History Music / LicensedToIll

* PunkRap: "Fight For Your Right".

However, ''Licensed to Ill'' was especially notable because it came from a group of [[TokenWhite white middle-class]] boys of Jewish descent, who nevertheless managed to overcome prejudices and get acclaim and respect from within the hip-hop community itself. Much had to do with the fact that the Beastie Boys showed off great rapping skills, clever {{sampling}} and an overall creative and fun party atmosphere, exemplified by the hits "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party)" and "No Sleep Till Brooklyn".

* CoverVersion: "Slow and Low" was originally penned by Music/RunDMC and recorded during the sessions for ''Music/KingOfRock''. While it didn't get onto that album, the Beastie Boys liked the track enough to seek and obtain permission to record their own version, adjusting some of the more self-referential lyrics. The original version would eventually surface on the deluxe edition of ''King of Rock''.

However, ''Licensed to Ill'' was especially notable because it came from an act comprised entirely of [[TokenWhite white middle-class]] boys of Jewish descent, who nevertheless managed to overcome prejudices and get acclaim and respect from within the hip-hop community itself. Much had to do with the fact that the Beastie Boys showed off great rapping skills, clever {{sampling}} and an overall creative and fun party atmosphere, exemplified by the hits "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party)" and "No Sleep Till Brooklyn".

The Beasties themselves, however, would endure a CreatorBacklash regarding this album. They felt that they were overly pigeonholed as mindless "party music" as a result of the album, and would come to consider the album's lyrics as a bit too pubertal. Also, "Fight for Your Right (To Party)", which became a SignatureSong of theirs, was actually meant as a [[StealthParody tongue-in-cheek jab at the same "frat bro" culture they were accused of promoting]], but [[MisaimedFandom most fans didn't get the joke]]. As a result, ''Licensed to Ill'' became an OldShame to them, and their follow-up would be the more mature NewSoundAlbum ''Music/PaulsBoutique'' (1989). Nevertheless, ''Licensed to Ill'' is still a classic and regarded as a cornerstone in the history of hip-hop and pop music in general.

However, ''Licensed to Ill'' was especially notable because all members were [[TokenWhite white middle-class]] boys of Jewish descent, who nevertheless managed to overcome prejudices and get acclaim and respect from within the hip-hop community itself. Much had to do with the fact that the Beastie Boys showed off great rapping skills, clever {{sampling}} and an overall creative and fun party atmosphere, exemplified by the hits "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party)" and "No Sleep Till Brooklyn".

The Beasties themselves, however, would endure a CreatorBacklash about this album. They felt they were too much pigeonholed as mindless "party music" and would come to consider their lyrics on this album as a bit too pubertal. Also, "Fight for Your Right (To Party)", which became a SignatureSong of theirs, was actually meant as a [[StealthParody tongue-in-cheek jab at the same "frat bro" culture they were accused of promoting]], but [[MisaimedFandom most fans didn't get the joke]]. As a result, ''Licensed to Ill'' became an OldShame to them, and their follow-up would be the more mature NewSoundAlbum ''Music/PaulsBoutique'' (1989). Nevertheless, ''Licensed to Ill'' is still a classic and regarded as a cornerstone in the history of hip-hop and pop music in general.

** "Body Movin'"
--> ''Like a bottle of Chateau Neuf du Pape''
--> ''I'm fine like wine when I start to rap''
* OffWithHisHead: In the music video of "Body Movin'" a burglar chops off the head of a landlord, with blood spraying fountains. [[ArtisticLicenseBiology Later the landlord just reattaches it]].

The Beasties themselves, however, would endure a CreatorBacklash about this album. They felt they were too much pigeonholed as mindless "party music" and would come to consider their lyrics on this album as a bit too pubertal. Also, "Fight for Your Right (To Party)", which became a SignatureSong of theirs, was actually meant as a [[{{Irony}} tongue-in-cheek jab at the same "frat bro" culture they were accused of promoting]], but [[MisaimedFandom most fans didn't get the joke]]. As a result, ''Licensed to Ill'' became an OldShame to them, and their follow-up would be the more mature NewSoundAlbum ''Music/PaulsBoutique'' (1989). Nevertheless, ''Licensed to Ill'' is still a classic and regarded as a cornerstone in the history of hip-hop and pop music in general.

