25 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums Of All Time
8. Beastie Boys - Licensed To Ill
Released back in 1986, Beastie Boys' Licensed to Ill was a breath of fresh air to the rap genre, and in many ways still is. Fusing rap with rock and punk, Licensed to Ill was fun, loose, and experimental, but never took itself too seriously. In a genre where everyone had something important to say, Beastie Boys were just three guys having a laugh and making some killer music in the process.
From the iconic anthem "No Sleep til Brooklyn", which details their frustrations and passion when it comes to touring, to "Fight for Your Right", which poked fun at party songs and ironically became a party anthem in its own right, Licensed to Ill is pure joy front to back.
Mike D, MCA and Ad-Rock would release seven more albums until MCA's untimely death, but none of their records are quite as enjoyable and inventive as their first.