The Beastie Boys‘ fourth studio album, Ill Communication, was released 29 years ago today, May 31, 1994, via Capitol & Grand Royal Records. The album was a critical and commercial success, reaching number one on the Billboard 200 chart and spawning massive hit singles “Sabotage,” “Root Down,” and “Sure Shot.” The album features musical contributions from Money Mark and Eric Bobo, and vocal contributions from Q-Tip and Biz Markie. Ill Communication was the band’s second number-one album on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and their second triple platinum album certified by the Recording Industry Association of America.
To mark the 25th anniversary of Ill Communication, Amazon Music released a documentary short titled Still Ill: 25 Years of Ill Communication. The documentary features interviews with surviving Beastie Boys members Mike D and Ad-Rock, as well as archival footage from the album’s recording sessions.
In the documentary, Mike D and Ad-Rock discuss the making of Ill Communication, their creative process, and their legacy as one of the most influential hip-hop groups of all time. They also reflect on the death of their longtime friend and collaborator Adam Yauch aka MCA, who passed away in 2012.
Still Ill: 25 Years of Ill Communication is a must-watch for any fan of the Beastie Boys. The documentary provides a fascinating look behind the scenes of one of the most important albums in hip-hop history.
In addition to the documentary, Amazon Music also released a limited-edition vinyl reissue of Ill Communication. The reissue features the original album artwork and liner notes, as well as a bonus track, “The Sabotage Remix.”
Ill Communication is a banger from cover to cover, hip-hop, jazz, rock n roll and so much more! I know what I’m going to be listening to later today!
“Like Ma Bell, I got the Ill Communication…”
