New Book Celebrates Beastie Boys’ Licensed to Ill 40th Anniversary with Visual History and Fresh Interviews

This November, it will be 40 years since the world was introduced to Beastie Boys, one of the most influential hip-hop groups ever formed, via their debut album, Licensed to Ill. To celebrate the anniversary of the groundbreaking LP, The Great Albums book series is releasing Beastie Boys: Licensed to Ill – 40 Years, an in-depth retrospective featuring fresh interviews, candid photos, and more. Buy Beastie Boys: Licensed to Ill - 40 Years Here Coming from author Ben Merlis (who also penned to recent Consequence Cover Story Mike D: Time for Living around the Beastie Boy member’s debut solo album, Thank You), the 176-page hardcover book is packaged in a slick slipcase. Featuring a forward by Prince Paul, the tome includes over 200 images, a track-by-track examination of Licensed to Ill, and new interviews with producers, collabroators, and cultural critics. The official logline reads: “When Licensed to Ill hit the Billboard charts in 1986, it didn’t just make history — it rewrote it. The Beastie Boys’ mix of punk energy, streetwise humor, and Rick Rubin’s hard-hitting production propelled the album to become the first rap LP to top the Billboard 200 and one of the fastest-selling debu...