Ill Communication

85

Plutôt sympa

Sabotage est un putain de classique, et le reste de l'album a vraiment des sonorités très intéressantes et du bon flow rappé. Un peu dommage c'était long sur la fin

The Beastie Boys do little wrong, in my opinion. I love their music, their vibe, and most everything about them. That being said, the song Sabotage alone is 5 stars. Their live performance of this on the David Letterman show is epic. These men know how to write and perform. Even though they seem buffoonish and comical at times, they provide solid music that rocks.

Stone cold banger. Funky, jazzy, fun.

The best songs were the instrumentals. Other than those, album didn’t resonate with me.

Very moody- could be the perfect vibe for a specific dreamy “don’t care” day. Overall not my thing, find it repetitive sounding and I’m not in love with the tone of the rapping. Something I can appreciate, not something I’m saving to my library though.

Would I listen again: no DNF around halfway through cause it was just getting a slog to get through and I knew it was just going to be more of the same. 2 stars because it wasn’t painful to listen to just repetitive and boring

They can't, they won't, and they don't stop.

Beastie boys is such a particular vibe. At times it's enjoyable. From another review "This album overestimates how long I'd like to listen to white kids brag"

- oh hell yeah, this shit rules

not much to say. great record

While Paul's boutique is the stan favorite and License to Ill is the commerical smash hit Ill Communication is the best album that encapsulates the beasties attitude, swagger, musical skill and talent. This albums is cover to cover with layers, worldly influence, over the top cool factor, laid back jazz and r&b undertones, overtones of classic 70's funk as well as interludes of proto "rap rock" and asides of straight up punk songs. I mean its safe to call this a no skip album. Finds a way to fill an hour and make it so cool. I've been aware of this album for 2 decades now and I'll continue to speak highly of its praises.

Listened previously. Expectations: HIgh - Verdict: Great - The Beasties are just awesome. An incredibly cool sound with the real instruments coming into such a chaotic hip hop sound. The opening 8 tracks are fantastic. Some of the instrumentals are really, really good. Sabrosa and Futterman's Rule are both brilliant, as is Eugene's Lament. Ricky's Theme continues the trend of excellent instrumentals. Shamble into Bodhisattva Vow is a great section. Overall a great album that pushes in so many directions while remaining cohesive.

Had this on cassette back in the day! Fun sprawling album, are these guys any good at rapping? I don't know. When Q-Tip shows up, he easily outclasses them. Bloated for sure, but the nostalgia is strong with this one. Zero memory of the last few tracks though. 3.5 rounded up Heard before? Yes Owned: Yes, 88/334 (26%) Will I get: Already have

The BB album I’ve listened to the most.

Futterman's Rule instrumental is sick Faves: Sabotage

B-Boys Makin' with the Freak Freak Sabotage Futterman's Rule Heart Attack Man

Man, definitely not the "Licensed to Ill" B-Boys, decent stuff.

Fun album

Damn I knew they used to play their own instruments but I had no idea they had such funky MMW music. So much more than sabotage!

Liked it. Way more instrumentation than I thought back in 94. Didn’t realize Sabotage was so old. Covers a wide array of beastie boys styles.

Ill

I thought I'd sorta like Beastie Boys but I ended up sorta really, really liking it. Did not expect a Buddhist bent to it.

did not disappoint SO many bangers

On of my favorite Beastie Boys albums, although the Heart attack Man hardcore songs could go. I know it’s a callout to their roots, but feels a bit out of place. Sure Shot is a particular favorite, love the flute sample: https://www.whosampled.com/Jeremy-Steig/

I love this record! The opening with Sure Shot is gold. Sabotage takes me right back to loading moving trucks at Dan’s Van in Somerville. It may be a couple songs too long but almost all the tracks are bangers.

Dug out the cd for this one. Not today, Satan's Streaming Services! There are many things I really, really like about this album, that I think is the most successful of the Beasties' albums -- (Not sure, but I think so.) -- The Sabotage video is so hilarious; there are a bunch of really good songs; the sampling is smart and deft; the funk playing is legit; the wild, big-tent creativity ... songs are at times unfinished, or assemblages of fragments, lots of stuff is jumbled up together in a joyous mess that works surprisingly well. When they are funny, and self-consciously so ("I feel international when I eat French toast") -- love that side of them. (Intergalactic video, when they enact a Power Rangers esgue fight in a city scape that is obviously made of cardboard boxes. Cracks me up.) (Apparently not in this book is Hello Nasty, another masterpiece, which includes Intergalactic .... Probably my favorite BB moment is at the end of Intergalactic , when there is a little bonus snippet -- I have been quoting Biz Markie for years to my family when they stare at me like, That's your idea? And I want to say, come on, you know ... and I quote Biz Markie to them: You know ?? .... With the echo .... ?? I'm telling you -- !! I love that moment. The Biz is -- was -- hilarious.) The didgeridoo based Shambala! So good. Big Youth sampled on Futterman's Rule ... Flute Loop .... Tremendous. There are of course things I don't like as well. The thrashy hardcore type stuff isn't for me. But they incorporate so much stuff that one simply accepts that this will happen. Few will dig everything they do on their best albums. At times, the dumbass masculinist juvenile side is ... a lot. Don't care for that. And that side of them always sets a limit on how much affection I can have for this band. But this is a pretty great album.

This was an incredibly funky album. One that forced me to dance then, and still does today. The lyrics are still surprising, occasionally funny, occasionally searingly personal. Their bravado was absolutely deserved by this point in their career. And then they had to write "Bodhisattva Vow..." I was pretty much in love with Iyengar yoga, Zen, & Tibetan Buddhism by 1994. I was already turned in the direction of teaching yoga by then. In retrospect, I was part of a big movement amongst young educated Gen X folks, one that would take the 70s blend of influences on yoga--the gurus who would eventually be revealed as sexual and financial predators--and find new gurus, new forms of movement, new connections in our generation's growing self-help woo-woo zone. I was so proud to be among them when the BBoys did this song. The voices of the monks still resonate with meaning for me today.

