Licensed to Ill explained

Licensed to Ill
Type:studio
Artist:Beastie Boys
Cover:Beastie Boys - Licensed to Ill.png
Alt:A painting of the rear end of a Boeing 727, in an American Airlines livery. The "Beastie Boys" logo is printed on its tail.
Recorded:1985–1986
Studio:Chung King (New York City)[1]
Genre:
Label:
Producer:
  • Rick Rubin
  • Beastie Boys
Prev Title:Polly Wog Stew
Prev Year:1982
Next Title:Paul's Boutique
Next Year:1989

Licensed to Ill is the debut studio album by the American hip hop group Beastie Boys. It was released on November 15, 1986, by Def Jam and Columbia Records. The album became the first rap LP to top the Billboard 200 chart, and was the second rap album to be certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It is one of Columbia Records' fastest-selling debut records to date and was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2015 for shipping over ten million copies in the United States. 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 producer Rick Rubin, resulting in the group leaving the label to sign with Capitol Records for their next album, Paul's Boutique (1989).

Background

The group originally wanted to title the album Don't Be a Faggot, but Columbia Records refused to release the album under this title—arguing that it was homophobic—and pressured Russell Simmons, Beastie Boys' manager and head of Def Jam Recordings at the time, into forcing them to choose another name.[4] [5] Adam Horovitz has since apologized for the album's earlier title.[6]

Kerry King of Slayer made an appearance on the album playing lead guitar on "Fight for Your Right" and "No Sleep Till Brooklyn", and also appeared in the music videos, of which the latter is a parody of glam metal.[7] The name of the song itself is a spoof on Motörhead's No Sleep 'til Hammersmith album. King's appearance on the track came about because Rick Rubin was producing both bands simultaneously (Slayer's Reign in Blood was released one month prior on Def Jam).

CBS/Fox Video released a video album of the five Licensed to Ill videos, plus "She's on It" in 1987 to capitalize on the album's success.[8] A laserdisc version was also released in Japan. All versions of the CBS/Fox release are currently out of print because the rights to the album passed from Columbia and Sony Music to Universal Music Group, and also because of the acrimonious nature of the band's departure from Def Jam Records. Until the 2005 release of the CD/DVD Solid Gold Hits, none of the Def Jam-era videos had been included on any subsequent Beastie Boys video compilations. The Solid 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.

Beastie Boys recorded a loose rendition of the 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 with Michael Jackson who owned the publishing rights.[9] 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.[10]

Artwork

The full album cover, front to back, features an American Airlines Boeing 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 extinguished marijuana joint.[11] The tail of the plane also features the Def Jam logo and the registration 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 the Led Zeppelin biography Hammer of the Gods. The artwork was created by Stephen Byram and World B. Omes.

The album cover was featured in Storm Thorgerson's and Aubrey Powell's book, 100 Best Album Covers.[12] Additionally, the design was strongly referenced by rapper Eminem for the cover of his 2018 album, Kamikaze.

Critical reception

Licensed to Ill was met with critical acclaim. In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Sources 100 Best Rap Albums.[13] It is the only album by a Jewish hip-hop act to receive 5 mics from The Source. In 2003, the album was ranked number 217 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time[14] 219 in a 2012 revised list,[15] and 192 in a 2020 revised list.[16] In 2013 the magazine named it the 48th best debut album of all time.[17] Vibe included it in Vibes 100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century.[18] Q gave the album four out of five stars, saying "Licensed to Ill remains the world's only punk rock rap album, arguably superior to Never Mind the Bollocks ... knowing that apathy and slovenliness were just around the corner."[19] 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."[20] 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.[21] In the 2018 edition of the "Top 200 Albums of the 1980s", the album placed number 103.[22]

In 2006, Q magazine placed the album at number 16 in its list of "40 Best Albums of the '80s".[23] 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".[24] Eminem said the album was one of his favorites of all time and said it changed hip hop.[25] The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[26]

Cash Box called "She's Crafty" a "slamming tongue-in-cheek rocker."[27]

Commercial performance

The album was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on February 2, 1987 and eventually was certified Diamond on March 4, 2015.[28] The single "Brass Monkey" was certified Gold for shipment of 500,000+ sales.[28] In 2012, in the week following Adam Yauch's death, which subsequently resulted in a surge in sales of Beastie Boys albums, Licensed to Ill reached number 1 on Billboards Catalog Albums chart.[29] The album also re-entered the Billboard 200 chart at number 18.[30]

Personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for Licensed to Ill!Chart (1987–2017)!Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[31] 62
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[32] 25

Year-end charts

1987 year-end chart performance for Licensed to Ill!Chart (1987)!Position
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[33] 20
European Albums (Music & Media)[34] 26
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[35] 57
US Billboard 200[36] 3
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[37] 7
Chart (2002)! scope="col"
Position
Canadian R&B Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)[38] 125
Canadian Rap Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)[39] 67
2012 year-end chart performance for Licensed to Ill!Chart (2012)!Position
US Billboard 200[40] 200

See also

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: John King And The Story Of Chung King Studios. live. August 28, 2021. August 28, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210828005959/https://beattips.com/2017/11/27/john-king-and-the-story-of-chung-king-studios-3/.
  2. Web site: Rapper Conquered Music World in '80s With Beastie Boys . . May 4, 2012 . June 14, 2016 . Parales . Jon . May 12, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160512043050/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/05/arts/music/adam-yauch-a-founder-of-the-beastie-boys-dies-at-47.html?_r=0 . live .
  3. Web site: Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch's musical legacy: Changing all games, all the time . . May 7, 2012 . June 14, 2016 . Anderson . Kyle . August 9, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160809120402/http://edition.cnn.com/2012/05/05/showbiz/music/adam-yauch-beastie-legacy-ew/ . live .
  4. Web site: Beastie Boys "Licensed to Ill" – The most controversial lyrics in music . . September 16, 2011 . May 5, 2013 . Plummer, Sean . https://web.archive.org/web/20120602134209/http://entertainment.ca.msn.com/music/photos/the-most-controversial-lyrics-in-music?page=7 . June 2, 2012 . dead .
  5. Web site: The Story of Yo: The Oral History of the Beastie Boys . . . September 4, 1998 . May 4, 2013 . Light, Alan . March 7, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160307161244/http://www.spin.com/1998/09/story-yo-oral-history-beastie-boys/?page=2 . live .
  6. News: Hiphopophobia . November 24, 2007 . Williams . Zoe . April 29, 2003 . . London . 0261-3077 . May 7, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210507164433/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2003/apr/29/artsfeatures.popandrock . live .
  7. Beastie Boys Biography . Rolling Stone . January 17, 2014 . March 1, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140301073210/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/beastie-boys/biography . live .
  8. Web site: Klep One . Since 1984: Beastie Boys - "Licensed To Ill" Released 27 Years Ago! Def Jam . Defjam.com . November 15, 2013 . January 17, 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140211224053/http://www.defjam.com/since-1984-beastie-boys-licensed-to-ill-released-27-years-ago/ . February 11, 2014.
  9. Web site: Alper . Eric . The Beastie Boys Covered The Beatles "I'm Down" And Promptly Got Blocked By Michael Jackson . thatericalper.com . 2016-05-23 . January 30, 2021 . February 9, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210209075448/https://www.thatericalper.com/2016/05/23/the-beastie-boys-covered-the-beatles-im-down-and-promptly-got-blocked-by-michael-jackson/ . live .
  10. Web site: Schneider . Martin . I'm Down: Beastie Boys Boil B-Boy Bouillabaisse of Beatles Classic . Dangerous Minds . January 7, 2016 . 2016-01-07 . February 3, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210203132024/https://dangerousminds.net/comments/im_down_beastie_boys_boil_b-boy_bouillabaisse_of_beatles_classic . live .
  11. Web site: Jensen, K. Thor. Licensed To Ill – Secrets Of Album Covers . UGO.com . March 24, 2011 . January 17, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140222115303/http://www.ugo.com/music/licensed-to-ill. February 22, 2014.
  12. Web site: DiffuserCover Stories: Licensed to Ill . March 10, 2016 . February 29, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160229161536/http://diffuser.fm/cover-stories-beastie-boys-licensed-to-ill/ . live .
  13. 100 Best Rap Albums . November 24, 2007 . The Source .
    1. 100
    . January 1998 . New York . 1063-2085 . August 7, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170807103112/http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/source.htm#100albums . live .
  14. 500 Greatest Albums of All Time . November 24, 2007 . . November 2003 . Special Issue . Straight Arrow . 0035-791X . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060821053344/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5939357/the_rs_500_greatest_albums_of_all_time . August 21, 2006.
  15. Web site: 500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. 2012. Rolling Stone. September 16, 2019. July 11, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190711091123/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-156826/beastie-boys-license-to-ill-165294/. live.
  16. 2020-09-22. The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 2021-09-09. Rolling Stone. en-US. September 22, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200922163403/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/. live.
