Reviews (page 7 of 15)
Big respect to the boys! Some of the references are very funny these days.
So many good tracks on this, a classic.
ok
3.5 I think, I appreciate the LZ samples but a couple of these listen like Lonely Island tracks
please stop screaming at me
Pure rap and metal!
54/1001 Beastie Boys - Licensed to Ill Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ❎ I've never really got the appeal of the Beasties, they've never worked for me. This is fine. I get that rock-hip-hop crossover and the use of samples have influenced numerous artists but doesn't appeal to me.
I know it's an important disc, but that doesn't make listening to it for more than 15 mins any less irritating. 3/5 for the history
Every time I listen to this album it gets better
I love the Beastie Boys, but I prefer the later stuff. However, this album contains some of the best, most iconic Beastie Boys. Most of it has an amateur sound. Overall, a great album with fresh sound, but needs some fine tuning to get a perfect rating.
Classic album. Not their best, but the perfect intro at the perfect time.
Hell of a debut album. Already had their sound and style locked in. Fun mix of hip hop and rock. Fight for Your Right and No Sleep Till Brooklyn shine here.
Best 44 minutes of my day. Total banger.
It’s incredibly hard to make an album with at most two hits. With this album, the Beastie Boys had at LEAST five tracks that are iconic and some of their greatest to this day
Still in the rotation. Is this the best Beastie Boys record? No. Are the lyrics written by literal teenagers a bit awkward all these years later? Yes. Do most people miss the irony in “Fight For Your Right”? Also yes. Groundbreaking used of rock samples, and the Beasties are important figures in hip-hop. Iconic album that will never be repeated.
Solid early 90s breaker album
far from my favorite beastie boys album. iconic, but outside of a few standouts I dont like a lot of it.
I am no stranger to the Beastie Boys. Growing up, I received one of their albums, and back then, music was expensive and hard to come by. So I grew up listening to that album many times. As I grew older and found more music, I just stopped listening to them. Listening to this album, and recognizing several classics, I can safely say that I do not like the Beastie Boys. There is just so much more music to listen to, that this particular group no longer warrants any more of my time. May other albums as I come across them?
Uneven debut album, some good stuff of course but quite a few filler tracks.
Fun listen. Defo belongs on this list. Doesn't hit like it did in HS but then I'm not 16 anymore
I remember disliking them when I first heard them. Then I heard their early punk efforts which were horrible; they made the right move to rap, but I'm still not enjoying it all that much. I'm cringing less this time than I did back then. Maybe.
Bad
2.5
This album is mostly screamy and infantile. Other than "FFYRTP" & "NSTB" which I think I more retroactively like than I did at the time, this album just gave me a headache 4.6 ★★
A bit too drum heavy in the beats, but cool mix of rock and hiphop, with aggressive rapping. 3.5 stars
Not my favorite Beastie Boys album, but arguably their most important. In 1986, hip-hop was still a predominantly black urban artform. This album changed all that. It's not the greatest hip-hop album of all time or maybe even of it's time, but I think it helped hip-hop reach an audience it may not have otherwise. There were countless white suburban kids like myself who probably would've never given rap much of a shot prior to this album. The Beastie Boys did with rap what Elvis did with R&B in the 50s. That's not to say this album doesn't have merits. I think there's some innovative structures compared to other hip-hop albums of the time ("The New Style" does this really well), the flow is pretty good for the era, and I think Rick Rubin does a good job of mixing his mostly classic rock samples with 808 beats and some actual instrumentation courtesy of himself and Slayer's Kerry King. Standouts for me are "Rhymin' & Stealin'", "The New Style", "No Sleep 'Til Brooklyn", and "Fight for Your RIght". 4.5 stars.
My name is r x_X and all I have to say is that the first 8 tracks are banging and the rest is OK. If I had another comment to give it more scope is that the beats are pretty dated but the rhymes are really dope. KICK IT!
I can appreciate it’s quality but the sound isn’t for me
Could not get through it. Probably great and innovative for its time but it reminded me too much of Lazy Scranton by Michael Scott feat. Dwight K. Schrute.
Enjoyed at the time. Enjoy listening now but I'm not sure how well it's dating.
Fantastic album. I have of course heard a few songs, but listening g from start to end is awesome
This isn't even their best album. Licensed to Ill with room to grow.
I clearly hadn’t heard enough of the Beastie Boys before today. Good music to keep me moving while I clean!
Favourites: Rhymin' & Stealin'; The New Style; Slow Ride; Girls; Fight for Your Right; Paul Revere; Hold It Now, Hit It; Slow and Low, Time to Get Ill
I wasn't a big Beastie Boys fan before, and I'm still not. Yes, there's a couple of iconic tracks that are completely necessary to talk about the music of today, and there's another few that do sound particularly good in a car. Other than that, to me it feels dated. Its reference to hip-hop beginnings doesn't feel like something that holds up outside of a frame, it's very clearly 80s. No hate, no love. 2.2/5
Overall: 8/10 These boys were so much fun. I would say that this album hasn't aged as well as their other albums, but it doesn't stop me from having a good time. It's an incredibly influential album and there's a lot of cool samples that keep the songs interesting. MCA was one of the coolest dudes ever and he's always been the member that I gravitate towards when listening to these guys. They made better music after this but it's still so good. Fav Song: Brass Monkey Least Fav Song: Girls
Classic…amazing!
Awesome
Очень круто!!!
Okay, I kinda said this already on Ill Communication, but it's kind of a big ask for me to like the Beastie Boys. As influential as they were, they just don't really click with me overall. That said, this has "Fight For Your Right," and "No Sleep Till Brooklyn," which even I can't deny are bangers. For that, and that alone, I might give this a 4/5.
es como una especie de broma graciosa. lo raro es que no me ha desagradado del todo. hay algunas que me gustan y todo
Absolute banger of an album!!!
They really know how to start with a bang! … As in, I want to bang my head against a brick wall because this sucks so much. I wish I could give zero stars.
boys go to jupiter to get more stupider
really cant stand when they make noises or anything else they could think of doing. Took me like 7 sets of listening to get through it
Certainly made me feel ill Fav song: Rhymin & Stealin because it samples the coolest Led Zeppelin song but other than that I fucking hate it
I've generated Paul's Boutique and Ill Communication in that order and gave them both 5s. Beastie Boys have so many hits and I know them all well, but I'd never heard a full album until this project. I've always loved their songs but I never anticipated I would love these albums as much as I do. It's probabaly because I'm a sucker for great sample art. It's like it's own musical instrument and skill in its own right, at least in the hands of artists like Beastie Boys. And I never knew much about their history in the sampling world until this project. With PB and IC, I ended up loving the songs I didn't already know. There was a lot to discover. With this one, the hits are still the standouts. But those five songs are great and the others are all good. Rhymin and Stealin is my favorite of the ones I hadn't heard before, but She's Crafty is still my favorite overall of those I did know. That Zeppelin sample is sick. Of course they'd need permission for it today, but I'm glad the song exists as it is.
Did I mention before this is in the same category with Beck, the massive loser? Upon first encounter ('fight for your right') I was annoyed and took pity on them for their self-awarelessness. It turns out they were aping the crass party hooligan caricature, flaunting an incongruous ethic identity. The rest of the world and I probably didn't realize the kind of production and hip hop chops they had up their sleeves for their follow up records. 'Licensed to Ill' with Rick Rubin is innovaotive, disregarding the party track, but nothing like the 'Boutique' and 'Communication' with The Dust Brothers Mario Cataldo. Kick it, indeed.
