Number 23: Licensed to Ill by Beastie Boys
The whitest kids you know
Release: November 15th, 1986
Genre: Hip-Hop
Favorite Tracks: The New Style, Rhymin & Stealin, Brass Monkey
Where I heard it:
Today's entry is especially notable because it concludes the ongoing saga of the mythical stack of CDs I got at a yard sale in the summer of 2009. I lived in a pretty nice suburb at the time, so I was often found riding my bike around the neighborhood. One particular afternoon, I stumbled upon a sizeable assortment of items for sale at a house only a couple blocks from mine. The wares were typical of a yard sale: clothes, artwork, toys, movies, old junk. While curiously perusing, I found a cardboard box that was loaded with CDs priced at $1 each. As I rummaged through the albums, every discovery blew me away more and more: Judas Priest's Screaming for Vengeance, Ozzy Osbourne's Diary of a Madman, Metallica's Kill 'Em All, Pearl Jam's Ten, Van Halen's debut, and of course Licensed to Ill. It dawned on me that I could own these amazing works. I hauled ass back to my house, begged my grandpa to walk down to the yard sale with me, and we picked out about eight or nine albums for ten bucks. . Out of all the CDs I'd acquired, Licensed to Ill was the one that resonated with me the strongest. I was already familiar with the rock crossover tracks Fight For Your Right and No Sleep Till Brooklyn, so my expectations were trending towards more of this guitar-oriented music. Imagine my surprise upon hearing the album's opener Rhymin & Stealin for the first time. I recall sitting in my living room, slack-jawed in complete awe of what I was listening to. I hardly had any experience with hip-hop at this point of my life, so it was a shock to find that the Beastie Boys were not actually rock stars, but instead pioneers of hip-hop that inspired many of the greatest MCs to ever front the mic. The massive appeal of the Beastie Boys cannot be understated, and Licensed to Ill is the genesis of that popularity.
With Ad-Rock, MCA, and me, Mike D
What to expect:
The origins of the sensational trio of Mike D, Ad-Rock, and MCA begin in one of the most unlikely of places. Before they were the Beastie Boys, Michael Diamond and Adam Yauch played in a hardcore punk band named The Young Aborigines. During their run in the early 80's, Diamond and Yauch befriended vocalist Adam Horovitz of the Young and the Useless, who ended up joining the Beastie Boys after the dissolution of The Young Aborigines. Their transition into a hip-hop group was inspired by the release of a satirical song called Cooky Puss, which featured primitive hip-hop beats mixed over a comical skit of a prank call by the boys that quickly found the attention of the New York underground scene. The Beastie Boys would continue experimenting with rap music, which led to their collaboration with then-university student and DJ Rick Rubin. Soon enough, the group went from opening for acts like the Dead Kennedys and the Misfits in 1982 to Run-DMC and Madonna in 1986. Later that same year, the Beastie Boys would drop their bombshell debut Licensed to Ill, completely reinventing their sound and genre while maintaining the gruff and tough image of punk culture. This album introduced the world to the Beastie Boys' bombastic vocal delivery that prominently showcases each member with rapid flow swaps and emphasized unison sections. The band's cast of characters are aggressively charismatic, best exemplified by the explicit and raunchy material in their lyrics that at times come off scummy and crass, but ultimately are just a product of the boys' whimsical immaturity. Licensed to Ill has plenty of musical integrity that is clearly displayed on tracks like Hold It Now, Hit It and The New Style, but aren't afraid to take their act less seriously with songs like Girls and Brass Monkey. In fact, two of their most famous hits Fight For Your Right and No Sleep Till Brooklyn intentionally lampoon the over-the-top nature of more radio-friendly rock subgenres like glam rock and hair metal. Their diversity on the musical spectrum throughout their careers allow Licensed to Ill to cover multiple genre styles with faithful renditions, largely established by its outstanding sample work. Songs like Posse In Effect and Paul Revere pull from traditional hip-hop influences like funk and R&B, while Rhymin & Stealin and Time To Get Ill include iconic riffs from rock royalty like Creedence Clearwater Revival, Black Sabbath, and Led Zeppelin. It's apparent the Beastie Boys are well-versed in their musical knowledge from the multiple references that are hidden like easter eggs for the listener to discover and enjoy. Licensed to Ill may not have invented hip-hop as we know it, but it certainly changed the landscape of rap music at a pivotal time in its history.
That hypocrite smokes two packs a day
Man, livin' at home is such a drag
Now your mom threw away your best porno mag
Don't step out of this house if that's the clothes you're gonna wear
I'll kick you out of my home if you don't cut that hair
Your mom busted in and said, "What's that noise?"
Oh mom, you're just jealous it's the Beastie Boys
~ Fight For Your Right
Why it's my favorite:
The polarization and controversy of the Beastie Boys make them tough to love, but their infectious personalities and catchy beats make them impossible to hate. The reverence for the Beastie Boys among the hip-hop community expands much further than a passionate fanbase, as sections of Licensed to Ill have been featured in tracks by countless legendary artists like N.W.A., Public Enemy, and Eminem. I've thoroughly enjoyed picking up these subtle references as my musical taste has expanded; it's always amazing to see how wide of a net Licensed to Ill has cast upon music as a whole. Sampling is an artistic homage that happens less frequently these days, but it's status as a legal grey area in the 80's and 90's opened the floodgates for sampling in hip-hop. Licensed to Ill makes the absolute most of that creative freedom, utilizing as many outsourced beats as possible to assemble their own reimagined interpolation. It's quite likely that this album wouldn't have been possible to produce today in the age of music licensing and royalties. It's definitely a product of its time from both a production and lyrical standpoint, yet remains ageless in its youthful spirit. On a personal note, Licensed to Ill assisted in building a foundation for hip-hop that would soon emerge in my later teens. Its rudimentary prolusion of the genre was perfect for a first-time listener, at it came at just the right time in my life. I remember how overjoyed and appreciative I was towards my grandpa for buying me that stack of CDs, and I'm still just as thankful for that purchase to this day. Music was so imperative to me during this period, as I was preparing to move across the state with my mom while simultaneously transitioning into high school. Licensed to Ill was comforting to me because I knew what to expect from it every single playthrough. I'd blast it over my stepdad's home sound system when I was alone; I can recall one instance where he was actually home and scolded me for playing it too loud. Admittedly, I may have on the rose-tinted glasses in my retrospective of Licensed to Ill, but I know I'm not alone in these experiences. You've got incredible athletes like Novak Djokovic and Travis Kelce singing Fight For Your Right over stadium PAs. At this point, they're entrenched so deep into popular culture, everybody is bound to know at least one song from their catalog. Licensed to Ill is more than just a rap album; it's an institution of the American lifestyle.
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