  17. 'Licensed to Ill' The 100 Best Debut Albums of All Time Rolling Stone . . October 13, 2013 . September 3, 2017 . September 4, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170904144044/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-100-greatest-debut-albums-of-all-time-20130322/licensed-to-ill-19691231 . live .
  18. News: Vibe Magazine . . December 1999 . 158 . InterMedia Partners . New York City . 1070-4701.
  19. News: . Q Magazine . September 1994 . 123 . Bauer Media . 0955-4955.
  20. News: Melody Maker . . July 22, 1995 . 35 . London . Holborn . 0025-9012.
  21. Web site: Staff Lists: Top 100 Albums of the 1980s | Features . Pitchfork . November 20, 2002 . January 17, 2014 . January 22, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140122173524/http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/5882-top-100-albums-of-the-1980s/6/ . live .
  22. Web site: Staff Lists: Top 200 Albums of the 1980s; Features . Pitchfork . September 10, 2018 . November 1, 2018 . December 16, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181216210920/https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/the-200-best-albums-of-the-1980s/?page=5 . live .
  23. News: Q Magazine. Q . August 2006 . 241 . Bauer Media . 0955-4955.
  24. The 100 Best Albums of the 1980s | Feature . Slant Magazine . January 17, 2014 . November 6, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131106005758/http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/feature/best-albums-of-the-1980s/308/page_9 . live .
  25. Web site: Eminem talks about his upcoming 8th solo album (2012 Interview) . YouTube . July 29, 2012 . January 17, 2014 . February 17, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140217072323/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjospDK0L_I . live .
  26. Book: Robert Dimery. Michael Lydon. 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. March 23, 2010. Universe. 978-0-7893-2074-2.
  27. Single Releases. Cash Box. May 23, 1987. 2022-08-08. 11. September 25, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220925093009/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1987/CB-1987-05-23.pdf. live.
  28. Web site: RIAA News Room - Pass The Mic ... Beastie Boys Are Still 'Licensed' - Oct 02, 2001 . Riaa.com . October 2, 2001 . January 17, 2014 . March 21, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150321001301/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/29-years-later-beastie-boys-licensed-to-ill-sells-10-million-copies-20150318 . live .
  29. Catalog Albums - Week of May 19, 2012. Billboard. May 10, 2012. January 4, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150104120223/http://www.billboard.com/charts/2012-05-19/catalog-albums. live.
  30. Billboard 200 - Week of May 19, 2012. Billboard. May 10, 2012. March 28, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130328070825/http://www.billboard.com/charts/2012-05-19/billboard-200. live.
  31. Book: Kent, David. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Illustrated. Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 29. 1993. 0-646-11917-6. N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between 1983 and June 19, 1988.
  32. Book: Pennanen, Timo. Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021. 2021. Beastie Boys. 27. Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. Helsinki. 17 May 2022. January 22, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220122233715/https://musiikkiarkisto.fi/oa/_tiedostot/julkaisut/sisaltaa-hitin.pdf#page=27. live.
  33. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Album 1987. dutchcharts.nl. April 7, 2021. February 26, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210226190936/https://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1987&cat=a. live.
  34. European Top 100 Albums – 1987 . Music & Media . 4 . 51/52 . 26 December 1987 . 35 . 29800226 . World Radio History . November 30, 2021 . March 8, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210308064410/https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1987/M%26M-1987-12-26.pdf . live . Digit page 37 on the PDF archive.
  35. Web site: Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts. de. GfK Entertainment. offiziellecharts.de. April 7, 2021. May 9, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150509155311/https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/album-jahr/for-date-1987. live.
  36. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1987. Billboard. April 7, 2021. May 14, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180514035352/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1987/top-billboard-200-albums. live.
  37. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1987. Billboard. April 7, 2021. January 15, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210115004715/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1987/top-r-and-b-hip-hop-albums. live.
  38. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20040906184204/http://www.jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/2002_r&b2.html. September 6, 2004. Canada's Top 200 R&B; albums of 2001. Jam!. March 25, 2022.
  39. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20031012032336/http://www.jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/2002_rap.html. October 12, 2003. Top 100 rap albums of 2002 in Canada. Jam!. March 28, 2022.
  40. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2012. Billboard. April 7, 2021. January 4, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150104020444/http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2012/top-billboard-200-albums. live.

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