You can't say that, man
I am one more beastie boys album from saying white people should not be allowed to make music
3-4
Stupidly fun.
Cool. The drums sound like they're in my head.
Too juvenile for my taste
Music to make nerdy white boys feel tough.
I know every note, sample and lyric on it. The height of creativity merging hip hop, folk, metal and rock. Completely unheard of when it came out and brought rap to a white audience. Made me appreciate KRS One, Public Enemy, RUN DMC, Tribe Called Quest and others because I probably wouldn't have heard of them otherwise. Is there a RATM without Licensed to Ill? Paul Revere is a top ten song of all time. Bonham, Fogerty, Dylan, among others, all make an appearance thru sampling. A stone cold classic.
I love this one. My fav beastie boys album
Если начало ещё казалось кое-где слушабельным, то ближе к середине хотелось, чтобы скорее всё закончилось. До сих пор рэп мне кажется анти-музыкой. 1,5 из 10.
No sleep til Brooklyn is the only hit tbh
Quite revolutionary in its time, I was never a big fan and this continues to be the case
love
I gotta be honest, I'm just not going to listen to this one because I know I don't have it in me right now. You have to be in the exact right mood to listen to a FULL Beastie Boys album, and that rarely happens. Maybe next time I'm getting ready for a party and need some hype music. We'll see.
Got really into this one! Not sure I've ever really intentionally listened to the Beastie Boys but dang they popped off with this one
never been a big fan of the beastie boys, i’ve never liked their vocals and it’s always felt sort of aggressive and too in your face for me
What can I say about this album that no one else has said? Juvenile? Groundbreaking? Sure and it paved the way for other white rappers. There isn't a bad song to be found here and it when you listen to it it should be played loud.
Makes me want to drink light beer and party hard
If I wanted this kind of listening experience I'd watch an Adam Sandler montage on youtube. At least he's funny.
I like Beastie Boys, but not like some people like Beastie Boys. This album feels all over the place. I get that it was revolutionary, but if you didn't love it back when it came out, it's hard to find a space for it today.
Beastie Boysin se THE levy, mutta näitä paria isointa hittiä poislukien ei oikein kauheen erikoinen. Tai ehkä sit erikoinen kuvaa just hyvin. Biitit kyllä outoja. Girls oli kanssa tuttu ja sekin sinne oudompien osastoon menee. Parhaat: Fight For Your Right, No Sleep Till Brooklyn
You know what? I'm going to be predictable and 5* this. It was ridiculous, silly, and really fun to listen to. :)
3.5/5 Album adelantado a su época. creativo, chistoso y entrete. Whitest bars ever. Me puedo imaginar en un carrete gringo en los 80s escuchando esta wea por primera vez y volviendome loco. Girls es la peor canción de la historia y en general creo que no ha envejecido muy bien este álbum. Sus rapping flows son medios repetitivos también. This ain’t no Paul’s Boutique!! Fight For Your Right y No Sleep Till Brooklyn top temas para mi
Álbum absolutamente duro para ser debut. Sin embargo, creo que falla como todo en los Beastie: llega a ser infantil. Canciones que no guardé: The new style She’s crafty Girls Paul reserve Brass monkey Nota: 4/5
Que pedazo de disco para un grupo de amigos que partieron como una banda de punk Juvenil, gracioso, sin nada que perder y sin pelos en la lengua El mejor comienzo posible para la banda que llegaron a ser, un debut con temas tan memorables y one liners perfectos son dignos de un legado espectacular
corny
Some great guitar playing! Didn't think much of this one though. Not my style, though I have to give it credit for being largely influential.
One of the all time great classic rap albums. The Beastie Boys distinctive sound in in full force here, and it's hard not to love every second of it. Highly recommended album!
“So here’s a little story I’d Like to tell…” my brother bought this cassette right before we left for a Canadian road trip. By the time we got back, we each knew every part: mine was MCA’s. Not just for Paul Reeves, but the entire album. When Adam Yauch died, it hit me hard because this album launched my love of rap and historically gave permission to be the oddball, the gangster, the horndog, and artist that I could be. In truth, this is not my favorite album (that’s Check Your Head), but this album is revolutionary, historical and personal. I recently made a best of B-Boys play list: almost this entire album was on it. Slow and Low still hits like a freight train; Brass Monkey is still laughably inappropriate; Slayer’s Kerry King solos on Fight for You Right and No Sleep ‘Til are ‘80s crossover magic and the songs that broken their legacy; Posse in Effect is a banger. Reading about the making of this album in their book was awesome. Knowing it’s being picked up by the next generation is even better. This is becoming to Gen-Z what the Beatles were for us. I’m glad.
Random thoughts: * to the best of my recollection, this was the first album I bought that was just for me. I wasn’t sharing this with my parents. It might have been the first cassette album I ever purchased. * I wonder what my dad thought when I played Fight For Your Right to Party?! * This is a tough album to rate: on one hand, the nostalgia and feelings I have for this album are immense. On the other hand: the misogyny and juvenility are impossible to defend. * Some of the songs are still bangers: Paul Revere, Brooklyn, Brass Monkey. * My personal deep cut is the addendum to New Style which I’ve always called My Posse. I consider it a song unto itself even if I’ve never seen anything saying that fact. * My heart says 5 stars, my head says 4 stars. * I’m going with my heart on this one.
A lot of this didn’t age well. Felt like a slog in the first half until you get to the hits.
Oljud
There's a few good songs in here but the rest of the album is too aggressive for me.
instant 1.
It's kind of easy to be dismissive of this record given how the Beastie Boys were when they burst on the scene, but man so many of these songs just rip and are so iconic. It's not the first, or even second, third or fourth Beastie Boys record I reach for, but it was great to listen to it this morning.
4 and 3 and 2 and 1… what up… when I’m on the mic, the suckas run…
Starts off amazing then awful songs like girls and slow ride and it picks up again with fight for your right and no sleep til Brooklyn. I was so close to loving this but there’s too much filler
so fun to listen to honestly
I've been listening to Joey Valence & Brae, and now I can see that they must be pretty influenced by the Beastie Boys, they've got the same vibe. I don't think all their songs have aged super well, but I guess they're hip hop essentials.
Kick it!
All I can say is thank god it's finished.
Fun album. Beastie Boys are a lot to handle consistently.
This album really does hold up after all this time. The metal samples behind the hip hop beats and rapping really still get you amped up.
Never a fan of rap or hip hop but these guys meld rock into Rap and every song just works.
GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS
I loved the Beastie Boys in high school, but I've really lost my taste for them since then. They have some really cool beats and sounds. I like the Zeppelin samples.
classic
Kind of dumb but lots of fun. They matured later but this is still an enjoyable listen despite some iffy lyrics.
A lot of albums lull in the middle after a strong start, but this one builds up to increasingly great tracks. It’s got all the songs I think of with the Beastie Boys (No Sleep Til Brooklyn, Girls, Brass Monkey, Fight For Your Right). It’s fun and has great sampling
Didn’t think k much of the album when it came out but the album and the Beastie Boys have grown on me over the years. Really too many standouts to mention.
