appreciate it for what it is. Beats are good but I hate the bro-rap style in some of the tracks

Норм, движово, но однообразно

The energy hits you right from the very first second, I absolutely looove the snare drum beat and the bass riffs. And the lyrics to the first song are so funny 😆 But it's really not for the lyrics that I will listen, it's mainly about teenager's lives.

Cracking debut. Super fun and iconic but definitely not my favourite of theirs its a bit too rocky and fratty for me

80s hip hop does sort of just suck

This is fun

I immediately recognized the drums opening the first track, and my thought was "this is going to be interesting". The songs themselves are mostly repetetive, though they have great potential to stick in, it isn't my particular style.

brass mongey

Knew a few songs, like Brass Monkey and No Sleep Till Brooklyn. A little too yelly for me.

Pas trop aimé…

Great beats, lyrics didn’t age well.

Unbearable listen 💔

Not for me.

Funny storytelling but generally quite crap musically

There were a couple of good tracks on here (No Sleep... , She's Crafty), but over-all, I didn't care for this. From a historical preservation standpoint, this may deserve at least a 3, from for a personal how much did I like it / will I play it again standpoint, the answer is, "Nope! I won't be playing this again."

The pure "80's hip-hop done by white boys" stuff doesn't age that well, but it probably worked better at the time and much of this is still fun today. The highs on this album can't be denied, which is enough to push it above average. I had some fun listening to this even if I never want to listen to the whole album again. 3.9

Loved the energy and the rhymes were solid and fun to listen to.

I thinj i hate the beastie boys.

ale gowno xd

I am not a big fan of the hip-hop sound from this era. It sounds like nothing more than a skeletal structure. When you listen to obscure records from that time that didn't really make history, you could argue that they are interesting precisely because they sound so hollow, but this one is polished enough that it feels like it sits right in the boring part of the uncanny valley.

I loved this record freshman year of high school and had outgrown it by sophomore year. I’m pretty sure the Beastie Boys felt the same way about it. I still know all the lyrics from “Paul Revere” and a couple other songs. The Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin samples still hit and “No Sleep Til Brooklyn” and “Fight For Your Right” remain eternally iconic anthems. Some of the deeper cuts are fun too. Not gonna lie, I enjoyed revisiting it way more than I expected.

Shit

Not my style

Gen X here so naturally Licensed to Ill fits into the cornerstone of my upbringing. The fellas are in top form with their performative call-and-response raps, the beats...dated but sharp. And it's LOADED with front to back hits, so yeah, this is the illest.

Nice

liked this a lot more than i expected

hmm

Beasty boys album must've been very controversial and fresh at its times, but I didn't like it. It felt lacking both textwise and musicwise.

One of them sounds likes Danny brown or more like Danny brown sounds like one of them

1. "She's Crafty" 2. "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" 3. "Time to Get Ill"

Good and fun and party and nostalgic. Too repetitive and monotone for me.

the cow bell sent me over the edge

verstehe nicht was so krass an dem album sein soll. kulturelle relevanz okay aber iwie fand ich nur paul revere stark. der rest hat mir nicht gefallen

Bastante blanco, pero bien

i like this album, more than i rightfully should.

Previous exposure had me write this off as a novelty record; it is, but a surprisingly fine one, silly and inventive. This might end up being their lasting one, at least for me. “Fight” rocks, and the encapsulates the clever-stupid Dadaism they pinched from punk. Are you really that stupid? Yes! They cheer.

Sorry kids, I've decided I *hate* the Beastie Boys. Their whiny-shout juvenile "rap" style gets annoying fast, and the backing/scratching is essentially the same on EVERY track. The aural equivalent of a mosquito bite, this was irritating when trying to be cool in 1986 and is even more irritating now. As with "Paul's Boutique", the occasional sample raises the quality but it's a shame Led Zeppelin never sued them.

Brass Monkey is still one of the hardest singles of all time. I think some of this album has aged well and there are more highs than lows. If I ever saw a real 727 painted like the album cover I would pop off.

Beastie Boys debuted strong with this one. No Sleep Till Brooklyn, Fight For Your Right, and Brass Monkey are all-timers. Some of the others maybe haven't aged as gracefully or get a little repetitive but there's no denying the strength of the album as a whole.

