Licensed to Ill by Beastie Boys (CD, Mar-1995, Def Jam (USA))

g 16 means that this album is older than i am. I don't listen to Eminem or 50 cent but i hear their songs on the radio and on the TV and i think that they could use a little advice from the BeAsTiEs themselves....we all could. License to ill is possibly the greatest rap album ever released. I guess i'll do like other reviews and break it down song by song.

1) Rhymin' and Stealin'- my personal favorite track about the BeAsTiEs being pirates....drinkin', cappin' people in the head, and doin chicks....foreshadowing what is to come on the record. My personal fav cause i love Mike D and he has a cool little solo line: "Mike D: I'm wheelin' I'm dealin' I'm drinkin' not thinkin'! MCA: Never cower... Ad Rock: never shower... Mike D: and i'm always stinkin'!!!"

2) The New Style: the second song is like many others on the record....no clear topic like "rhymin' and stealin'" just the BeAsTiEs freestylin' about different stuff i.e. drinkin', doin drugs, doin chicks, eatin' White Castle, and cappin' people in the head. Only problem that might occur (not a problem with me though) is the line "MCA: I got money and juice, twin sisters in my bed, their father had AIDS so i shot him in the head" all in all a good song though.

3) She's Crafty: another themed-song like "rhymin'.." This one is about MCA bringin' home a "DEF" girl who Mike D and Ad Rock know is a crook. She ends up robbin' them blind. I like the chorus that describes the girl: "She's crafty. She gets around. She's Crafty. Man, she's always down. She's Crafty. and she's got a gripe. She's Crafty and she's just my type." Probably 3rd best song.

4) Posse In Effect: Like "New Style" this is an unthemed song just about girls, drugs, beer, rappin', cappin' people, and high school prom. Great song that has a different type of group rap. I'll use one line to show... "MCA: Looks like a sucka whose gold got rusted.... Ad Rock: Rusted... Mike D: Rusted.... MCA: Rusted..... Ad Rock: Cheaper than a hot dog with no mustard.... Mike D: Mustard... MCA: Mustard.... Ad Rock: Mustard" Good song

5)Slow Ride: this song starts off with a upbeat like carribean beat with horns and such and goes back into the unthemed rhymes of the one and only BeAsTiEs. "MCA: I got my boy... Mike D: Mike D! MCA: i got.... Ad Rock: the king ad rock.... MCA: i got the jammy with the ammo inside my sock" That line sums up the whole album from a content standpoint.

6) Girls: Ah! The first of the two radio hits off the album. Everyone knows this one with the xylophonic type of beat behind Ad Rock rappin about a girl he liked. Very funny. "Ad Rock: I asked her out, she said no way, i should have probably guessed her gay"... oh how all guys think!!! I do too so i can't throw stones at glass houses you know.

7) Fight For Your Right (to party): The HUGE hit of 1987 when the video hit the MTV airwaves. As you can get from the title (hopefully) this is a party song. Pretty good song but for me lost its luster after repeated listening. Everyone knows all the quotes so i won't bother.

8) No Sleep Till Brooklyn: A great song boosted by the heavy metal guitar riffs throughout. another song like "Posse in effect" with constant freestylin' about not much in general. "Mike D: Four on the floor - Adrock's out the door... Ad Rock: M.C.A.'s in the back because he's skeezin' with a wh*re" What did i tell you.... same old same old.

9) Paul revere: The second best song on the album. Not much of the signature BeAsTiEs' sentence finishing like in t

i love the beastie boys there funny /:
this was a great cd good condition
and it has their best songs girls fight for your right
and brass monkey.
great for any rock metal fan

I was surprised to read so much negative feedback regarding the Beastie Boys' legendary album "License to Ill." There's a reason why the Beasties were one of the few rap acts on Rolling Stone's list of the top 500 albums of all time ("License to Ill" ranks in at #217). This album broke conventions in so many ways. It was the first rap album ever to reach #1 on the Billboard charts. It also marked a great step forward in sampling and mixing. Using the baseline from Led Zeppelin's "When the Levee Breaks" and War's "Lowrider"? Pure genius!

In addition, I can almost guarantee that anyone who grew up in the last 30 years knows practically every song on this album. If you're a rap fan, or just getting into the genre, you simply owe it to yourself to add this disc to your collection.

Thanks for reading. If you found this review helpful, please vote "yes" at the bottom of this entry. Thanks, and happy listening!

I was in High school at the time Mtv started playing Fight for Your Right,the radio stations in Houston really suck always have always will,unless tehano is your flavor.I was young and persuaded to the rap side.I enjoyed this album for many years along with Two Live Crew.Well put together album with no fillers,that;s rare these days.

This CD was just the beginning of one if the most influential bbands of all tome! full of classic raps like "you gotta fight" to "paul Revere"!