Such a fun album. Their sound on this album is iconic
Iconic but honestly not for me. Not a huge punk fan and this album feels like punk dudes doing hip hop. Respect though.
Timeless
Maybe may be my favorite Beastie Boys record. While the lyrics are juvenile, their beats and rhymes were ahead of their time. I grew up listening to this with my Dad. I always knew it was cool.
Om jag skulle bli tvingad att lyssna på sådan här musik resten av livet så skulle den här plattan vara en kandidat att alltid spelas på skivtallriken.
Q pesados
My sister had this album when I was a kid, so I've heard it a bunch of times and always enjoyed it. Some of these songs (Girls, Brass Monkey, Fight For Your Right) are in my normal music rotation, but the rest were mostly fresh for me, although somewhat familiar from listens many years ago. All of them were good, no skips. I enjoyed all of the sampling -- multiple Zeppelin samples, one from Lowrider (or maybe that was an interpolation?), but yeah, good stuff. Flow was typical Beastie style -- no longer cutting edge, but still fun and raucous and I enjoyed listening and did so twice in a row. Four stars.
Hip-hop ochentero muy fresco a puro grito en el cual se basó Eminem años después. Temas míticos como "Fight For Your Right" y "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" han trascendido en el tiempo hasta la actualidad. Sin ser mi tipo de hip-hop favorito, me ha divertido escucharlo y valorar la importancia que tuvo en su tiempo. 7/10.
Certified classic
This is as punk as it gets - say what’s on your mind (or between your legs) and don’t try to be more than you are. I think these are their best samples and some of their best music. “Fight for your Right” was the breakout song here, but it’s certainly not the best nor the one with the most staying power. I really enjoyed this musically and rhythmically, if not always lyrically.
Where it all started- I learned every word to paul revere with one of my friends when I was 11 and still know it to this day. They only got better from here but the energy on this album is great. In some ways it boxed them into these caricatures and it took an album as seminal as paul’s boutique to break them out and show the world that they had something to say.
I like the Beastie Boys, and have their anthology "The Sound of Science", which I enjoy. This is a good album but ultimately I think the Beastie Boys will remain a "Best of" band for me. Three stars. Would I listen to this album again? Selected tracks. Would I buy this album? No. 1 "Rhymin & Stealin" - Excellent. The reason this resonates is probably the samples from Zeppelin, Sabbath and The Clash. - 5 Stars 2 "The New Style" - 3 Stars 3 "She's Crafty" - Two Zeppelin samples in the first three tracks! - 4 Stars 4 "Posse in Effect" - The vocal delivery is now getting monotonous, with similar vocal melodies. - 3 Stars 5 "Slow Ride" - 3 Stars 6 "Girls" - 2 Stars 7 "Fight for Your Right" - This has humour, dynamics and vocal melodies. Oh and guitar! - 5 Stars 8 "No Sleep till Brooklyn" - One of their best songs. - 5 Stars 9 "Paul Revere" - 3 Stars 10 "Hold It Now, Hit It" - Dull. - 2 Stars 11 "Brass Monkey" - 3 Stars 12 "Slow and Low" - Excellent song. - 5 Stars 13 "Time to Get Ill" - One track too many. - 2 Stars Total - 45 Average - 3.46
“Licensed to Ill” es un álbum que predominaría adelanta al sonido que primaría de la década de los 90 en adelante. En esta obra, Beastie Boys exploran el género del hip hop, el rap y lo fusionan con voces desgarradoras, sucias y gritadas clásicas del hard rock. Esta combinación de géneros da como resultado uno de los álbumes más importantes e influyentes del hip hop. A lo largo del disco encontramos letras rebeldes, satíricas, provocadoras e incluso machistas y misóginas viéndolas con los ojos de hoy en día. Destaca el gran éxito del álbum “Fight Your Right” un himno a la rebeldía, a la personalidad y la identidad. En cuanto a la producción, Rick Rubin, productor del álbum, hace uso de recursos del hip hop por ejemplo, el uso de samples o el “scratching” (sonido de rasgar un vinilo), que se convertirían en una seña de identidad del género años después. Una de las canciones más curiosas en la producción es “Paul Revere”, en la que la pista cuenta con una base rítmica invertida y, aun así, funciona a la perfección en el tema, creando un efecto sonoro único. En conclusión, “Licensed to Ill” es un proyecto arriesgado y provocador que sirve como punto de partida de un género musical que años después sería el que dominaría la industria musical.
YAAAYYYY!!!!!!!
Pre-listening thoughts: wait 😭 im lowkey excited for this. Don’t judge me Post/during listening thoughts: hmmm okay. So turns out this is a band I enjoy in small doses. This was a tough listen at times. Lots of pop culture references being YELLED over some of the most simplistic beats oat. It’s like shitty GarageBand beats before that app existed. Brass monkey is a classic tho. Sometimes it’s funny and charming but sometimes it’s annoying as shit. 5/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: no Fav tracks: She’s Crafty, Girls, Fight for Your Right, Brass Monkey Least fav tracks: Slow Ride, Paul Revere
Rap rock de blancos misóginos, homofóbicos e inmaduros. Así es como percibí este álbum. Me resultó molesto en cuanto a temática y en la interpretación a los gritos. Ya escuché "Paul's Boutique" de Beastie Boys, un álbum que me gustó un poco más. Lo que sucede en ese álbum es que es mucho más experimental en el sampleo. En este caso es demasido pobre para ser destacable, simplemente mezclaron rap y rock. El único tema que resaltó es "Paul Revere" al menos intentan algo distinto en el sampleo. Supongo que puede interesar si te gusta Beastie Boys o conectaste con este álbum en la adolescencia (como a mi me pasó con Red Hot Chili Peppers por ejemplo). Sino, resulta en un álbum anticuado y además, machista.
Even the Led Zeppelin samples aren't going to make this something I want to listen to, although I do have a sudden craving for White Castle for some reason...
Some of the best from the Beasty Boys.
lo recordaba mejor
shwifteeey. C'est bon.
Bases absolutas del rap rock
it was okay, but I think the impact it had on the hip-hop scene shines through
Decent with some fun tracks. Definitely should keep these guys' heads in some jars for over 1000 years to let them keep partying. 4/5
When this album came out, I thought it was annoying AF. I loved the use of rock samples and production (for the most part), but their voices and lyrics made me want to punch them all in the face. This album always put me in mind of white boys I knew who would try to rap-such an embarrassment, honestly. Suburban white dudes, amiright?! I wrote them off for years after that. I came back around when I sat down and listened to Paul’s Boutique (though actually the first album that made me interested in revisiting this group was the all-instrumental In Sound From Way Out). It’s nice to know that this talented group was able to evolve beyond this dated, misogynistic sound and make music that I could enjoy both in spite of-and even occasionally with-their voices. It really wavers between a 2 and a 3 for me. I gave Straight Outta Compton a 3 and had similar issues with the content, so I think I’ll give this a 3 as well-it works as an album, even despite its dated sound and content.
Cool
Well I'm not a 13 year old boy so this one did nothing for me
Fun energetic early hiphop. Amazing use of early hiphop technology, fun and clever lyrics. A fun old school party album.