Def Jams? Pop off. Girls? Let's goooooooo. Is this my typical genre at all? No, but I am having fun. 3.5

Liked it back in the day, now I find it a bit screamy and juvenile

Definitely not a genre I listen to usually, I do like the way they swap between each other. The beats are phenomenal. I like brass monkeys.

Siento que no es tan mi estilo musical

No aprobado 2/10

While still a great album, it is my least favorite in the catalogue. It is the band’s most juvenile and often feels a little dusty. But the undeniable contributions to hip hop and multi-genre creativity are on full display. You get a real glimpse into what the group will become and how they will influence future artists and genres. Gob bless the Beastie Boys.

huge week on the generator for high-school-age me! i've loved the Beasties for a while, but i think even as a young person this one seemed a bit inessential compared to what would come next. they've got tons of personality, and it's pretty clear why they were such a sensation right away, but this just doesn't stack up to the next few records, and some of the lyrics have absolutely curdled in adult ears. it's prodigiously, charmingly annoying, but still annoying at the end of the day - can't picture ever putting this on over Paul's Boutique or Ill Communication

I was a kid when this came out, but not quite juvenile enough

Albums and artists that changed everything deserve a special place of this list. And that is true with this quintessential Beastie Boys album. Interestingly the did it again later on in their catalog.

used to love this one when i was younger.

Not my thing but a classic with some of their best and tunes

I think this is the third beasties album I got here which is too much, but they start with a sweet leaf sample so I’ll have to give it a chance. This is a fun one! Probably due to being their debut this album is much rockier and more punk than the other albums. It totally works. Fun energetic and powerful. Great songs and riffs. Give it four stars. Timeless classic that sounds super fresh today. I like how they evolved to be more cultured I guess but their origins are also so good.

I studied the lyrics to this one profoundly… and I think I might be onto something… I think them Boys liked girls!!?? Ok, that had to be said. Now back to business: It’s a fun record - which is no small feat, after all these years. Granted, some bars don’t hit as hard as they did back in the ’80s. Knowing that the Beastie Boys were destined for much greater things, this is probably one of their “classic” records that I take off the shelf the least. Is it essential listening? No… eh, yes? Whatever… it kind of defies that category for me. It was formative for their own trajectory as one of the most idiosyncratic white hip-hop groups to have ever graced the ears of mankind, at least. Spinning this today, some stuff seems a tad stale or cliché - but back then, it probably made people stop in their tracks. It’s the blueprint for a much better artistic catalog, so that should suffice for its inclusion. Also, I’d bet a lot of money that the Licensed to Ill bangers - deservedly - still make their way onto myriads of party playlists. My baby daughter was just vibin’ hard to “Brass Monkey”… so yeah, there’s that.

Album #72: Licensed To Ill - Beastie Boys Genre (W): Rap rock, hip hop Singles: Hold It Now, Hold It, Paul Revere, The New Style, (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!), Brass Monkey, No Sleep till Brooklyn, Girls I have not listened to this album before. Thoughts?: I didn’t like the drum machines at first, but I warmed up to them by the time of the second side. The productions sounds very 80’s, I guess that isn’t a bad thing though. Side 2 was better than Side 1. Favorite songs: Fight For Your Right, No Sleep till Brooklyn, Hold It Now, Hold It, Brass Monkey, Slow and Low, Time to Get Ill

Very Classic 80's style hip-hop. This shit fucks

This album is loud and brash and stupid and funny and awesome. The Beastie Boys and Rick Ruben crafted a masterpiece with this one.

Day 239 Great album, had only heard the best of before. Highlights She’s crafty No sleep til Brooklyn Slow and low

fun!

Great album, really shows hip-hop in the 80s. Giving a raw and energetic vibe.

shit

blablablbla ... =^_^= GIRLS! dududuududud =^_^= ... yeaaah 80s rooockk ... blablablabla

4/10

Un estilo totalmente diferente a lo que suelo escuchar, creí que nada me iba a gustar y sorprendentemente me gustaron varias canciones. En definitiva, no es mi estilo, pero tiene lo suyo. Me recordó al rap que cantan Michael Scott y Dwight en The office.

Nice one!

Do not like.

Iconic but sounds so dated now

Its fun. Catchy, they use the samples so well it feels like they're the originals lol. The only thing I don't like is that by the end, I'm a little worn out of their constant aggressiveness - but that's what this album is Fav Tracks: No Sleep Till Brooklyn, Brass Monkey, Girls 7/10

im sure they are influential but God this was a hard listen