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Ill Communication

Ill Communication

Overview
Ill Communication is the fourth album
Album
An album or record album is a collection of related audio or music tracks distributed to the public. The most common way is through commercial distribution, although smaller artists will often distribute directly to the public by selling their albums at live concerts or on their websites.-...

 by the Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys is an American hip hop group from New York City. The group comprises Michael "Mike D" Diamond, Adam "MCA" Yauch, and Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz...

. It was released on May 23, 1994. It was remastered and made available on the Beastie Boys' Web site on July 7, 2009.

It was their second #1 album on the Billboard charts due to their hit "Sabotage
Sabotage (song)
"Sabotage" is a 1994 song by the American Rap rock group Beastie Boys. It appears on their album Ill Communication. The song's style is characterized as rapcore, featuring traditional rock instrumentation "Sabotage" is a 1994 song by the American Rap rock group Beastie Boys. It appears on their...

" which was accompanied by a music video
Music video
A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music/song. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings. Although the origins of music videos go back much further, they came into their own in the...

 produced by Spike Jonze
Spike Jonze
Spike Jonze is an American director of music videos and commercials, and a director and producer in film and television, most notably the 1999 film Being John Malkovich and the 2002 film Adaptation., both written by Charlie Kaufman, as well as 2009's Where the Wild Things Are...

 that parodied 70s cop shows. The album would also be their second triple platinum
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...

 album.

Ill Communication was co-produced by Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys is an American hip hop group from New York City. The group comprises Michael "Mike D" Diamond, Adam "MCA" Yauch, and Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz...

 and Mario C.
Discussion
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Encyclopedia
Ill Communication is the fourth album
Album
An album or record album is a collection of related audio or music tracks distributed to the public. The most common way is through commercial distribution, although smaller artists will often distribute directly to the public by selling their albums at live concerts or on their websites.-...

 by the Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys is an American hip hop group from New York City. The group comprises Michael "Mike D" Diamond, Adam "MCA" Yauch, and Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz...

. It was released on May 23, 1994. It was remastered and made available on the Beastie Boys' Web site on July 7, 2009.

It was their second #1 album on the Billboard charts due to their hit "Sabotage
Sabotage (song)
"Sabotage" is a 1994 song by the American Rap rock group Beastie Boys. It appears on their album Ill Communication. The song's style is characterized as rapcore, featuring traditional rock instrumentation "Sabotage" is a 1994 song by the American Rap rock group Beastie Boys. It appears on their...

" which was accompanied by a music video
Music video
A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music/song. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings. Although the origins of music videos go back much further, they came into their own in the...

 produced by Spike Jonze
Spike Jonze
Spike Jonze is an American director of music videos and commercials, and a director and producer in film and television, most notably the 1999 film Being John Malkovich and the 2002 film Adaptation., both written by Charlie Kaufman, as well as 2009's Where the Wild Things Are...

 that parodied 70s cop shows. The album would also be their second triple platinum
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...

 album.

Ill Communication was co-produced by Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys is an American hip hop group from New York City. The group comprises Michael "Mike D" Diamond, Adam "MCA" Yauch, and Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz...

 and Mario C. Featuring musical contributions from Money Mark
Money Mark
Mark Ramos-Nishita aka Money Mark is a producer and musician who has collaborated with the Beastie Boys many times. He also appears on the first Banyan album in 1223 a.d. as the Freeway Keyboardist.- Career :...

, Eric Bobo and Amery "AWOL" Smith
Amery Smith
Amery "AWOL" Smith is a drummer from Los Angeles, California. AWOL has been a member of numerous bands such as Suicidal Tendencies, The Brood, AgainST, Uncle Slam, Beastie Boys and BS2000....

, vocal contributions from Q-Tip
Q-Tip (rapper)
Kamaal Ibn John Fareed , better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American hip hop artist, producer, singer, and actor from Queens, New York City, part of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest.-Personal life:...

 and Biz Markie
Biz Markie
Marcel Theo Hall better known by his stage name Biz Markie, is a rapper, DJ, and comedian, best known for the single "Just a Friend", an American top-10 hit in 1989.-Biography:...