Lemppari: She’s Crafty
STOP YELLING AT ME - I DIDNT DO ANYTHING TO YOU - I DONT EVEN KNOW YOU
Estivo ben, pero non me cambiou a vida
I'm sorry, this album is supremely obnoxious. But I have to respect the DGAF attitude.
I’ve never been the biggest fan of the early beastie boys stuff, but actually concentrating and listening to the album, I enjoyed it more than I expected. Still, there are some dumb songs on here.
PODEROSÍSIMO. No me imagino que exista alguien que escuche este disco y no sienta su fuerza, lo brutal de sus letras y lo increíble de su música y sus beats. Una joya.
>Never cower, never shower, and I'm always stinkin' >The girlies I like are underage He just like me fr Insanely dumb and I liked it. Surprised to not see anyone chimping out over it the same way as with Kid Rock fav: Brass Monkey
Ridiculous. They are literally just speaking rhymes; no sense of rhytm
It was surprisingly nice for a rap album and I really enjoyed how they blend rock to rap so well. I really enjoyed the beat but sometimes the rap seemed repetitive. . It would be a 3.5 out of 5, but I am giving it a 4
Kick it! Changed my perspective about rock and rap. I don’t know that someone today would be effected the same way I was in the day, but this was a bridge to me for so much music.
Pretty Good
Just energetic fun music.
The whole album is a fun delight.
Genuinely great. Punchy delivery, fun lyrics, GREAT sampling. I'd never listened to this album despite being familiar with the group. Glad I did.
A classic. Bought it when it came out and it defined our time as kids for that year, at least. Still holds up, albeit sounding a little dated now. They made better records, but never made that definitive record.
some iconic songs, but a lot of filler too. it's a classic but not a strong album. 2/5
Blast from the past. Such an identifiable sound and style. I dig it, but I totally get why they didn't make a bigger impression or have a longer lasting effect on music. They definitely stuck in the pop culture zeitgeist, though.
Can't beat a bit of Beastie Boys, memorable lyrics, that mixture of hip hop and heavy distorted guitar. Rhymin & Stealin is a fantastic opener for this album, dirty riffs, solid flow, tight drums and even a sample from I Fought The Law by The Clash, what's not to love. The albums stays pretty consistent from there, outstanding tracks including Fight for Your Right, No Sleep Till Brooklyn and She Crafty, perfect the Beastie Boys formula. Solid and incredibly fun album - MTW 4/5 Another band with some minor emotional attachment (Thanks Mr Adam Reamswood). The consistent solidness of the album is a bit of a surprise considering the lead single was Fight for Your Right (The FRAT boy national anthem). It is by no means a perfect album, there is some solid misogyny and female degradation (my favourite), but not massively unexpected from 80's hip-hop (or any hip hop for that matter). It is not my favourite Beastie Boys album by any means, (Hello Nasty), and I do fear upon listening to it properly it could potentially be 'rap' music for snotty unbearable white men in the 80's, following the trend of the time. Listening back to it now, Licensed To Ill still has some good songs—“No Sleep Till Brooklyn” may rank among my favourite Beasties tracks, and, surprisingly, the rock-forward approach to rap doesn’t sound as naff as it could. It's an okay album, not their best by any means but always an enjoyable listen. 3/5 - HF Another record with a great opener. There are so many LPs out there that don’t start strong - which unless you’re building up to something in some narrative format (an overture or something similar) - is indefensible. It sets the tone lyrically and musically (iconic record scratches and references to tickle your bollocks from the off). I was confused by Californication’s inclusion in ‘1001 Albums to Listen to Before you Die’, and records like this are why. This is important, influential and one of the more impressive debuts we’re likely to find on here. While it is a snapshot in time in the world of hip-hop, this is something everyone should listen to to appreciate what came before and what paved the way. It also makes me want to skateboard. ‘She’s Crafty’ has one of my all time favourite (and simple) samples of all time using Led Zeppelin’s ‘The Ocean’ (Zeppelin’s best recording that they wrote themselves) and ‘Slow Ride’ has some of my favourite straight-forward lyrics of all time (like trying to kill a guy, failing and simply drinking a beer afterwards). Aaaand ‘No Sleep Til Brooklyn’ is one of my all time favourite hip-hop tracks. So all-in-all a great experience as expected. Probably the best record we’ve had so far. Thanks beast bois. JF 4.2/5
Yo Leroy! The novelty of this has long worn off since I first heard this on a youth group ski trip, but still love “No Sleep Till Brooklyn.”
I grew up with this album. Rap was getting very big, and this album is a good representation of that time. But I wouldn't recommend someone who wants to hear Beastie Boys for the first time start hear. In retrospect, many of their albums are better than this one. Many other albums of the era are better than this one too.
Iconic album art and album as a whole, but one that I never listened to before. It was a fun listen and I liked the samples (the When The Levee Breaks drums opening up the album are awesome), but I think there are definitely better hiphop albums on here. Fight For Your Right is an awesome song of course.
I hardly need to listen to this one. There’s a charm to this album, but it hasn’t aged well. The misogyny isn’t cool. I believe them at face value that they were being dumb punks, because they became super cool later.
Amazing album
Mitte 80er rap mit egitarre - ist ganz lustig, definitiv ein Wegbereiter für sowas wie blood sugar sex magik - aber definierter als hiphop zu erkennen. Vielleicht auch ein bisschen lonely Island?
HIT IT
Great start of a phenomenal group
J - 5/5 Best Track - "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" F - 4/5
Devastatingly monotonous.
I want to like this album more because of all the iconic tracks, but the Beastie Boys only really work for me in small doses and moments.
I have never liked Brass Monkey and for the most part don’t like Fight for Your Right either. Don’t sleep till Brooklyn is a great song and the rest of the album is definitely more solid than those two songs.
Decent, but most of it sounds dated.
49/1001. I used to own this a long time ago, and haven't probably listened to this in 30 years. While it has the raw energy of the youth I'm glad they changed from abnoxious teen party hip-hop band in to abnoxious adult I-don't-know-whats-gonna-happen-next -hip-hop band. Their delivery is as fun and crafted as their shouting and voices are annoying.
3.5
1.5/5
Now we're talking. Maybe one of the most influential albums in my lifetime. Completely.reshaped my musical taste. I need a 6th star for this album
Listened in the truck via YouTube music. This is an album that definitely left a mark and Beastie Boys had a unique take on boom bap rap. The style is dated, but still fun to listen to. Slow and Low was a fun find.
Dat's some good shit. A splendid debut album start to finish with lots of bangerz.
Let's do the Boys again! Jews from New York be spitting BARS. Girls --> Fight For Your Right --> No Sleep This is a goated fucking run right here. On a debut record they just pump these three right fucking together. Some truly iconic shit. Hold it now, HIT IT is a banger. Still hate Brass Monkey, have for decades. Album rocks.
