Licensed to Ill is the debutstudio album by the Americanhip-hop groupBeastie Boys, released on November 15, 1986, byDef Jam andColumbia Records. The album became the first rapLP to top theBillboard 200 chart, and was the second rap album to be certifiedPlatinum by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It is one of Columbia Records' fastest-selling debut records to date and was certifiedDiamond by the RIAA in 2015 for shipping over ten million copies in the United States.[1] The album received critical acclaim for its unique musical style, chemistry between the group members, and their stylized rapping. Since its release,Licensed to Ill has been ranked by critics as one of the greatest hip-hop and debut albums of all time.
Despite its popularity and success, this would be the group’s only album to be released from Def Jam due to creative differences with producerRick Rubin, resulting in the group leaving the label to sign withCapitol Records for their next album,Paul's Boutique (1989).
The group originally wanted to title the albumDon't Be a Faggot, butColumbia Records refused to release the album under this title—arguing that it washomophobic—and pressuredRussell Simmons, Beastie Boys' manager and head ofDef Jam Recordings at the time, into forcing them to choose another name.[6][7]Adam Horovitz has since apologized for the album's earlier title.[8]
Kerry King ofSlayer made an appearance on the album playing lead guitar on "Fight for Your Right" and "No Sleep Till Brooklyn"; the guitarist also appeared in the songs' respective music videos, of which the latter is aparody ofglam metal.[9] The name of the song itself is a spoof onMotörhead'sNo Sleep 'til Hammersmith album.[9] King's appearance on the track came about because Rick Rubin was producing both bands simultaneously (Slayer'sReign in Blood was released one month prior onDef Jam).[9]
CBS/Fox Video released a video album of the fiveLicensed to Ill videos, plus "She's on It" in 1987 to capitalize on the album's success.[10] Alaserdisc version was also released in Japan.[10] All versions of the CBS/Fox release are currently out of print because the rights to the album passed from Columbia and Sony Music toUniversal Music Group, and also because of the acrimonious nature of the band's departure from Def Jam Records.[10] Until the 2005 release of the CD/DVDSolid Gold Hits, none of the Def Jam-era videos had been included on any subsequent Beastie Boys video compilations.[10] TheSolid Gold Hits DVD includes the videos for "Fight for Your Right" and "No Sleep Till Brooklyn", as well as a live version of "Brass Monkey" from a 2004 concert.[10]
Beastie Boys recorded a loose rendition ofthe Beatles' "I'm Down" for the album, which included sampling of the original song, but the track was pulled at the last minute due to legal disputes withMichael Jackson who owned the publishing rights.[11] Both "I'm Down," and another track, "Scenario," were cut at the last minute. Bootleg versions of the songs can be found on the internet.[12]
The full album cover, front to back, features anAmerican AirlinesBoeing 727 with a Beastie Boys logo on its tail, which has crashed head-on into the side of a mountain, the former taking the shape of an extinguishedmarijuana joint.[13] The tail of the plane also features the Def Jam logo and theregistration number '3MTA3' which spells 'EATME' when viewed in a mirror. The idea for the album's cover came from the album's producer,Rick Rubin, after reading theLed Zeppelin biographyHammer of the Gods. The art director was Stephen Byram and the artwork was created by David Gambale (World B. Omés).
The album cover was featured inStorm Thorgerson's andAubrey Powell's book,100 Best Album Covers.[14] Additionally, the design was strongly referenced by rapperEminem for the cover of his 2018 album,Kamikaze.
Licensed to Ill was met with critical acclaim. In 1998, the album was selected as one ofThe Source's 100 Best Rap Albums.[23] It is the only album by a Jewish hip-hop act to receive 5 mics fromThe Source.[20] In 2003, the album was ranked number 217 onRolling Stone magazine's list of the500 greatest albums of all time,[24] 219 in a 2012 revised list,[25] and 192 in a 2020 revised list.[26] In 2013 the magazine named it the 48th best debut album of all time.[27]Vibe included it inVibe's 100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century.[28]Q gave the album four out of five stars, saying "Licensed to Ill remains the world's only punk rock rap album, arguably superior toNever Mind the Bollocks ... knowing that apathy and slovenliness were just around the corner."[29]Melody Maker gave the album a positive review, saying "There's lots of self-reverential bragging, more tenuous rhymes than are usually permitted by law and, most importantly of all, an unshakably glorious celebration of being alive ... A surprisingly enduring classic."[30] In 2002,Pitchfork ranked the album at number 41 on its list of the "Top 100 Albums of the 1980s", despite their prior unflattering review of the album.[31] In the 2018 edition of the "Top 200 Albums of the 1980s", the album placed number 103.[32]
In 2006,Q magazine placed the album at number 16 in its list of "40 Best Albums of the '80s".[33] In 2012,Slant Magazine listed the album at number 12 on its list of "Best Albums of the 1980s" saying "Rife with layer upon layer of sampling, start-stop transitions, and aggressive beats, it helped transform the genre from a direct dialogue between MC and DJ into a piercing, multi-threaded narrative" and "helped set an exciting template for the future".[34]Eminem said the album was one of his favorites of all time and said it changed hip-hop.[35] The album was also included in the book1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[36]
Cash Box called "She's Crafty" a "slamming tongue-in-cheek rocker."[37]
^"100 Best Rap Albums".The Source (#100). New York. January 1998.ISSN1063-2085. Archived from the original on August 7, 2017. RetrievedNovember 24, 2007.
^Kent, David (1993).Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 29.ISBN0-646-11917-6. N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed byARIA between 1983 and June 19, 1988.
^"European Top 100 Albums – 1987"(PDF).Music & Media. Vol. 4, no. 51/52. December 26, 1987. p. 35.OCLC29800226.Archived(PDF) from the original on March 8, 2021. RetrievedNovember 30, 2021 – via World Radio History.Digit page 37 on the PDF archive.
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