Artist: Beastie Boys
Album: Licensed to Ill
Label: Def Jam/Columbia
Release Date: November 15, 1986
Grade: A
Government oppression, drug addiction, and police brutality dominated the hip-hop music of the '80s. That is, until The Beastie Boys busted onto the scene and brought the genre to suburbia.
On Nov. 15, 1986, no one was prepared for what Licensed to Ill would do not only for hip-hop, but for all music in general.
While The Beastie Boys were most clearly a hip-hop group, they were undoubtedly influenced by early rock music and punk. This gave the boys a unique sound that turned the hip-hop world upside down.
The album starts off with the boys sampling the epic drumming of John Bonham from Led Zeppelin's "When the Levee Breaks." Much like the original, the larger-than-life drumming builds up the listener before the beat drops and the boys take over.
The Beastie Boys' innovative sampling and playful lyrics catapulted them into uncharted territory for hip-hop music – the suburbs.
Before the Beastie Boys got their license, white suburban teenagers rarely dabbled in the world of hip-hop. It was not until the boys transcended the genre to create a groundbreaking sound that suburban youth took notice of.
As the album progresses, the listener stumbles upon numerous classics that are still a mainstay on rock radio to this day. Songs like "Girls" and "Brass Monkey" delve into goofy lyrics that are accompanied by memorable beats, which make them nearly impossible to get unstuck from one's brain.
The two most memorable tracks from the album "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)" and "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" feature one of the most intriguing guest appearances everfor a hip-hop album.
Kerry King, lead guitarist for metal-god Slayer, played lead guitar for these two tracks, and it comes as no surprise that these are the two songs that blur the genre lines the most on Licensed to Ill.
From the opening track, "Rhymin & Stealin" to the closing track, "Time to Get Ill," The Beastie Boys produced a hip-hop album that not only was groundbreaking for its time, but also one that has withstood the test of time; making it one of the best hip-hop albums of all time.
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