The Beastie Boys Are Reissuing ‘Licensed To Ill’ On Vinyl

On October 14, Beastie Boys will release a reissue of their acclaimed debut album, Licensed To Ill. Arriving via Def Jam, the reissue will be cut from the original masters, and comes almost 30 years after its original release.

“The breakthrough of ‘License To Ill’ in 1986 paved the road legitimizing rap to its USA masses, and set the barometer worldwide on the genre album format,” rapper Chuck D said in a press release. “This record also expanded hip-hop diversity allowing Public Enemy’s ‘Takes A Nation’ to be its antithesis.”

Licensed To Ill became the first rap album to hit the top of the Billboard charts. In 1998, The Source selected it as one of the 100 Best Rap Albums. Vibe also included the album in its list of the 100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century in 1999, and Eminem has cited the album as one of his favorites of all time.