Who was lucky to find out Licensed to Ill when it was released in November 1986 was literally blown away by the power of a sound never heard before. The first album recorded by three whitebeaks just over 20 years old for the Def Jam label freshly created by Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons, this disc is still one of those that amazes you every time you listen to it. At the time, it also conveyed this message: rap is not just for townships. Not surprisingly, the Romans pioneers of Sens Unik were trained the following year.
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The three Beastie Boys didn’t grow up with rap. Their roots are punk and heavy rock. This is understood in Licensed to Ill which, beyond samples and synthetic beats, has the urgency of punk, its sometimes crazy aspect too. On the first two tracks of the album, Rhymin & Stealin and The New Style, New Yorkers are looking to England with a clever wink to The Clash and a reference to Jimmy Page, guitarist of Led Zeppelin. While the guitar solo by No Sleep Till Brooklyn is provided by Kerry King (Slayer).
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Michael Diamond, Adam Yauch (who died in 2012, marking the end of the group) and Adam Horovitz then call themselves Mike D, MCA and Ad-Rock. Children of good families – the third is the son of the playwright Israel Horovitz -, they will then do an honor to show that they are good musicians through concerts summoning, alongside DJ Mix Master Mike, real instruments. They will then sign two masterpieces, Paul’s Boutique (1989) and Hello Nasty (1998), while continuing not to take themselves seriously, like a memorable press conference given at the Montreux Jazz in 2007.
Beastie Boys, “Licensed to Ill” (Def Jam, 1986). Apple TV has just released the documentary “Beastie Boys Story”.
The albums that shaped American rap:
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