--Rhymin & Stealin...nice opener --The New Style...hell yeah --She's Crafty...great sample great track --Posse in Effect...seems pretty generic for the era --Slow Ride...I love the sampling. Fun and groovy --Girls...uh, no comment --Fight for Your Right...this may have been funny/awesome at the time but now it's just kind of cute --No Sleep Till Brooklyn...running full speed with Run-DMC's baton --Paul Revere...going quiet for this one but it's really effective --Hold It Now, Hit It...liking not loving --Brass Monkey...just plain fun --Slow and Low...we're at the point where tracks are starting to sound the same. But that's actually a good thing for this album --Time to Get Ill...ends on an absolute banger. Should have done the same for Ill Communication
I don't need to like all the classic stuff, I need melody behind all the raps. Annoying after 2 songs
I did not know I have been missing the Bestie Boys all my life till I listened to this
Yeah nah. I can't get into the yelling vocals. This album gets two stars though for music and some of the fun sounds.
A really fun album that is also pretty historically important, being as far as I understand it the first significant record to combine hip hop and rock. A couple of weaker songs but overall a great listen.
AS much as I am aware of their impact/influence on certain artists, their debut album certainly wasn't something that resonated with me. The style of "Yell Rapping" is not one for me, and the lyrics were mostly satirical or meant to be comedic. The beats hit quite well, and even ignited some past recollections of hearing them in possible samples so that certainly helped the album, but overall it will receive a 2.5/5, bumped to 3.
This album following Run DMC's breakthrough was really influential in terms of making rock/punk rap and hip-hop as a whole movement more mainstream in the mid 80's to early 90's. While iconic and being a fun listen overall with a legendary producer backing them, I wouldn't have it in my classic hip hop albums list.
You can really tell this was produced by Rick Rubin. Striking stylistic similarities between She's Crafty and 99 Problems released 18 years layer by a much better rapper. I'm gonna assume the rap style and the corny lyrics are intentional. Girls genuinely made me chuckle. Similar to how Eminem would so I can see how this would influence him. They also can't get all the credit for this style of rock/rap when acts like Run DMC clearly influenced them. 3/5.
40 years later this remains an astounding, if at times problematic, piece of work.
Ugh. Ear poision.
This is their best work by far - silly and fun
A true classic, full of attitude and danceable beats and sawing guitars. Hard not to love this album.
As amazing now as it was back then
This album was very original in it's time. One of the first meetings of Hip Hop and Rock. Individually a lot of these songs are entertaining and catchy, some of them are great, even, but taken as a whole their is not enough variation. It is relentlessly harsh and brash, too much to listen to all at once, for me.
Great
A classic.
Yas
Easy 5, no question! One of the greatest albums of all time! And another vinyl listen for me, couldn't be better than that!
Initially, thought I'd get past the old-school flows due to the whole frat bro rapping angle, and the magic never fully wore off, but couldn't always suspend the disbelief. Not to say that I dislike that style of rapping, but like all the old school hip hop records I've had previously, it's just not what I'm looking for in hip hop. That said, there are still some absolutely bangers on this record like No Sleep Till Brooklyn and Fight For Your Right. Additionally, the sample work on this record is top notch, and its insane how they did this back in 1986 and yet artists today struggle to do anything more than the absolute bare minimum of rapping over the original track unchanged. Still gets a 4 though because the musical ideas on this thing are still miles ahead of a lot of hip hop records today.
Abe Vigoda and Phyllis Dillard teamed up for an ‘answer’ album but it was never released due to their heavy drug use and fallout from their wildly sexual affair. I’ve loved LtI since the first notes exploded in my ears in 1986. I didn’t know you could do that with music! The yelling is a little grating to my mid-50s ears now, but it still whips ass. Beasties are unmatched.
Immer noch zum Teil frisch, aber dennoch nicht wirklich Zeitlos (auch wenn diese Zeit mit meinem beschränkten Wissen wohl einiges später geschätzt worden wäre…). Musikhistorisch sicher ganz anders einzuordnen, und sicher einen sehr hohen Stellenwert.
עדיין מעדיף את שב"ק ס שיר מועדף - Hold it now, hit it
I love the beastie boys. I love how they made something (with Rick Rubin) that was new and fresh. I love their attitude, their style, their anger, their passion, their sense of fun, their aesthetic and how beautifully they have stood the test of time. However, ive always found the music to inconsistent for an album. There are individual songs that are god tier, but a lot of their stuff doesn't stand up and i don't regularly listen to them. This album blew them up and set the blueprint, but doesnt include any of their high points so isnt something i would listen to much.
This album brings up some wonderful memories of some of the best times of my life. Album released when I was in college at WMU. I would meet a beautiful woman named Mindy a few months after this release, but that's a another story for another time. As a younger kid, grew up with rap artist like LL Cool J, Kool Moe Dee, Whodini, UTFO and many similar, this rap was album was something that was different and once it came out, you couldn't stop hearing all through campus, all the time. There is no "bad" or skip song off this album. I can never get enough of my 2 personal favorites, Rhymin & Stealin and Paul Revere. I can tell you, Girls was banned from our dorm suite. A couple of the guys wanted to play this like 10 times a day every day. Just got to be too much. Not going to look back in anger though. Me, Ninja and Jason went to see them at Wings stadium. The opening act was Fishbone, who is still playing to live audiences to this day. Great memories of great times have been rekindled. Combined with a great album, I have to give this a 5. Maybe more due the sentimental side, but that's what makes music great for this listener. Brings a smile to my face and joy to my soul. Can't believe we've already lost a one of the boys. RIP, MCA. 5
Would rather listen to Kamikaze 1
5 On paper, it feels like this album had no business being as successful as it was. Three white boys injecting frat bro energy into a genre predominantly comprised of black musicians seems like a recipe for becoming laughing stocks of the entire musical world, and yet, not only did they manage to pull it off without landing flat on their faces, but it kickstarted a decades-spanning, multi-award-winning career beloved and respected by many a music fan. As someone born long after this album dropped, I can only wonder if anyone saw that on the horizon at the time. I mean, this album is fantastic, but it’s also by far their most gimmicky and one-dimensional - had they stuck with this kind of thing on future albums, I’m sure the schtick would have grown old fast, but in this 44-minute package, it’s done perfectly. In many ways, I’m sure that’s owed to Rick Rubin’s production, but you can’t deny that the songwriting across the board is fun, catchy, and oftentimes quite creative. For as overplayed as Fight For Your Right and No Sleep Till Brooklyn are, they’re songs that I still enjoy hearing every single time that they come on and that I know every word to. Yes, they’re cheesy as all hell, but there’s something about The Beasties' energy, chemistry, and perhaps degree of self-awareness that make them totally work - and those are just a small taste of what this album has to offer. Rhymin and Stealin is an all-time classic with an incredible sample to back it up, and something about it today always makes me think of my dad - hell, I’m pretty sure I knew half the lyrics to this album before I even reached my teenage years because of him. The New Style is another great track with an all-time breakdown (everyone raises an eyebrow at the “underage girls” bar, but if you look at the line before it, I’m pretty sure they’re calling out Jimmy Page), as is She’s Crafty right after it (hey look yet another Led Zeppelin sample - I sense a common theme). To be honest, there’s just not a bad song here, though I will say I’ve always found Paul Revere to be a little overrated. I know it’s a fan favorite, but it just never stood out to me especially - though “I did it like this, I did it like that/I did it with a wiffleball bat” lives in my head rent-free more often than I’d like to admit (thanks again, Dad). And obviously, yes, Girls hasn’t held up super well, catchy as it may be. I like to think it’s satire (as is Fight For Your Right, allegedly, per MCA), but it likely may have very well been just a product of the bro characterization the Boys were pigeonholed into on this album. Not saying it’s an excuse, but I think their subsequent works prove they were much more than that. Which, really, is why I really struggle with my rating on this. As good as it is, it’s really their later works that really proved their musicianship - quite immediately, in fact, with the album that followed this, Paul’s Boutique. And yet, you can’t deny just how fun this record is and how much it influenced the musical world around it - despite arguably co-opting hip-hop, I’ve been surprised to learn with this list how many other groups went on to sample this very album, including N.W.A. and Public Enemy. Guess the Boys had some serious respect in the game, even back then. F it. Going with the 5. I had a blast revisiting this album, and it brought back a lot of great memories. Call my rating heavily biased if you want, but going back and looking at a lot of my past 4 or even 4.5-star albums, I’d much rather listen to this - if I’m not already singing it in karaoke with my boy Evan. Kick it!
