These three white boys from Brooklyn ran the risk of being one-hit juvenile-rap wonders after their first album Licensed To Ill, but they returned with this fine piece of work: a complex, layered and sample-heavy album laced with clever rhymes & puns delivered in that distinctive (sometimes nasally) high-pitched white boy style.
The production work by LA duo the Dust Brothers is simply groundbreaking. Samples from artists such as the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, James Brown & Johnny Cash were used liberally on this record - in the days before clearance was required for use of such samples - and the success of this method in the hip hop community eventually led to the introduction of sampling laws in the music industry. Representatives for the Beatles even attempted to launch legal proceedings against the Beastie's for use of their samples on this album, but later withdrew. As Mike D famously remarked, "What's cooler than being sued by the Beatles?". Good call, Mike.
A brilliant album that should be in every music lover's collection. And spending time trying to identify the samples is a rather entertaining added bonus.
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