* RatedMForManly: All songs depict the boys as popular womanizers.

* DesignStudentsOrgasm: The album cover was designed by World B. Omes (pseudonym of David Gambale) and features a Boeing 727 - with the band name on the tail- crashing head-on into a mountain side.

* {{Bowdlerize}}: Later in their career the Beasties didn't like some of the misogynist lyrics of some of the songs on this album anymore, so they changed them for live performances. "M.C.A.'s in the back because he's skeezin' with a whore," was changed to "M.C.A.'s in the back with the mahjong board", and "Autographed pictures and classy hoes" was changed to "Autographed pictures to nobody knows.

** This trope is heavily in play for most of the album, but it's [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] by "Girls," which details Ad-Rock's sexual frustration (and failure to attract the girl he really wants, who rejects him after being rejected herself by MCA and later pursues Mike D.).

* {{Hypocrite}}: The father from "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)".
-->''Your pops caught you smoking, man, he says "no way".''\\
''That hypocrite smokes two packs a day.''
* ImageSong: "Rhymin' and Stealin'", a sarcastic commentary of their embrace of hiphop. Most of the album in general also provides an image of the band as party animals, which they came to regret later in life when too many people took this image too seriously

* MundaneMadeAwesome: The lyrics somehow manage to get effective BoastfulRap out of spats with teachers, trips to White Castle and getting high while watching ''Mr. Ed.''

* AmbiguousTimePeriod: The faux-OriginStory described in "Paul Revere" "started way back in history," when the boys were outlaws in the WildWest. Notably, Ad-Rock was riding a horse, running from the sheriff and [[AnachronismStew wearing a baseball hat.]]

* OriginStory: "Paul Revere" tells a fictional story how the band members met.

* BoyfriendBlockingDad: "Paul Revere"
--> ''The sheriff's after me for what I did to his daughter''

* OverProtectiveDad: "Paul Revere"
--> ''The sheriff's after me for what I did to his daughter''

[[caption-width-right:350: ''Your mum busted in and said: "What's that noise?!"''\\

''Licensed to Ill'' is the debut album recorded by American HipHop artists The Music/BeastieBoys. It was released through Creator/ColumbiaRecords (via the Def Jam label) on November 15, 1986.

At the time, it surprised many listeners by being the first HipHop record to break to the mainstream and even get into the ''Billboard'' charts. Another album from that same year which showed the commercial viability of hip-hop acts was ''Music/RaisingHell'' (1986) by Music/RunDMC, which also became an overnight sensation.

However, ''Licensed to Ill'' was especially notable because all members were [[TokenWhite white middle-class]] boys of Jewish descent, who nevertheless managed to overcome prejudices and got acclaim and respect from within the hip-hop community itself. Much had to do with the fact that the Beastie Boys showed off great rapping skills, clever {{sampling}} and an overall creative and fun party atmosphere, exemplified by the hits "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party)" and "No Sleep Till Brooklyn".

The Beasties themselves, however, would endure a CreatorBacklash about this album. They felt they were too much pigeonholed as mindless "party music" and their lyrics on this album were a bit too puberal. Also, their SignatureSong "Fight for Your Right (To Party)" was actually meant as a [[{{Irony}} tongue-in-cheek jab at the same "frat bro" culture they were accused of promoting]], but [[MisaimedFandom most fans didn't get the joke]]. As a result, ''Licensed to Ill'' became an OldShame to them, and their followup would be the more mature NewSoundAlbum ''Music/PaulsBoutique'' (1989). Nevertheless, ''Licensed to Ill'' is still a classic and regarded as a cornerstone in the history of hip-hop and pop music in general.