paar goeie songs... paar minder goed... maar mss wel hun beste plaat
Of all the things I haven’t gotten on this list, this might be the haven’t gottenest
Classic banger
raprock mi idolo
An album i havent had the desire to go back to. I like the sampling and energetic performances. But theres not much substance here. 6/10 Favourite: No Sleep Till Brooklyn Least Favourite: Girls
There's several very fun tracks on here - closest I come to liking the genre.
This is so sick
A classic.
Party album of 86
I'm tempted to give this a one as parts of the album genuinely made me angry. I love the late Beastie Boys, I gave Ill Communication a five, but this is pretty cretinous at times. Part of me, if this wasn't by a band that I have such fond memories of, would I even question giving a one? On reflection, there's enough that I think is okay about this album for me to give it a 2. But this is terrible compared to their best work.
Really wasn't a fan of this album at all.
Was a fan back in the day, tastes change but influential none the lesss
Old school. Trummaskin och rickriff. Slyngellyrik. Håller inte hela vägen, blir för enformigt. Är den med på listan bara för att fight for your right är med?
Good, just shame it took white musicians to do it
Favourite songs: all of em. This album rules, made me feel cool while cutting grass. Calling jimmy page a pedo while also sampling zep like three times is funny af. Been a big fan of this album since I was like 7, no complaints. 9.1/10
Something about beastie boys really locks me in. I can focus like I’m on the drug from limitless when I listen to them, fire album but an acquired taste for sure. All the Led Zeppelin/War/Steve miller band samples itched my brain in the best way 7.3/10
First album I purchased with my own money
This album changed everything. My teenage daughter listens to some of these songs, and they were made 23 years before she was born! Classic and as perfect as you can get.
aside from No Sleep Till Brooklyn, which I know from guitar hero, the beastie boys are really not my thing.
Just not a fan!
Cool music, some of it hasn’t aged well, I certainly didn’t appreciate it at the time.
Love the beastie boys. A lot of favorite songs on this album.
Eh. I don't like how it's just words and then the last three are the ones he shouts.
Genuinely some really really fun stuff and it did define this type of music for a lot of people but some tracks are so similar it gets really repetitive, more of a 3.5/low 4 I feel
It was a different time back in the day! As exuberant as can be, a snapshot of the naivety and arrogance of youth. Swaggering, funny and punk in energy. Some great samples. Not my fave Beasties but you should hear it before you die, can’t argue that
More like licensed to suck. I’ve tried with the beastie boys in the past but can never get into them. Their voices are extremely grating and every song feels repetitive.
It just sounds like a whole bunch of yelling to me.
It's just ok 2/3
RapRock muy bueno ya lo conocía y es buen disco pionero de lo suyo
These guys just absolutely fuckin rule. They’re all the Mans for sure. Is there anybody else who sticks that landing on the edge of paradox so well?
Juvenile but extremely socially relevant. I like some of these tracks quite a bit even if this is not for me. But this record is one of those records that everyone knows.
One of the most fun albums I've listened to. Has all the musical edge and angst of punk, the bravado of hip hop, and humor of a Weird Al song. It's so intentionally ridiculous that I can fully feel 'in' on the joke and enjoy the ride instead of cringe (minus the weird 'underage' lyric). It's masterfully produced, and such easy listening. It feels like everyone committed to the bit, and it worked wonderfully.
I reckon I liked it more as I had it when it came out than I would if I heard it the first time now. Always loved "No sleep til brooklyn'
I don't know what this sounds like to the older generation. I just know that, to me, it sounds like sooooooo many white kids who think they're gonna gansta rap but trail off when one of the three black kids in school walk past. I know that they Matter, but it just sounds overprocessed and undercooked. I think it's one of the reasons it took me a while to actually like rap.
I already own this on CD and Vinyl. I am excited to revisit it again.
Clásico de Rap gringo blanco.
Not 100% my jam lyrically but iconic and great standouts
Another one of those bands were you love the hits but the rest of the album not so much!
No Sleep to Brooklyn and Fight For Your Right ruin it a bit for me, since the other songs are great. Brings back memories of junior high for me. Also partying in TJ while in college as a lot of these were nightclub staples.
Has not aged well. Not to be taken seriously Silly fun
Ui die sind mer e stuufe z chaotisch und z luut, Hani ned so gnosse, Eis geschreie zrug
Läck beastie bobbys Das sind bar rächt grussigi musikalischi beats und riffs in kombination mitere Stimm wo meist weh dued. Ich weiss isch au biz s Konzept vo ihne nimmi ah. Und bim einte Track hends mi au biz gha ("Fight for your right") au bekannt, aber süsch halt würki nöd abgholt. Bin eich im strömende Rege gstande ohni Regeschirm und s Beastie Taxi isch eifach nöd cho um mich abzhole, sad. Dos puntitos
Alkoi mennä liikaa puheeksi eikä lauluksi...
Paria kappaletta enempää ei jaksa kuunnella, vaikka albumilla on hyviä kappaleita.
No joo. Kylhän tää ny menee ja on menny mut kyl muuttu aika renkutukseks pidemmän päälle. Muutama helmi
Beastie boys bändissä yhdistyy moni hyvä genre. Herrat ovat osanneet ottaa kantaa suoraviivaisella asenteella ja musisoinnilla, joka on jäänyt historiaan.
OGs
This whole album is awesome. I remember when it was released and heard it on the radio, i thought oh that’s a cool sounding new rock band. Boy was I shocked! Paul Revere is the best song on here, followed by No Sleep, Brass Monkey, She’s crafty, and The Nee Style. Even the rest of The tracks have grown on me over the years. I can listen to it all the way through and it still sounds different and fresh today. The cover is iconic as well. 1001 album worthy: yes - 91/167
3.5. There were some straight bangers, and there was some cringey mess. Overall, I actually think Paul’s Boutique was a better album. I never realized just how much classic rock was used for samples in Beastie Boys early work. I think I’ll give it a 4, but it’s just barely.
Well this is unexpected. I love it but is it good? Great? A parody that became real. I think it’s 5 stars? So fun, so dated. My brains in a blender.
This was pretty good, if a little rough, but it's the beginning! Busted!
It is what it is... not for me. I have the intergalactic album, but never listen to it
Didn't like the random sampling of other bands - CCR, Zeppelin, etc. However, I'd forgotten how many hits they had on this album. The more original songs are still fun to listen to.