I feel some kind of obligation toward the Beasties just for being a Gen Xer. I had this album! The fact that I don't remember most of it tells me that even back in the day I was not a huge fan of the hardcore interludes and the the instrumentals. And those make up a surprisingly large proportion of this record. Most of the actual songs are great, it's just that not all of them are, and there aren't that many of them.

How anyone can listen to this crap is beyond me. Enough said. I won't waste any more of my time or yours.

Beastie Boys - Ill Communication Hadn’t heard this one before other than the singles sure shot and sabotage. Enjoyed it on the whole especially the instrumental jazzy tracks and the Tibetan throat singing! Average song score 3.75 Standouts: Sabotage, Shambala ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Some high points instrumentally but I don’t love rap/rock fusions and the Beastie Boys have never really been for me

This record has such an interesting start, seamlessly shifting right from rap to punk to funk. It keeps you on your toes. "Eugene's Lament" had a really cool 60s vibe to it, adding a nice vintage texture to the tracklist. Of course, "Sabotage" is an absolute powerhouse and stands out as one of their all-time greats. The energy on that track alone is unmatched. It's awesome how they can pivot from heavy, distorted live instruments right back into old-school hip-hop without missing a beat. They really mastered the art of making a chaotic tracklist feel completely cohesive. It's a fantastic, sonically diverse album that shows just how versatile they can be. Favorite song: "Sabotage"

Repetitive

The instrumentals are actually interesting and the boys evidently put some effort into the lyrics this time around. Not enough to make me want to think much about their meaning. 2 because they show improvement and I can see how this might be considered influential

#1. Not for me at all, just sounds like noise. The jazz bits are cool tho.

Hell is a never-ending Beastie Boys concert

erm de instrumental zijn eigenlijk best goed maar de rap is gwn slecht. ik weet nu waar die sample vandaan komt maar ben het lied die het heeft gesampled nu vergeten… de liedjes zonder stem zijn good

ayyee oldschool rap

this is too long and unfocused, but has some amazing singles on it. III/V

This album is so good. While listening I felt pure energy and fun the whole way through. The Beastie Boys nailed the fusion of genres again — mixing hip-hop, punk, funk, jazz samples, and that signature raw attitude into something that feels completely natural and cohesive. The lyrics are raw, clever, and full of personality, and everything on the record is done really well. The beats hit hard, the flows are tight, and the whole vibe is confident without trying too hard. In general, the Beastie Boys just never miss. They’re one of those groups that are consistently great, and Ill Communication is another strong example of why they’re legends. It’s fun, creative, and full of life.

White ass hip-hop Beach boys harmonies Some distorted guitars A pinch of funk A dash of punk Awesome 9/10

such a wild rhythm that you can't help but shake your head, even if you don't really like it

This blew me away. I've always been a "fan" of the Beastie Boys, but mostly just enjoying their hits and songs that show up on playlists. I hadn't listened to an album, maybe Licensed to Ill a couple times. The step away from their masterful sampling work, this album is the Boys flexing their mastery of their own instruments. It's a mix of funk, punk, hip-hop, and metal. The instrumental tracks are a very welcome addition. It's absolutely a treat and had my head bopping from start to finish. Sabotage used to be one of the "meh" songs for me, and it's rocketed to my favorite from them now that I've got better context. I listened to this album four times yesterday waiting on a delayed flight. Amazing. "Shit, if this is gonna be that kind of party, I'm gonna stick my dick in the mashed potatoes."

Crunchy One of my faves

I really love the energy the beastie boys have. It is such a nice pairing of punk and rap and not in the terrible way. Some of the instrumentals on here are sleeper hits, some of them are sleeper boring. Obviously Sabotage is an all time song but Sure Shot has been on rotation since I was like 12. Great album but not tickling that masterpiece status for me.

Mega aż mi się nóżka ruszyła i poleciałam w tany! 8.6/10

Not my thing

Third Beastie Boys album on the list that I've listened to and a more mature offering than License To Ill and Paul's Boutique. I'm never going to be a fan, but I can appreciate the development of the musicianship and the blending of genres. Sabrosa is funky as hell and Ricky's Theme is pure chillout watching the sunrise in Ibiza. On a hip hop level, I enjoyed Root Down and any song that samples a sheep is going to make me smile, so B Boys Makin With The Freak Freak made me smile but it's not a genre, band or an album that I would return to by choice, so it's another 3 stars. I imagine there will be other Beastie Boy albums on the list - I guess the review will be similar.

I don't rlly listen to such music

I don't like one of their songs

I got my haircut correct like Anthony Mason (Knicks won the championship last night!)

Memeable—naturally—but, in all honesty: completely unlistenable as an actual album.

This album takes me back! Knew it was cool as a young-un, but did not appreciate the musicality of it until now!

I’d rate a 3.5, but not high enough to round to a 4. I recognize the influence and can appreciate the wide ranges of genres that blend so well. But it dragged on a bit.

New Yoyk babyyyyyy

1. Sure Shot (★★★★⯨) -Fav 2. Tough Guy (★★★★☆) 3. B-Boys Makin' With The Freak Freak (★★★☆☆) 4. Bobo On The Corner (★★⯨☆☆) 5. Root Down (★★⯨☆☆) 6. Sabotage (★★★★★) -Favorita del álbum y más... 7. Get It Together (★★★★⯨) -Fav 8. Sabrosa (★★★⯨☆) 9. The Update (★★⯨☆☆) 10. Futterman's Rule (★★★★☆) -Fav 11. Alright Hear This (★★★★⯨) 12. Eugene's Lament (★★★⯨☆) 13. Flute Loop (★★★⯨☆) 14. Do It (★★★★☆) 15. Ricky's Theme (★★★☆☆) 16. Heart Attack Man (★★★⯨☆) 17. The Scoop (★★⯨☆☆) 18. Shambala (★★⯨☆☆) 19. Bodhisattva Vow (★★⯨☆☆) 20. Transitions (★★★☆☆) TOTAL = ★★★⯨☆ (3,4)

Awesome!

