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Beastie Boys Licensed to Ill Vinyl Def Jam 1986 Vinyl Record BFC40238 VGUsed · Buy It Now$29.99
BEASTIE BOYS – LICENSED TO ILL Exclusive - Clear Colored Vinyl LP NEW/SEALEDNew · Buy It Now$40.00
Beastie Boys Licensed to Ill 12" Black Vinyl LP Def Jam C 40238 1986 pressingUsed · Buy It Now$39.99
Licensed to Ill by Beastie Boys: UsedGood · Buy It Now$7.64
Licensed to Ill is the debut album by the Beastie Boys, released in November 1986 on Def Jam and Columbia and produced by Rick Rubin with the group. It was a genre-crossing smash that put three downtown New York punks at the top of the pop charts.
The story
Recorded at Chung King Studios in New York during 1985 and 1986, the album arrived with a run of singles that became party staples: “Hold It Now, Hit It,” “Paul Revere,” “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!),” “Brass Monkey” and “No Sleep till Brooklyn.” Columbia rejected Rubin’s original title before release.
Sound and production
Rubin built the record on hard drum machine beats and classic rock, with samples drawn from bands like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. Slayer’s Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman added uncredited guitar, which helped the album cross over to rock audiences.
Charts and certifications
Licensed to Ill became the first rap LP to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and peaked at No. 2 on the R&B/Hip-Hop albums chart. The RIAA certified it Diamond, for 10 million units, in March 2015.
Legacy
The album entered the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2021 and ranks No. 192 on Rolling Stone’s 2020 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Tracklist & credits
Produced by The Beastie Boys, Rick Rubin
- A1Rhymin & StealinE-mu SP-12 Drum machine / sampling (Rick Rubin)4:08
- A2The New Style4:35
- A3She's Crafty3:36
- A4Posse In Effect2:27
- A5Slow Ride2:56
- A6Girls2:14
- A7Fight For Your Right3:28
- B1No Sleep Till BrooklynOberheim DMX Drum machine4:07
- B2Paul RevereRoland TR-808 Drum machine (reversed beat)3:42
- B3Hold It Now, Hit It3:29
- B4Brass MonkeyRoland TR-808 Drum machine2:38
- B5Slow And Low3:37
- B6Time To Get Ill3:37
Tracklist and producer credits: Discogs. Gear credits: Breakbeat Archive, sourced on each credit.
Made with
The gear behind this record, sourced and for sale.
Roland TR-808
Drum machine (reversed beat) · Paul Revere · Source
Roland TR-808
Drum machine · Brass Monkey · Source
E-mu SP-12
Drum machine / sampling (Rick Rubin) · Rhymin & Stealin · Source
Oberheim DMX
Drum machine · No Sleep Till Brooklyn · Source
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