The Beastie Boys debut may not be their best but what a fun debut it is. They made a huge impression with both Fight For Your Right and No Sleep and fill the rest of it out with some super clever and dumb lines. The storytelling on Paul Revere is so great, “He Said Howdy, He said, Hi” I don’t know why that dumb line cracks me up so much. These guys knew how to sample from the beginning, working in some Led Zeppelin and Sabbath. It’s such a great blend of snotty, clever, talent and dumb. Its fun. 5 stars
moin bien que leur autre album mais sympa quand meme
This one's easy...what more could I add?
Decent but overrated
I didn’t like this much when I first came out. Then I kinda got into it for a little while. Listening to it now it just seems very juvenile for the most part a couple of times where they really decided to rock or actually still pretty good at that. And I know this was kind of groundbreaking at the time it came out
Listening to this with no prior knowledge about the Beastie Boys my knee jerk reaction is that this has to be satirical. Constant references to White Castle, beer, school lockers, "wasting" enemies, their intense desire to let everyone know they are from Manhattan... It is obnoxious, repetitive, and does not appeal to me. I can see how young audiences in 1986 would have enjoyed it, and unfortunately I cannot ignore that many of these songs are to this day incredibly popular. Still, I did not enjoy one second of it. Not for me ! I suspect their later works might be better and more refined
Another classic
Hmm, really like their later stuff but this is too young-guy for me all in.
Told my son this was my album of the day. His response: “it’s not musical genius but I bet we listened to it about a billion times”. Head:4 stars. Heart: 5 freaking stars!
Cringey and it sucked
An enjoyable album, don't need most of the songs in this album, but it's a fun one to just listen to. No need to skip any songs and don't mind listening a couple of times. Some good variety between the songs while still sounding distinctly Beastie Boys. 3/5 stars.
Herlig alvun, om enn litt utgått på dato på et par spor (Girls).
I like Eminem a lot ❤️🔥❤️
I like Beastie Boys more than I like their music.
Aggressively and obnoxiously loud. Same as the previous album, beats are nice but vocals ruin it. 1
I like the Beastie Boys, and as a debut that helped originate the mix of rap and rock this is oretty solid. Of course I feel like I am at an 80's house party with this and that is always a good time. But the personas of the Boys on this one is very-outdated, definitely obnoxious, and they were wise to distance themselves from it as they kept going.
Fun and annoying(?) in a good way
I understand this is 80's hip hop, but still i find it cringe
Not the best Beastie Boys but definitely has some of their strongest…songs
Might be nostalgia goggles talking, but this still hits for me
At times this was too much and just a lot of NOISE but not always in a good way. But there’s a few classics in there. Equally a few lazy songs in my opinion so a mixed bag.
Not a bad album for what is a fairly distinctive edge. I enjoy some of these songs from my past so keeps me interested. Can be a bit crashy and clumsy at times but enjoyable.
The beastie boys... Definitely a defining band and totally deserved of a spot on this list. Almost any given track on this album would be a fun, enjoyable throwback, but I found it tough to listen to the album as a whole. Pretty samey, call and response early rapping. It's quite unrelenting and full on. I can't say I disliked it, but I don't find it very moving beyond it's historical cultural interest.
I wanted to like this... I enjoy their style from The Lonely Island parodies. But yeah, the issue is that every song sounds exactly the same to me so could never hold my attention.
This album is a bunch of dudes having fun and being unserious; it has an infectious feeling of carefreeness and jovialness. I love listening to music when you can tell that the people singing are having a good time, passion always makes things sound better. I am also heavily biased on this album, being that it will always remind me of my husband, Ethan. When I hear songs like She's Crafty or Brass Monkey, my mind immediately cuts to him. For both of these songs, I couldn't help but smile as I listened because of how much fun they were. I was obsessed with the subtle guitar riff in She's Crafty, I've never picked up on it before. While this isn't my style of music, I have a deep appreciation for this album! I love imagining that the sound of this album encouraged boys to misbehave in the 80's, what a time to be alive!
Mom You're Just Jealous, It's The Beastie Boys 1001 Albums Generator 40 (05/28/2025) After growing in the burgeoning hardcore punk scene in New York City and releasing a single punk EP in 1982, trio Beastie Boys (short for Boys Entering Anarchistic States Towards Internal Excellence... Boys) decided to do a complete 180 and become the first mainstream white rap group. Although they would begin incorporating punk sounds in their music again starting with their third album Check Your Head, Licensed To Ill, their debut album, features none of the Beastie's punk roots. No, this is pure mid school hip hop, cut from the same cloth as contemporaries Run D.M.C. and Slick Rick, but the Boys' high level of musicality comes through in both the sample choices themselves and the intricate ways that the production weaves all these samples together. In the 80's, the art of sampling was the Wild Wild West, so the Boys did not need to concern themselves with sample clearance process that limits modern artists. The Beastie Boys first five albums are all considered classics, but Licensed To Ill is often unfairly maligned as just a little brother of the highly acclaimed Paul's Boutique. I wouldn't argue that Licensed To Ill is inarguably better than its follow-up, as Paul's Boutique is really a natural extension to everything that this album was doing, but I think these albums are closer in quality than is often stated, and this may be my personal favorite Beastie Boys album. Rhymin & Stealin has a great Led Zeppelin drum sample and perfectly introduces us to the Beasties. The "Ali Baba and the 40 thieves" build up near the middle is especially epic, and this song is one of the highest energy songs here. I love the instrumental chorus of The New Style with it's great turntablism and funky beat. The ending of this song where the tempo slows down and we get a heavy 808 beat with the boys all yelling in the background is iconic, having been sampled prominently in Travis Scott's Carousel. The third song, She's Crafty, is the first of a few songs that are explicitly meant to be funny, and it really is quite humorous. It tells the story of the Boys getting scammed by a girl who comes to their place, sleeps with them, and then steals all their stuff. In this song, like many of the funny songs on this album, the Boys make themselves the butt of the joke, which is why I think that the humor on this album works. Even a song like Girls, which is undeniably dumb, is still funny since the perspective of the narrator is such an exaggerated stereotype of a specific type of guy that is overly confident, misogynistic, and not nearly as cool as he thinks he is. We've all met guys like this, which is why that song works so well. You can also just tell Beastie Boys are having so much fun on this song. I love in the second verse when the guys doing the backing doo wop vocals start laughing. Licensed To Ill also contains some of the Boys' biggest hits. Fight For Your Right and No Sleep Till Brooklyn show them leaning back into their rock roots, with the latter even featuring Slayer's Kerry King, which I always thought was so funny. The same year he was on one of the best thrash metal albums of all time, Kerry King made time to feature on a hip hop album by three nerdy Jews. It's just awesome. Brass Monkey was also a hit that has a surprisingly jazzy beat with some electro elements that foreshadow sounds that the Boys would explore further on later albums. Slow Ride and Hold It Now, Hit It are both underrated tracks here. Slow Ride has a distinctly Latin flavor in its beat and Hold It Now, Hit It has a super memorable chorus with fun little spoken word one-liners between verses. The closing track Time To Get Ill is a truly impressive piece of plunderphonics which samples 16 songs according to WhoSampled. I especially appreciate the CCR sample. I find Paul Revere to be the closest thing to a dim spot on this album. Even though its reversed 808 beat is unique, the verses here are the most awkward on the album and there isn't really a chorus or any moment where the song gets more energy. Overall, the Beastie Boys' debut album is a great encapsulation of an oft forgotten era of hip hop history. While some lines may be slightly dated, the plethora of clever samples and just pure energy of the three MC's make this a memorable, fun experience. It's a 4.5/5, rounded up to a 5. Favs: Rhymin' And Stealin' No Sleep Till Brooklyn Hold It Now, Hit It Least Fav: Paul Revere
8/10 Licensed To Ill has always been one of the records I’ve wanted to listen to. With Eminem’s call back on Kamikaze, it’s been apparent that this album is a classic and has plenty of impact. Going into the album, it’s a fun bounce with plenty of raw rock rap tracks that feel passionate. I’d love to give this album 5 stars, I think I may need more time with it though. I have small nitpicks as some of the name dropping can get repetitive at times and I haven’t fully fell in love with the production. But all the boys did a great job. Favorite Tracks: Paul Revere, Brass Monkey, Rhymin and Stealin
Mazing’ album
Terroristic
Quite cool
Listens: 2 Standout tracks: No Sleep Till Brooklyn, Girls, Fight For Your Right I want to like the Beastie Boys more than I do. This album is important for a number of reasons: the foundation they laid for other rap and hip-hop bands, the amount they get sampled, their music's popularity in other entertainment mediums and pop culture, in popularizing the rap-rock genre along with Run DMC. It's crazy how influential they are. And yet, I need to be in a really particular mood to listen to them. There's a lot of shouting and yelling. Everything is amped up to. 11. It's high fucking energy. Energy I want to have, but don't. Also, Girls is really sexist. It's comical how much this wouldn't fly nowadays. This album gets a 4, despite the fact that I don't listen to often at all and probably won't be adding it to my library and rotation. It's such an important piece of work in the genre.