.

Reception

  • Rolling Stone
    Rolling Stone
    Rolling Stone is a United States-based magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J. Gleason.The magazine was named after the 1948 Muddy Waters song of the same...

     (5/13/99, p.54) - Included in Rolling Stone's "Essential Recordings of the 90's."

  • Spin
    Spin (magazine)
    Spin is a music magazine. Founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr., it competes with industry stalwart Rolling Stone. Madonna was the artist on the cover of the first issue.-History:...

     (12/94, p.78) - Ranked #19 in Spin's list of the `20 Best Albums Of '94'.

  • Q
    Q (magazine)
    Q is a music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom, with a circulation of 130,179 as of June 2007.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new...

     (12/99, p.82) - Included in Q Magazine's "90 Best Albums Of The 1990s."

  • The Village Voice (2/28/95) - Ranked #15 in the Village Voice's 1994 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll.

  • Mojo
    Mojo (magazine)
    Mojo is a popular music magazine published by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom.Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title which would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music...

     (p.60) - Ranked #54 in Mojo's "100 Modern Classics."

  • NME
    NME
    The New Musical Express is a popular music magazine in the United Kingdom which has been published weekly since March 1952. It was the first British paper to include a singles chart, which first appeared in the 14 November 1952 edition. The magazine's commercial heyday was during the 1970s when it...

     (12/24/94, p.22) - Ranked #3 in NME's list of the `Top 50 Albums Of 1994.'

Track listing



  1. "Sure Shot
    Sure Shot
    "Sure Shot" is a single from the Beastie Boys' 1994 album Ill Communication. The single was released a few days after the release of the album, on May 31st, 1994...

    " (Beastie Boys/Caldato/DJ Hurricane
    DJ Hurricane
    DJ Hurricane is a hip hop DJ, producer and rapper. He is known for his work as the Beastie Boys' DJ. He was a member of the groups Solo Sounds and The Afros and recorded three solo albums, featuring many well known artists such as the Beastie Boys and Talib Kweli.One of New York's premier hip-hop...

    ) – 3:19
  2. "Tough Guy" (AWOL/Beastie Boys) – :57
  3. "B-Boys Makin' with the Freak Freak" (Beastie Boys) – 3:36
  4. "Bobo on the Corner" (Beastie Boys/Bobo/Money Mark) – 1:13
  5. "Root Down
    Root Down
    Root Down is a Beastie Boys EP released in 1995.

    Tracks 1-3 are variations of the original song "Root Down" released on their 1994 album Ill Communication, tracks 4-10 recorded "live in Europe, winter 1995"....


    " (Beastie Boys) – 3:32
  6. "Sabotage
    Sabotage (song)
    "Sabotage" is a 1994 song by the American Rap rock group Beastie Boys. It appears on their album Ill Communication. The song's style is characterized as rapcore, featuring traditional rock instrumentation "Sabotage" is a 1994 song by the American Rap rock group Beastie Boys. It appears on their...

    " (Beastie Boys) – 2:58
  7. "Get It Together
    Get It Together (Beastie Boys song)
    "Get It Together" was the third single from the Beastie Boys' album Ill Communication. The album version features rapper Q-Tip , but not the single version.The song also appears on Beastie Boys Anthology: The Sounds of Science....

    " (feat. Q-Tip
    Q-Tip (rapper)
    Kamaal Ibn John Fareed , better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American hip hop artist, producer, singer, and actor from Queens, New York City, part of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest.-Personal life:...

