Name: Ill Communication
Brand: Beastie Boys

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

942321

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Colour

Black

Colour details

Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

Format Music US

Limited edition

Release date

2013-07-15

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier US

Unive­rsal

Tax rate US

Sales:8.875

UPC / Barcode

099969423215

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Total Cap

Black LPx2

Artist

Beastie Boys

Genre US

Hip Hop

Label US

Capitol Records

The Beastie Boys are an American hip hop band that formed in New York in 1981. Originally a hardcore punk combo, they gained success with their first hip hop track, "Cooky Puss" in 1983. The group transitioned into a rap group that occasionally incorporated punk rock tracks into their albums. From 1992 to 2001, they operated the Grand Royal label. Following the death of Adam Yauch in 2012, the band officially disbanded in June 2014.

The original members of the Beastie Boys included Ad Rock (Adam Horovitz) on vocals and guitar from 1982 until 2014, MCA (Adam Yauch) on vocals and bass from 1981 until his passing in 2012, and Mike D (Michael Diamond) on vocals and drums from 1981 until 2014. The band also had additional members during various periods including Kate Schellenbach on drums from 1981 to 1984.

Throughout their career, the Beastie Boys collaborated with several touring members such as Rick Rubin as DJ Double R from 1984 to 1985, DJ Hurricane from 1986 to1997, Mix Master Mike from1998 to2014 among others. Their unique blend of genres and energetic performances made them one of the most influential groups in hip hop history.

Back In Stock

Four albums and over a decade into their career, Ill Communication found Beastie Boys at a crossroads. Not that they were looking for a new direction; rather, they were stretching out in any direction they chose. Fully ensconced in their G-Son studio, in the Atwater Village district of Los Angeles, MCA, Ad-Rock and Mike D had the luxury of time and space to develop whatever thoughts came to mind.

Released on 23 May 1994, Ill Communication came just two years after its predecessor, Check Your Head – a quick turnaround in Beasties’ world – and it built upon that album’s move towards live instrumentation, simultaneously expanding forward and backwards: the hardcore punk of their early 80s incarnation (‘Tough Guy’, ‘Heart Attack Man’) sat next to newly-forged rare-groove-styled workouts; old school hip-hop melded with the 90s’ postmodern aesthetic so that a track such as ‘Sure Shot’ could mix jazz flute (a loop from Jeremy Steig’s ‘Howlin’ For Judy’) with a crisp drum beat and lyrics that cycle through references to 70s crime movies (The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three) and sonic pioneers the likes of Lee “Scratch” Perry, with Beasties adding to their patented goofy humour a support for feminist politics.

Despite the high-concept elements woven throughout, Ill Communication is founded on Beasties’ inimitable, anarchic DIY vibe. From the distorted vocals to the what-happens-if-we-stick-this-with-that? approach, it’s an album shot through not just with the urge to experiment, but with the wide-eyed curiosity that keeps the whole enterprise fun. And then there’s the video for ‘Sabotage’: thrift store clothing and an almost guerrilla-style shoot on the streets of LA led to one of the greatest songs of the 90s also getting one of the greatest videos of the era; there’s a reasonable argument that its 70s cop-show spoof did more than anything else to kick-start the decade’s retro fashion craze.

More than anything, Ill Communication is a microcosm for the 90s – a decade that’s hard to pin down, but whose true innovators refused to play by the rules, breaking boundaries and forging ahead with their own unique visions.

Ill Communication

Music US

Discover Ill Communication by Beastie Boys on vinyl. This groundbreaking album from 1994 showcases their unique blend of punk, hip-hop, and rare-groove styles. Available in LP format from Capitol Records.