Beastie boys can do no wrong.

Urgghhhh, sick beats but sickening vocals. Pain in the ass listening to the whole thing.

Very nice

I meannn its alright

slechter dan verwacht, beetje rock/punk hiphop

11-year-old me was obsessed with Sabotage when this came out. 43-year-old me also digs the shout out to Jimmy Smith. There's a lot to like on this record. I had no idea they made songs like Sabrosa, Futterman's Rule, or Eugene's Lament.

I remember when this came out... we were all blown away. This is one of those rare records that makes me feel like that most every time I listen to it. I was a metalhead/punk and yet we ALL took the time to listen to this. Rapping over heavy guitar riffs was new. and different. And definitely amazing. This record isn't just T10 of the year... it's one of those all-time great records that was right time, right place, right sound and right combo of pretty much everything that lined up.

I just don't like this genre of music. This isn't quite as bad as others but yet not better than a 2 for me.

🔴 (listened: 8/20) ; not really for me

Tough Guy was honestly pretty good. Always a fan of Beastie Boys if the mood is right. Obviously Sabotage is premium song too. Unexpected had never heard Heart Attack Man before, exceptionally good it even made my liked songs.

Funky rap type shi

A bit long and repetitive

Much better than the other Beastie Boys album I had on here

Buenisimo pero extenso:(

I felt pretty neutral towards it. I guess it's not my jam.

Interesante descubrimiento, sinceramente por la portada pense que iba a ser otro tipo de musica, hubo una cancion que ahora no recuerdo el titulo que me hizo recordar al estilo de Nujabes, muy buen descubrimiento sinceramente.

beastie boys are ALWAYS a hit

Best wel vet

This reminds me of my school years! A good one.

Its a 5.

Some absolute bangers on this album. Maybe a few too many musical interludes.

Really enjoyed this. Hadn’t experienced the punk side of Beastie Boys before and it was really fun. The collaboration with Q-Tip is a great complement to their sound. Love that early 90s hip-hop sound. Solid production and sound, paired well with great comedic sampling.

You know this is way more funky, experimental and expansive-sounding than I was expecting. The actual music and production on this is excellent, and I’m glad that they do so much across the album. I wasn’t expecting actual punk-rock (or Tibetan Buddhist chanting over 70’s funk-wah pedal either to be fair)… but it works! Big respect to the Beastie Boys. I’m starting to understand just how influential they were, and also how justified that was.

5번 트랙까지는 솔직히 정신이 너무 없었음. (6)sabotage 에서 wh——y?🧨 이부분 좋았음. (12)Eguen’s Lament 바이올린이 음산한 느낌을 줌. (13)Fluet Loop 제목대로 플룻. 가사 없는 노래들이 중간중간 쉬는 타임을 줌

Zmęczona po tej płycie jestem strasznie. Nie mój vibe

This is another album that I know the singles, but never listened to the entire album, despite having heard the previous album many times. My initial impression is that this is not a dramatically different album than Check Your Head in terms of its basic aesthetic palate: we're getting some straightforward hip hop, forays into funk oriented hard rock and punk and some instrumental moments that explore elements of soul and r&b. Like its predecessor, the album tends to get a bit more eclectic and experimental as it goes a long, bringing in more instrumentals and oddball tracks. A couple later tracks bring in an interest in Buddhism, that on paper feels like it might be a bit cringy, but the mix of sounds actually works pretty well. Transitions is not a bad track, but is an oddly downbeat ending to the record. I tend to find myself feeling the same way about both albums, having a feeling that this album could have been a little shorter, without really being able to label the track that really needs to be cut. This represents the band continuing to build on its strengths and leads to a very good album.

I love that the Beastie Boys wear the musical evolution on their sleeve. I loved this album when I first heard it, it gets better with age. Banger after banger and a wild eclectic ride. Great band, great album, great times.

Ja sind paar Banger dabei, reicht nicht für das Album und den Textinhalt mancher Title

I don't Like this

Not what I was expecting but it wasn't my favorite

not for me

The funky jazz instrumental is carrying way to much the album, not their voice

Like all of their albums, has at least 1-2 complete bangers. Sabotage is an all timer. There are some other good jams on this, like Root Down and the Q-Tip guest star on Get it Together. And the instrumental track Sabrosa could hold up on any great funk album. But also like many of their albums, other tracks are just okay. I find their singing/rapping styles not something I can take for a whole album.

Beastie Boys' energy is unmatched. This is a rap-rock fusion album done right. 8/10

Some of the lyrics are juvenile, sure. But nothing else sounded like this in 1994. And there are so many bangers here. If “Sure Shot” and “Sabotage” won’t get an album to four stars, what will?

Sabotage still rocks

FIVE!!! NUFF SAID!

A couple songs were ok but most of it was terrible

I was pleasantly surprised with this. Don’t except them to have songs that didn’t sound like their typical thing

White boys need to get in the garage and start making music like this again

Really liked the jazz songs. Iffy on the rock ones but still a great album

Great album. Nice mix of hip hop, rock, and jazz. A good straight through listen.

"If this is gonna be that kind of party, I’m gonna stick my dick in the mashed potatoes!" Five stars. Heard before ✅️ Listened this time ✅️ most Revisit ✅️ ★★★★★ (9/10) Total reviewed : 340 Already owned : 77 Purchased : 16 To buy : 3 Nope : 244

It’s funky shit! Крутой альбом, разные жанры, крута, мб не 5, но я хочу, что вы мне сделаете

Favorite track(s): Sure Shot, B-Boys Makin' With the Freak Freak, Root Down, Sabotage, Get It Together, Futterman's Rule, Do It, Bodhisattva Vow It's hard to nail this down as as straight hip-hop album. It's a shame that their legacy is dominated by frat party songs instead of stuff like this. Heard before Previous rating: 9/10

Classic punk hip-hop, I rock with it Fave track: Sabotage

Doesn’t really do it for me. 2.5/5

My first time listening as an album. Very eclectic with many different instruments and styles. I do not see how they fit together. Minus 1 for that and being rap. 0 songs added to playlist.