    )     (Beastie Boys/Davis) – 4:05
  8. "Sabrosa" (Beastie Boys/Bobo/Money Mark) – 3:29
  9. "The Update" (Beastie Boys/Caldato/Money Mark) – 3:15
  10. "Futterman's Rule" (Beastie Boys/Money Mark) – 3:42
  11. "Alright Hear This" (Beastie Boys) – 3:06
  12. "Eugene's Lament" (Beastie Boys/Bobo/Gore/Money Mark) – 2:12
  13. "Flute Loop" (Beastie Boys/Caldato/Kooper) – 1:54
  14. "Do It" (Beastie Boys/Biz Markie/Caldato/Money Mark) – 3:16
  15. "Ricky's Theme" (Beastie Boys/Bobo/Money Mark) – 3:43
  16. "Heart Attack Man" (AWOL/Beastie Boys) – 2:14
  17. "The Scoop" (Beastie Boys/Caldato) – 3:36
  18. "Shambala
    Shambala (Beastie Boys song)
    "Shambala" is the 18th track on the Beastie Boys Album Ill Communication from 1994. It also appears on the In Sound from Way Out compilation.The song itself is basically an intro for Bodhisattva Vow....

    " (Beastie Boys/Bobo/Money Mark) – 3:40
  19. "Bodhisattva Vow
    Bodhisattva Vow (song)
    Bodhisattva Vow is the 19th track on the Beastie Boys Album Ill Communication. Funds generated from the track were put towards the Free Tibet movement. Although it is credited as being by the Beastie Boys, it is specifically by MCA concerning his Buddhist faith.It takes its name from the...

    " (Beastie Boys/Caldato) – 3:08
  20. "Transitions" (Beastie Boys/Money Mark) – 2:31


Japanese bonus tracks
  2. "Dope Little Song" - 1:51
  3. "Resolution Time" - 2:49
  4. "Mullet Head" - 2:52
  5. "The Vibes" - 3:06

2009 Remastered Edition Bonus Disc

  1. "Root Down (Free Zone Mix)" - 3:49
  2. "Resolution Time" - 2:49
  3. "Get It Together (Buck-Wild Remix)" - 4:18
  4. "Dope Little Song" - 1:50
  5. "Sure Shot (European B-Boy Mix)" - 2:59
  6. "Heart Attack Man (Unplugged)" - 2:22
  7. "The Vibes" - 3:07
  8. "Atwater Basketball Association File No. 172-C" - 1:27
  9. "Heart Attack Man (live)" - 2:10
  10. "The Maestro (live)" - 3:16
  11. "Mullet Head" - 2:53
  12. "Sure Shot (European B-Boy Instrumental)" - 2:58

Singles

  1. "Sabotage
    Sabotage (song)
    "Sabotage" is a 1994 song by the American Rap rock group Beastie Boys. It appears on their album Ill Communication. The song's style is characterized as rapcore, featuring traditional rock instrumentation "Sabotage" is a 1994 song by the American Rap rock group Beastie Boys. It appears on their...

    ": January 28, 1994
  2. "Get It Together
    Get It Together (Beastie Boys song)
    "Get It Together" was the third single from the Beastie Boys' album Ill Communication. The album version features rapper Q-Tip , but not the single version.The song also appears on Beastie Boys Anthology: The Sounds of Science....

    ": 1994
  3. "Sure Shot
    Sure Shot
    "Sure Shot" is a single from the Beastie Boys' 1994 album Ill Communication. The single was released a few days after the release of the album, on May 31st, 1994...

    ": May 31, 1994
  4. "Root Down
    Root Down
    Root Down is a Beastie Boys EP released in 1995.

    Tracks 1-3 are variations of the original song "Root Down" released on their 1994 album Ill Communication, tracks 4-10 recorded "live in Europe, winter 1995"....


    ": 1995

Samples

  • "Sure Shot"
    • "UFO" by ESG
      ESG (band)
      ESG are a band from the South Bronx, New York, U.S.. The band originally consisted of sisters Maria Scroggins , Renee Scroggins , and Valerie Scroggins , and friends David Miles and Leroy Glover...

      .
    • "Howling for Judy" by Jeremy Steig
      Jeremy Steig
      Jeremy Steig, , the son of New Yorker cartoonist William Steig, is notable as one of the few jazz flutists playing flute exclusively, as opposed to doubling from other woodwinds.-Life and career:...

  • "B-Boys Makin' with the Freak Freak"
    • "Beat Bop" by Rammelzee vs. K. Rob
    • That Ain't My Finger by Mantan Moreland
      Mantan Moreland
      Mantan Moreland was an American actor most popular in the 1930s and 1940s. Some of his roles are now considered to be controversial, as he often played a superstitious, easily frightened manservant, ready to flee at the first sign of danger...

