Beastie Boys

Licensed to Ill

First released1986

Licensed to Ill was recorded primarily at various studios in New York City and Los Angeles during 1985-1986, with the bulk of work taking place at Greene Street Recording in New York. Rick Rubin produced the album and established his signature production style by heavily sampling and looping James Brown and other funk records, creating the album's distinctive sound. Engineer Matt Rowe and other technicians worked with Rubin to capture the group's energetic performances while layering samples and drum machines. The album featured innovative sampling techniques for its time, utilizing Oberheim DMX and E-mu Emulator II to manipulate and trigger samples, which was relatively novel in hip-hop production during the mid-1980s. The production choices, particularly Rubin's minimalist yet sample-heavy approach, significantly influenced hip-hop production standards and helped establish Def Jam Records' sound during the era.