I’ve listened to some Beastie Boys over the years, but not sure about much of this album. It’s very 80s/90s old school hip hop, recognized Sure Shot right away when the album started and I know I’ll know Sabotage. There’s some punk rock type stuff and Sabotage is the perfect mix of rock with hip hop influence. Some fun samples and beats on all of this. Some great funky and jazzy sounds. And it all flows song into the next song. Fun album. This album is great. A real original fun 90s hip hop album with a variety in the sound. It stays interesting through its long runtime because you feel like it’s always surprising you in a good way. The instrumentals add so much to the vibe of the album. I think this is a 5. Sometimes an album as a whole feels greater than its parts and this is that. It’s just a great listen front to back. My least favorite parts were the few straight punk songs, but didn’t hurt my enjoyment overall.

I honestly really enjoyed this. It was a much better, more fleshed out, whole album compared to the previous beastie boys album on the list. I liked the mix of styles throughout would listen again.

Felt mixed about this, the first half didn't do much interesting and I definitely preferred the second half with its beat tracks and slightly more off kilter songs. Still not convinced by the group really.

Diverse sampling. 4.3/5

Tento album ma ničím nenadchol. Vlastne mám rád len ich 1. album.

I love that the Beasties remind everyone that they were a punk band before their breakout. Those sensibilities, while ever-present in their entire discography, are on display here. In continuing their shift from sampling to live instruments, the Beasties also incorporate jazz and funk here, which plays so well with their style.

Not my kind of music.

Good vibes in general but it’s not my vibe of my day

Still holds up!

Love this album. Heavy rotation.

Not my fav, but a lots of good tracks on this one.

Just lots of fun, but would've been even better of I hadn't gotten License to Ill by the Beastie Boys literally yesterday. 'Twas a bit much for me.

This album has a great feeling to it that just makes you want to drive around with the windows down. Its atmospheric, while still having that edge to it that youd expect from a 90s hiphop album. Best track: The Update

classic beastie boys, i like the surprise qtip feature

just re-visited this one recently, and it was much better than i remembered.

One of my favorite groups, and one of my favorite albums. There isn't much to say that hasn't already been said about this. It's a classic, and encompasses all that I love about music: it covers so much ground over the whole album. I can keep listening.

really awesome samples with unique music videos, grear flow but their voices can get a bit much after a bit

I have never listened to a Beastie Boys album. They have some great tracks, but I can’t ever get into these guys for more than a song or two. They are unique and legendary on the scene though

Really fun, always like jazz and rap fusions

6/10

Beastie Boys are good but were never super my jam. Good album with fun lyrics.

monótono y caotico

i dont really fw this, thank god it has instrumental tracks

Not a fan of the boys of beastie

Ive heard about the beastie boys but ive never actually listened to their music, though i did learn that apparently ive already liked one of the songs off this album lol. I like this a lot tho. Ive learned im a big fan of the classic 90s rap, something about a good beat. I also really dug the different musical tones in this - i read on wikipedia they were influenced but a lot of different artists incl miles davis. Didnt love all the distorted voice effects but i did appreciate that there was variety - it didnt all sound the same. I think i saved three songs: sure shot, alright hear this, and sure shot. Already had sabatoge in my liked songs.

Not a big fan of the Beastie Boys. A few song are fun, but most of the time I think they are screaming

3 stars.. musik war soooo fire ABER sie haben den ähnlichen klang bisschen overused und waren kinda fatphobic

The hits really stick out as very distinct amongst a pretty vibesy record. Solid though.

Recommandation: le docu Beastie Boys Story 2020 de Spike Jonze.

Au début j'étais peu impressionné, du rap un peu générique, et la voix des gars m'énerve. Je suis pas non plus le plus grand fan du rap basé sur les loops. La 2e partie m'a plus intéressée, j'ai l'impression que c'était plus funky/groovy. Et j'ai compris que les gars savaient jouer de leur instrument. On va leur donner un 4.

Ah ben là les Beastie Boys c’est un beau 5. Tellement originaux. On passe par tellement de styles à travers l’album. J’adore le sample de flute sur Sure Shot pour partir l’album. Tout de suite après, bam! Tough guy en hardcore punk. En plus Q-Tip qui arrive plus tard. Magnifique.

It was ok but not something I’d go back to

Wicked album

Alright Hear This Sabotage Root Down Get It Together Sure Shot B-Boys Makin' with the Freak Freak The Scoop Bodhisattva Vow The Update Flute Loop Heart Attack Man Tough Guy Do It Futterman's Rule Ricky's Theme Shambala Transitions Sabrosa Bobo on the Corner Eugene's Lament

I like it

Fun and inventive. An effortlessly cool, wonderful fusion of hip-hop, jazz, funk, rock and punk. Expertly sequenced, the live instrumentation gelling well with the traditional sample/collage flow.

This album was surprisingly awesome. I'm familiar with their hits like Sabotage, Brass Monkey, No Sleep Till Brooklyn but I assumed they were kind of a one trick pony and a whole album would get old fast, but boy was I wrong. It's hard to catch every bar, but just the diversity in styles and beats make for an interesting listen. Love the funky/jazz instrumental tracks between hyped rap songs, shows they put thought into curating this album as a full experience. Q-Tip knocks it out the park with the feature.

I listened to most of it but could only clock maybe 3 tracks that actually sounded different. Still, not bad.

First time ever really listening to the Beastie Boys. More range than I had previously thought from the snatches I'd heard in the past. they seem to be legitimate appreciators of both punk & rap-- the best thing about them is that they are fun. I like the silly hedonism. Their loops are pretty awesome, and some of their purely instrumental stuff is nearly beautiful. I wasn't even alive in the 90s, but can tell it was a time when genre-bending was still very interesting and earnestly approached. This seems like an apex of that idea. There's certainly times when this is a mood I want to be in, and will put these guys on to achieve it.