       (uncredited)
  • "Root Down"
    • "Root Down (And Get It)" by Jimmy Smith
      Jimmy Smith (musician)
      Jimmy Smith was a jazz musician whose performances on the Hammond B-3 electric organ helped to popularize this instrument...

    • "The Show" by Doug E. Fresh
      Doug E. Fresh
      Douglas E. Davis , better known by the stage name Doug E. Fresh, is an American rapper, record producer, and beat boxer, also known as the Human Beat Box...

       & Slick Rick
      Slick Rick
      Ricky Walters , better known by stage names Slick Rick, MC Ricky D and Rick the Ruler, is a Grammy-nominated British-American rapper.-Career:...

       (uncredited)
  • "Get It Together"
    • "Inside Looking Out" by Grand Funk Railroad
      Grand Funk Railroad
      Grand Funk Railroad is an American rock band. Highly popular during the 1970s, Grand Funk Railroad sold more than 25 million records, toured constantly, packed arenas worldwide, and received four RIAA gold albums during 1970—the most for any American group that year...

    • "Nothing is the Same" by Grand Funk Railroad
      Grand Funk Railroad
      Grand Funk Railroad is an American rock band. Highly popular during the 1970s, Grand Funk Railroad sold more than 25 million records, toured constantly, packed arenas worldwide, and received four RIAA gold albums during 1970—the most for any American group that year...

    • "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" by Moog Machine
    • "Four Play" by Fred Wesley and the Horny Horns
    • "Headless Heroes" by Eugene McDaniels
  • "The Update"
    • "Children of the Earth Flames" by John Klemmer
  • "Alright Hear This"
    • "Samba de Amor (Fantasy)" by Yusef Lateef
  • "Flute Loop"
    • "Flute Thing" by Blues Project
  • "The Scoop"
    • "Atma-Tomorrow" by Michael Urbaniak
    • "Jacob's Ladder" by Cedar Walton, Jr.
    • "Tough" by Kurtis Blow
      Kurtis Blow
      Curtis Walker , is better known by his stage name Kurtis Blow, is one of the first commercially successful rappers and the first to sign with a major label...

  • "Bodhisattva Vow"
    • "Kissing My Love" by Afrique

Personnel

  • Beastie Boys
    Beastie Boys
    Beastie Boys is an American hip hop group from New York City. The group comprises Michael "Mike D" Diamond, Adam "MCA" Yauch, and Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz...

     - Producer
    Record producer
    In the music industry, a record producer has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes...

  • Mario Caldato, Jr. - Producer
  • John Klemmer - Sample Source
  • Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz - Vocals, Guitar
  • Michael "Mike D" Diamond - Vocals, Drums
  • Adam "MCA" Yauch - Vocals, Electric Bass, String Bass
  • Eugene Gore - Violin
  • Eric Bobo - Percussion
  • Amery Smith
    Amery Smith
    Amery "AWOL" Smith is a drummer from Los Angeles, California. AWOL has been a member of numerous bands such as Suicidal Tendencies, The Brood, AgainST, Uncle Slam, Beastie Boys and BS2000....

     - Drums
  • "Keyboard Money Mark" Nishita - Keyboards, Organ
  • Q-Tip
    Q-Tip (rapper)
    Kamaal Ibn John Fareed , better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American hip hop artist, producer, singer, and actor from Queens, New York City, part of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest.-Personal life:...

     - Vocals
  • Biz Markie
    Biz Markie
    Marcel Theo Hall better known by his stage name Biz Markie, is a rapper, DJ, and comedian, best known for the single "Just a Friend", an American top-10 hit in 1989.-Biography:...

     - Vocals

Album

Year Chart Position
1994 Billboard 200 1
1994 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums 2

Singles

Year Single Chart Position
20 December 1993 "Get It Together" Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales #5
14 March 1994 "Sabotage" Modern Rock Tracks #18
31 May 1994 "Sure Shot" Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales #48
6 March 1995 "Root Down" Billboard Hot 100 #50