Covered within the Beastie Boys Discography Draft episode of the Are You Listening? Podcast in 2023.
theres like two or three different death grips samples on here thats so cool loved the first half, not so much the rest but its still pretty good.
just can't do it in album format. Few fantastic bangers on this, surrounded by out-dated, boring duds. No Sleep Til Brooklyn slaps though
They have the odd good tunes but yet another entire album is too much, meh
A fun romp! The hits are some of the better tunes but there's some other good stuff here. Seems like really fun music to make (or see live)
Bratty white parody of hip-hop has gained stature
They obviously had a lot of fun making this album and the videos, but not really my taste.
I just don't like it. I know I know. It's like an amazing classic of hip hop. Iconic. Influencial. I just don't like listening to it. I like the song Fight For Your Right, but the rest just doesn't do it for me.
Look, I was planning on docking this down. It's immature in both a puerile and a "look at me I'm a very naughty boy in high school having a party and sneaking alcohol in the bathroom" while I am almost 40 listening to this shit. But you know what? It's high energy. The hits are still fun. And even if my fighting for my right to stay up past 11 to party is in an entirely different form, it's hard to argue that the songs here are infectious, loud, and full-throttle.
Another great one from Beastie Boys. So many bangers. It's intense compared to some of their work in a cool way.
Although this is a classic album, there isn't really a lot to discuss about it. I love the Beastie Boys as a group and they have such a unique style of rock hip hop, but that's pretty much all they have going for them. After a while, all their songs start to mix into one, with the focus being more on the beats and the instrumental rather than what these guys are actually saying in their raps. Even though it is a very valid criticism of their music, I really enjoy their sound. I've mentioned before that I do not like rap music in the slightest and I have never fully been able to get into it, but I will always be able to vibe to the Beastie Boys, just because I find their music to be so uplifting and upbeat that I really don't care if the music isn't of the highest quality. These guys just have unmatched chemistry, and that is so evident in their music. For me, that is the main aspect that creates their upbeat style and vibe. Although they all have such similar flows, they each bring something different to the tracks. Although their lyrics are probably the aspect of songwriting that is 'least important' in their music, they take on an almost careless aspect, which is just so fitting for these guys, with the lyrics being presented in such a raw way. In fact, I think everything has such a gritty sound to it, which just enhances how much the lyrics reflect the personalities of the boys. I know this is a major criticism of the album, but their use of sampling I love. For the most part, it is so blatant and I think that it is such a significant creative aspect of the album. Even though they are the most random samples I have ever heard in my life, they fit the music so well. It is so impressive considering how restrictive the genre as a whole is, but these guys do such a good job of pushing the boundaries of rock-rap music. (they do also get bonus brownie points for Ad-Rock marrying Kathleen Hanna, bc i just love her so so much)
This album had all of the Beastie Boys songs I know from Girls to No Sleep to Brooklyn. The music is always excellent and the songs are very catchy. I have a lot of nostalgia for the majority of this album. However, I can't lie and say that the Beastie Boys are all that good of singers. They do, at the end of the day, just shout. That doesn't automatically make the album bad, but I can't justify putting it on the same level as albums that had the full package with great lyrics, great music, and great vocals. It's still the best album, in my opinion, the Beastie Boys has to offer and is a really fun listen.
Amazing band, they got so much better as time went on.
Good old school hip-hop with a clear message in the songs. Brings me back a bit and the songs have a good beat. Don't know if its something I would listen to every day though.
Fine, but nothing more.
Day504 - one of my all-time favorites. rip mca
Excellent. If you can't enjoy it, lighten up. Maybe it's a bit juvenile, but so are The Ramones. I'm only giving it 3 stars, but it's a fun album, and it was the start of a band that made some great rap music.
Very 80s sounding. Some interesting things going on. Paul Revere was a cool song.
First time listening to this one all the way through. It's an interesting start, but that old-school MC delivery style can get a little repetitive after a while.
Using Zeppelin samples and guitar licks, the Beastie boys first official album is carefully crafted and catchy. They would take sampling to another level with Paul’s Boutique, their next album which sold a lot less, but is considered a classic and also is the precursor to sample copyright laws.
Songs were familiar but this isn’t really my speed. Can appreciate how sonically different it was though.
Yeah, I must admit the 14 year old boy in me loves this album. Yep the lyrics and attitudes expressed are problematic to mature ears, but this appealed to me during a time when I was just becoming aware of rap and it incorporated music styles and topics I could relate to. Smiled the whole time this album was playing. I enjoyed it with a mix of nostalgia and self-awareness. The album wasn’t trying to be deep—it was trying to shake things up, have a good time, and flip the bird at anyone who took music (or themselves) too seriously. And it worked.
My Rating: 4.5/5 Shouting Degenerates with a DJ This was the first rap album to hit #1 on the Billboard charts—and it did it with: • Fart jokes • Guitar samples from Led Zeppelin • And brilliantly dumb lyrics that hit harder than they should It’s chaotic. It’s immature. It’s iconic. This is punk energy with a turntable. Ali baba and the forty thieves Ali baba and the forty thieves Ali baba and the forty thieves Ali baba and the forty thieves Ali baba and the forty thieves Ali baba and the forty thieves Ali baba and the forty thieves
loved the sound, but the rampant misogyny was pretty hard to ignore. 3/5
Despite its short length, there are a few songs that just seem to go on too long. The misogyny is also glaring, it is easy to see why they rarely played many of these songs.
mah
Pretty fire