Quite an impressive range on this album. Not everything hits, but most of it is pretty good.

Vocals and lyrics are nothing too special but beats and instrumentals are very interesting and/or fun! Highlights: "Sure Shot", "Keep It Together", "Sabrosa", "Bodhisattva Vow"

I’ll always appreciate the Beastie Boys. They’re a little too monotonous for me to really love them, but they at least are trying stuff here and having fun.

Too metal for me.

Better than Licensed to Ill, still not as good as Paul’s Boutique. I could not get through it all (I’ve heard it plenty before), so there’s that. I liked the punk track.

There's finally a beastie boys album I love

Not my fave but better than I anticipated.

great exploration of a lot of genres, i liked paul's boutique when we got it but i like this way more. awesome guitars / awesome funk sound

Love all the genre bending on here. Licensed to Ill being the big one (kind of) gives a very skewed perception of what this group was actually capable of.

honestly the instrumentals are really quite good, danceable and interesting, but it's a hip-hop album, and i'm getting maaaybe 25% of the lyrics at most.

Damn, who knew the Beastie Boys were good

puh, das war anstrengend. Coole Beats, auch gute Instrumentalstücke dabei, aber grauenhafter Rap. Ein Mal und nie wieder.

not my type of music, but a pretty good album either way. has a pretty cool groovy vibe. definitely unique

has great songs sabotage, sure shot, the update, flute loop. and all of the instrumentals, they are flawless. all the others are just fillers. it would be an 8-9/10 if all of the filler was removed. 6/10 gonna stick ma dick in mashed potatoes

Peaks and troughs

Disappointing album. Not as stupid/fun as Licensed To Ill. Sabotage is the stand out track. 20 tracks is too many. Bunch of stuff could have been cut here. 2.5/5. Raising to 3.

Learning that Beastie Boys used to be punks explains a lot about their musical style. I ended up liking this a lot more than I expected, but I think it has more to do with the jazz breaks than their raps.

Front to back bangers.

Apart from Sabotage this very much blended together for me

Good old Beastie Boys. Wasn't really into them at the time, but they've weathered quite well. A bit of fun. Can't believe it's 32 years!

intensity encapsulated favourite track: eugene's lament

2 - TERRIBLE

Top album!!

A) it’s the Beastie Boys B) it’s ILL COMMUNICATION

It's been a while since I poured through this one, and it's such a fascinating record. The Beasties had gone from the biggest frat band in the universe to suddenly pushing the limit of live band rapping and teaming up with the impeccable Mario Caldato on the production. There's a LOT going on and it doesn't always work, but at its core this is the Beastie Boys mixing all their favorite music in a blender into a beautiful concoction that helped other producers explore deeper hip-hop territory.

305/1001 Beastie Boys - Ill Communication Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ❓ Throughout this process, I've been a bit indifferent towards the Beastie Boys and this is very much the same...

Sure Shot is a classic. nothing stuck out from the rest to me

Great production, fun listen

Sabotage is lekker. De rest ligt toch minder makkelijk in het gehoor

Just sounds like noise to me

Great album, and it would be a 5 if it was about 6 or 7 songs shorter.

It’s funny how a single record can anchor you perfectly in time. The Beastie Boys dropped Ill Communication in May of 1994. If you're hitting the big 5-0 now, you were 19 when this came out—right in that chaotic, thrilling window of starting college, leaving home, and trying to figure out who you were. For me, the DNA of this album is permanently tied to dorm rooms, surviving upstate New York winters, and feeling completely invincible. Looking back, the genius of the Beastie Boys is that they grew up right alongside us. We had the obnoxious, beer-spilling anthems of Licensed to Ill when we were in middle school. But by the time '94 rolled around, Mike D, MCA, and Ad-Rock had fully transformed. They weren't just shouting into mics anymore; they were picking up their instruments and creating something entirely new.

Totally brilliant. Sabotage is a masterpiece. The jams are fantastic... not just shouty rappers, these lads can actually play. Loved it

The coolest girl in my school year got one of her equally cool friends to deliver a dubbed cassette of this to me during chemistry one day in 1994, and I was momentarily the coolest kid in my class. I then spent my summer holidays cruising around my grandparents town in my bright orange Volkswagen Passat with it blasting out of a boom box velcroed to the dashboard as my car stereo was busted. From a nostalgia perspective Ill Communication is about as 1994 an experience as I can imagine. It's also my favourite Beastie Boys album - great samples and rhymes, actually decent and authentic hardcore punk tunes, jammy instrumental-ish songs played as a real band, and just excellent vibes from start to finish. To this day lines from some songs appear in my head, apropos of nothing.

Some interesting tracks in here but ultimately it's something I prefer in smaller doses than a full album. Ricky's Theme was a standout for me. A really beautiful interlude between the raucous vocal assault of some of the other tracks.

Muscular and tight rhythms, thoughtful and intelligent, refined without being overproduced. This is a significant benchmark for 90’s music

Another surprise from the list. I thought I knew what the Beastie Boys were all about, especially after getting License to Ill a couple months ago. But this was a bit of an eye opener. It spanned quite a few genres and showed a lot more depth than I would have expected before listening. As someone who was already a fan of Sabotage, my favorite segment here was surprisingly the three song span of Sabrosa-The Update-Futterman's Rule, which I found really interesting. The tracks were unexpected on what I figured would be a straight up hip hop album, covering more subtle ground and including a lot of instrumental sections. Expanding on that, I think the instrumentation plays a big part in why I like this album as a whole. It's less sample-driven and more real performance, with those performances stealing the show most of the time. There's rock, punk, funk, jazz, and more. The vocals are there, but feel more equal with the music rather than trying to outshine it. The way it comes together really works for me. On the other hand, my biggest issues with this album are first that it is very long and second that it never really attains greatness. It runs just under an hour and contains 20 songs. I wouldn't really call anything on here filler, but it still didn't feel like that length was necessary. Instead, it made it feel a bit disjointed, almost like there were two albums forged into one. Part of that also probably comes from my second point, as most of the album hovered around good without really going beyond it. If there was a more pointed focus, they may have had more high-quality moments. There is a lot here to make me say this is a really strong album, especially given how different I found it from my expectations. At the same time, I don't think it reaches the level of a great album, and the length makes relistens a little unlikely. It sits on the edge of good/very good for me. Overall: 3.7/5

