Review Summary: A brilliantly crafted, excellently put together hip hop masterpiece.
One of the best hip hop groups of all time, Beastie Boys were one of the most consistent groups for quite some time. Often lauded for their creative vision, the group is almost always critically acclaimed with every album (usually for good reason). Their start? Licensed to Ill, one of the greatest, most influential hip hop albums of all time. With the group's original, unique style (and background), they fused rock and hip hop in the best way possible. No, the album isn't nu-metal, but the album does mix rock and hip hop, and in a way that's so high quality, no artist has even come close to making an album of its type that is as good.
The production on this album, handled by Rick Rubin, is very rock-oriented, and perfectly crafted. There's no true lyrical depth here, but their styles match the music. There are quite a few classic and influential tracks on here, like "The New Style" and "Paul Revere". Two of the most sampled hip hop tracks, and "Paul Revere" was one of the first great storytelling tracks. "No Sleep till Brooklyn" is one of the best tracks to ever mix hip hop and rock. When you first hear those guitars, the track is instantly recognizable.
Licensed to Ill is one of the best hip hop albums of all time, and a classic album. Classic production, original, innovative styles (especially for their time), and highly entertaining, with heavy replay value. All the elements of what makes a classic album are here, and this is a hip hop essential, and one of the groundbreaking, bridge-gapping albums that shaped, and changed the genre (for the better). This album is an absolute masterpiece.
