Dusted Down – Beastie Boys: Ill Communication
The Beastiest of boys – and at their most illest
Originally released in 1994 and requiring little to no introduction for any self-respecting fan of 90’s hip-hop, turntablism or alternative choonage, Ill Communication would serve as the fourth full-length from genre-dissolving NYC trio Beastie Boys, who upon linking up once again with in-studio cohort Mario Caldato, Jr., opted to follow where the music and their hearts led. Coming off the back of 1992’s Check Your Head, Ad-Rock, Mike D and MCA had all begun to rediscover their lost love for live instrumentation, with their previous LP boasting balls out alt rock bangers such as ‘Gratitude’, while 1994 would already see the unveiling of the Some Old Bullshit compilation made up of early EPs and demo recordings from the first iteration of the Beasties which initially established them as an 80’s jawbreaking hardcore punk outfit.
Between these revisits to earlier material and the live band experimentations of their preceding work, it really is no great mystery as to why Ill Communication came out as fearless, virtuosic, unhinged and iconic as it did. Citing the Miles Davis jazz rock albums On The Corner (1972) and Agharta (1975) as pivotal influences, the trio strived to have their cake and eat it with a prioritisation of live production and an eschewing of samples, yet still managed to make space for The Moog Machine’s cover of ‘Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In’ for use on ‘Get It Together’, while the massive opening single ‘Sure Shot’ is primarily built off of a sample of ‘Howlin’ For Judy’ by jazz flautist Jeremy Steig.
Offsetting these on the nose samples with blistering full-on hardcore assaults such as ‘Tough Guy’ which follows directly on from the previously mentioned opening jazz-centric boom-bap opener, is quite indicative of the purposeful lack of cohesion that makes Ill Communication so brazen. For every burst of punk fury, the album doubles down with instrumental jazz-funk library cuts that pre-date and seemingly lay early groundwork for 2007’s The Mix Up LP. It must also be noted that pop-punks Heart Attack Man have confessed they took their moniker from the hardcore cut of the same name.
While ironically one of their least sample-heavy projects to this point, another of the LP’s standout moments comes in the form of mega hit ‘Root Down’, which is based off jazz musician Jimmy Smith’s ‘Root Down (And Get It)’, while the other hit single, ‘Sabotage’, became the fuzzed out hardcore rap-rock anthem of an entire generation, though began life as a shelved instrumental under the working title of ‘Chris Rock’, before the band would dust it down and become inspired by a fictional circumstance where their producer attempted to sabotage their recordings at every turn. Brought to life by the now legendary music video directed by Spike Jonze that portrays the members as hardy detectives on a 1970’s era cop show, the single and accompanying video have become immortalised in 90’s pop culture forever since, and by extension, so has Ill Communication.
Debated, praised, often regarded as their finest work, or at least finest example of the trio’s effortless ability, work ethic and sheer disregard for musical boundaries, Ill Communication celebrates its 30th anniversary with a limited-edition deluxe box set featuring a rare version of the iconic album originally released in a limited run back in 2009. Housed in a rigid slipcase with lenticular cover art and a bonus LP of remixes, b-sides and rarities from these sessions, there’s likely never to be a more ill version of this illest of communications. A true gem for lovers of hip-hop, hardcore, jazz, funk, pop culture references, and ill rhymes.
Zach Buggy