05/14 Not bad

I really liked some of the songs

Sure Shot - woah ho ho, tough little message ya got there

Me gusta mucho la mezcla de estilos que tiene. Es como una aventura por la ciudad acompañada por diferentes tribus urbanas en un solo disco.

amazing

Confident album with a whirlwind of genres has my favorite beastie song Sabotage Not my cup of tea as an album but appreciate work

I had never listened to this all the way through before. I had License to Ill on cd as a teenager. This checks so many boxes for me, it has boom-baps, it has Q-Tip, it has Biz Markie. I always think my car stereo is terrible when I'm having a bad time with a CD but this sounded great on it

I don't really listen to hip-hop but I liked the songs. It's was music I could just play and be productive.

Not my type but not the worst

Absolute classic. Not a bad track. Instrumental tracks may be the best.

Awesome, like it a lot

Got very jazzy at the end but I liked it

Maybe exams are just putting me in a bad mood but all these songs sounded the same

I liked them all. But somehow the whole was less than the sum of its parts. I dont know why. I would happily listen to any of them again, just not all of them together.

pretty good, never listened to much 1990s hip hop. i liked the instrumentals. occasionally found it dragged on a bit

This really rocked. I liked the Ocean's 11 vibe that some of the instrumental songs gave off. Sabotage is a Elite song as well. What a classic.

If it’s going to that kind of party I’m gonna stick my dick in the mashed potatoes!! This brings be back to riding in the back of my friend’s truck to basketball practice after school and it still holds up. 4.8 love it!!

Another hip hop artist for whom I really need subtitles. That said, this really grew on me throughout my listen. Enjoyed some of the groovier beats, especially the instrumental tracks. It went unexpected places. Sabotage is great. 7/10 Quite Likeable

2/10 - I just could _nawht_ get into this. I'm not a fan of their vocals generally, but gee golly, at some points I had to press the skip. The overly compressed vocals on "B-Boys Makin' With The Freak Freak" 😪 They sound like they're yelling from so far away on sabotage... and the instrumental is washed out - it feels just a bit muted... It's a shame b/c I really like the beats. B Boys just not for me I guess ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Fav Tracks: Bobo On The Corner 💀, Q-Tip on Get IT Together 😭 Heard before? ---–- ❌ Saved a Song? ----- ❌ Saved Album? --–-- ❌ Will Listen Again? -- ❌

When you are in the right mood, this is fun, If you are in the wrong mood annoying as fuck. Has an analogue warmth and lovely overblown soeaker quality on percussion, reals ense of fun and cheek in the lyrics, mad eclectic collection of different genres all mashed together with a real sense of fun. All the genres are executed fucking well. This slaps

white boy rap, andam de skate e brigam na escola

sounds very cool!! I really liked it!!

Of obvious historical import - I remember when this came out, it was amazingly innovative. But on a listen after 20 years, I don’t think it really holds up. Eminem (for example) one ups them significantly. But there would never have been a Marshall Mathers without the Beastie Boys! 5 stars for impact on music. 3 stars for current listenability.

Not as groundbreaking as License to Ill, but nonetheless enjoyable

Buncha bangers

Pretty awful.

simplesmente incrível. essa lista é uma caixa de surpresas. me surpreende nunca ter escutado isso antes.

Great, not only hip-hop, so much more. Rock, funky, punk, jazzy notes… excellent.

Semmosta jammailumuzaa, keikuttavaa räppiä. Ihan okei.

Oikein menevä levy, kuten Beastie Boysilta voi odottaa. Hämmentävä sekotus hiphoppia/räppiä ja punkkia. Tuskin menee suuresti kiertoon muuten, mutta mukava tämä oli kuunnella.

If only there was some way I could include the music video for Sabotage in the rating somehow This one was a lot more interesting than I thought, the surprising amount of instrumental tracks threw me for a loop. As always, variety is the spice of life and although I have no real problems with the beastie boys a lot of their hits sound exactly the same. Sabotage isn’t my favorite song or anything but it’s pretty solid and definitely the best track on this one. Compared to other hip hop, it’s definitely on the corny side, which isn’t objectively awful but it’s kinda weird at times. It lacks a lot of the impact that a lot of other 90s hip hop has. This one’s also just a little longer than I’d prefer, 20 tracks is a lot when the vocals get really repetitive after a while. I’m not a huge fan of how it sounds like all the vocals are being routed through megaphones Definitely not bad, but compared to all the other 90s hip hop we’ve got (genre I’m starting to realize I really enjoy) it’s just not that special

Sabotage is an iconic song, but I can't really say the rest was. Interesting how some songs leaned more punk, some more hip-hop, but nothing really grabbed me and Sabotage isn't good enough to elevate this album too high.

Man, this is a tough one... On the one hand, I never really liked rap all that much. I liked white rap even less. And the acts these guys spawned/inspired, I liked even less. I'm looking at you, Limp Bizkit! On the other hand, they struck a nerve in the 80s and stuck all the way through the 2000s. On the other hand, You Gotta Fight (For Your Right To Party) was pretty stupid. And on another hand, my generation loved it. I could probably be accused of head banging to it back in the day. Thank God there's no video proof, amiright? Amazing how far three middle class jewish kids from New York could go with this schtick. I'll give it up a little for Sabotage, and there were a couple tracks that surprised, like Ricky's Theme and Flute Loop. But their rap beats were repetitive. Not great, not trash.

I only really like this album for Sabotage. As in, I would be giving this album a 2 if it wasn't for the fact that Sabotage is on this album. That's about all I can say, the music was sometimes interesting, but not that interesting.

I don't mind a Beastie Boys song or two in small doses but man having to listen to an entire album by them is like looking up at Mt. Everest from the base camp knowing you have to climb it in nothing but socks. It's a huge task getting through everything, and it becomes stale real fast. You can only apply so much vocoder on your voice before it becomes annoying to listen to for an hour. You get the first few songs on this thing that are pretty good, and I really enjoyed the punk song & the one with the Q-TIp feature, but after that this really all does just become boring and generic. How can you have 8 years to grow as an artist and your sound is exactly the same just with some better production? What were you doing for 8 years? The only fresh or interesting stuff on here really was the punk additions, which were quite good if I'm honest. In the end, as average as this album is, there are a few solid songs. But overall it's nothing special.

The weak link in tr Greatest 5 album run in music history, but it has Sabotage.

Awesome album from start to finish!

it grows on you

Yes! My favourite Beastie Boys album! A brilliant start to my day. Loud, audacious, fantastic.

A really solid album and I really enjoyed hearing them start to utilize live instruments along with the samples to give it more of a rock feel.

Better than I expected, could listen to it as background whilst on holiday. There were quite a few foot tappers.

🖖

This is what NYC sounds like in my mind.

This album was so much more diverse than I was expecting, and I particularly loved a lot of the instrumentals - they had a fun vibe and good groove. Not sure what I can add to Sabotage except to say it deserves all if its fame and probably more. I wanted to keep playing it on loop when the album finished because what else could bring more fun to my saturday night of school work. Unexpectedly punk album? The Update and Sure Shot were especially cool

Not quite as good as Paul’s Boutique but pretty damn good!

damn bboys i was not familiar with ur game

Not my usual genre at all, but I surprisingly enjoyed my time listening to this one. Very rhythmic and flowy.

Sounds like they made a bunch of noise and threw it at the wall to see what would stick. Definitely some bright spots, but the Beastie Boys have never been my thing, and this was not an enjoyable listen as a whole

Bon et de bons souvenirs! Un 4 +

High energy and a lot of fun, wasn't always vibing with the lyrics but all in all this was pretty good

Espetacular

Not for me. But I can see the importance of it

Muy bueno

Ich mag Hip Hop nicht. Auch wenn diese 90er Variante noch verträglich ist, möchte ich das nicht nochmal hören. 1/5

Didn't sound too bad, but everything was like a carbon copy of the previous song. Very boring to listen to.

I don't like the Beastie Boys much. I fucking love Sabotage though.

track 5 has a funky bassline; I never really been a fan of the yelling, matter-of-fact rap flow that Beastie Boys has for example (among other early rap groups); always love me a Q-Tip feature; not notable for me

Sure shot - 5 Tough guy - 4 B-boys makin' with the freak freak - 4 Bobo on the corner - 3 Root down - 5 Sabotage - 5 Get it together - 5 Sabrosa - 3 The update - 3 Futterman's rule - 4 Alright hear this - 4 Eugene's lament - 4 Flute loop - 4 Do it - 3 Ricky's theme - 3 Heart attack man - 4 The scoop - 4 Shambala - 3 Bodhisattva vow - 3 Transitions - 4

Sabotage really carried this album.

Ambitious!

Boring Boys

Not my fave

Kinda just loud rap or rock music.

Very nostalgic

26/04/2026 I never gave Beastie Boys a chance before until this challenge. This is my second album of theirs. Fuck a duck, I really like these guys. Spotify listeners: 8.2 million

I was introduced to Beastie Boys with "License to Ill" and this is a very different album. Much more old school rap, with some punk and musical interludes that I didn't expect. Definitely showcases their talents as one of the great rap groups of our time in a a slightly more serious way than "License to Ill" Highlights: "Sure Shot" and "Sabotage"

basic хип хоп альбом, мне нрав, но треков перебор для меня, не вывоз

I wanted to like this, I have fought for my right to party, but I could not do it 😐

Hehehh. You have to be in the right mood, but I was kinda in it.

So, I listened to this song for a week straight after re-listening to it for the project. Not listening to this while it was relevant is probably one of my top childhood blunders.

Okey, bra start med sure shot. yea though guy va litt for bråkat, ikkje så bra. B-boys making with the freak va meh ok, høres ut som hiphop blanda med lydian bestikket lage når du skrape det på tallerkenen. Bob on the corner va grei - ingen lyric. Root down høres bra ut, mer hiphoppy, men ikke det beste æ har hørt - oh litt jazz ellr? Sabotage høres bra ut, yeah resten hørtes bra ut, rydda rommet til albumet og skippa bare en sang.

A bit too agressive and fast. Didn't like the beats so much.

este disco representa a mi yo de 15

Muy bueno, me gusto la onda que tiene, meda hip-hop con rap

There's the his and then there's a lot of biting tracks. Some instrumentals and hardcore tracks. My problem with the Beasties has always been that they are not good rappers. They are cool, but this album ain't it.

This is peak Beastie Boys for me - I know people will make a strong case for Paul's Boutique, or perhaps even Check Your Head, but this is the one for me. An amazing mishmash of hip-hop, thrashy punk, mellow jazzy instrumentals and even Buddhist chanting, this album has something for everyone, and even though it churns through different styles very quickly, it never feels disjointed or forced. The Beasties have been together for a long time by this stage, and are clearly very comfortable with each other, Mario Caldato Jr and Money Mark, both of whom make a big impression on this album. Fave tracks - 'Sabotage', 'Root Down', 'Sure Shot', 'Futterman's Rule', 'Sabrosa', I could go on......

It was fine. A little long (an hour). I only knew Sabotage. It was entertaining enough though.

So I've only 'really' heard their debut before and I wasn't impressed with that, but this one started off with one great track after another. Three songs into this and I'm wondering if this is really gonna be an amazing record, it's like a broad range of genres and talent clashing aggressively in a very pleasing way. I take a peek at the track list and I'm scared. 20 songs? An hour's worth of music? It was just baffling to me they were starting off so hard, I wasn't even considering they'd stick the landing. Then that first instrumental track came up, Bobo On The Corner. Motherfuckers locked me in right at that moment, they managed to blend a mostly verbal genre into the beat and the production of the sound, and they do it excellently with different elements all throughout this record. A few listens later and I even appreciate the way their bars are built, the idea and the message. It feels oddly mature, I guess mostly considering this came out in the '90s. I can really only complain about the flow of the lyrics, they feel dated at times, but I feel like they really nailed it when I heard 'em go they "got the motherfuckin' old school flavor". Just drop the mic, fuck sake. 4.8/5

This is a classic and iconic album that transports me back being a teen in the 90’s. I was heavy into grunge at the time, but the Beastie Boys were such an integral part of popular culture that’s it’s impossible not to have been influenced by them. There’s so much creativity and depth to this album, and I love the jazz influences. The vibes are fun and funky and I couldn’t help but smile and bop along. Great album!

Τέρμα καλό

Decent album. Favourite songs sabotage, bodhisattva vow and sobrosa. 6.5/10

Can’t go wrong with the beastie boys

A banger of an album.

Getting an album you love makes you feel bad knocking any other album While it contains some of the Boys’ most iconic songs, Ill Communication is disjointed. I wish they put it out as 3 albums, a higher energy rock/punk album, a sampling album like Paul’s boutique, and a funk album like later, mid 00’s boys. This album overall doesn’t feel like it works as well as an album as each song individually. It well demonstrates their expanding sound, and they’re clearly still the Beastie Boys, but it feels rushed in a way their other work doesn’t.

Good not great

for me, the album is a 3, but "Sabotage" alone is a 5, so we'll call it a 4 and move on

I've never really listened to anything Beastie Boys aside from No Sleep, but a video of them performing Sabotage on some late night show popped up for me a few days ago and it made me interested in listening to them. Lo and also Behold they were the album of the day not even a week later. I had a good time with this one and will definitely be checking out more of them in the future

The shrill, scream-y Beastie Boys sound has never really been my favorite, so I did not look forward to this album. I ended up being pleasantly surprised, however. Loved the jazzy samples, percussion, and instrumentals on this one. I checked to make sure I was listening to the right album 3-4 times around the middle of it. This one will need another listen.

The best Beastie Boys album, IMO. Hard to find a bad Q-Tip feature, but damn this one is good.

A bit too long but Beasties are stellar.

The most unique, all-encompassing hip hop album out there. Here, the Beastie Boys have made it to their late 20’s and are seeing the bigger picture of music and how they fit into it. Ill Communication is a love letter to the genres that inspired them, and a gift to the next generation. We’ve got punk tracks that bring us back to the group’s roots. Some core Beastie Boys raps with Sure Shot and Root Down. Sabotage fuses these genres together, and is why it still makes me want to run through a wall. Tons of great samples. Collabs with Q-Tip and Biz Markie. Inventive hip-hop techniques. But what’s even more unique on this album are the instrumental jazz, funk, and world tracks like Sabrosa, Futterman’s Rule, and Shambala. They’ve used a bunch of samples throughout, but these songs are creating new hooks to sample and rap over. What makes this record so special is hearing an iconic group putting out hits while also generating fresh and unexpected stuff.

One of the best hip hop albums

Sabotage is good, rest is average

It's pretty good. Beastie Boys obviously have good flow, but some of the tracks are far too overly stylized, beyond the point of recognizable words. It has little to do with the vocals, but more-so the vocal filters. It like the beats and most songs, there's just the rare song that doesn't quite hit for me. The style is undeniably East Coast, which is not my preference, but this album is probably nearer the top of the pile for me as far as EC rap goes.

Muito divertido

Not as bad as I thought it would be but still gave up around half way

Good biking music for my commute. Appreciated the instrumental tracks for breaks.

Love the jazzy parts!

distinto muy burno

An epochal record, a genuine landmark in music. And a cracking listen. I wish I could give six stars.

This is my third favorite Beastie Boys album. I remember when I first heard She’s On It I knew I wanted to be a fan. Their evolution from the party guys to the serious musicians was definitely a crazy turn that I didn’t expect but if you understand anything about the band they were always trying to push boundaries. Originally coming from the hardcore scene the songs like sabotage and tough guy make sense here. The instrumentals were excellent on the album. Many people talked about them using less samples on this album. They still used samples on plenty of the songs as it was part of their DNA. The instrumentals definitely helped break up the tedious nature of the rhymes. Ill Communication was basically a continuation from Check Your Head. I think both albums are equally great. You could swap them in my ranking. This is a classic but I think all Beastie Boys albums are classics.

Such a fun album, great beats, everyone doing their part well. Favorite track: Sabotage other picks: sure shot, root down, all right hear this

This is not my thing. It's got Sabotage, and it's not actively annoying in the middle, so it gets a 2.

Classic that I have not listened to in ages. Some real bangers that I completely forgot about. A bit too long since their schtick can get repetitive but I feel that way about every Beastie album.

> the Beatles

Much better than I expected. Several songs I thought: these guys are really good. And most of the he songs I liked. The ones with more rock content I didn't like that much. So, overall, a pretty good album. 4/5.

Good times, good vibes, it's the beastie boys !

Amazing album, so much stuff happens there: punk, hip-hop, funk, jazz, samples, noises, flutes?

Mala

me da ganas de darme un saque de merca, ser un skater e irme a una fiesta con mis amigos skaters.

I enjoyed quite a few of their songs. I relisten to some of them actually.

Absolute masterpiece!! Funky, punky, rocking and grooving. Great music up and down the album.

Some nice riffs save it from a 1 star but they mostly quickly transform into something generic, also don't care for the voice.

This album didn’t really begin until Sabotage, but then it took off running! What a treat!

Really cool varied album

Not at all to my taste.

Trash