"No Sleep till Brooklyn" is a song by the New York hip hop group the Beastie Boys, and the sixth single from their debut studio album, Licensed to Ill. One of their signature songs,[3] it describes an exhaustive tour and all the events that make it tiresome, but also emphasizes their determination not to rest until they reach their home base of Brooklyn.[4] "No Sleep till Brooklyn" was a popular concert favorite for the Beastie Boys and traditionally used as their closing song. Among other references to heavy metal, the title is a play on the Motörhead album No Sleep 'til Hammersmith.[5] The song has been subject to several covers and parodies including "Stutter Rap (No Sleep til Bedtime)" by Morris Minor and the Majors.
Cash Box called it "a raucous, rambunctious blend of rap, smart-ass and heavy metal."[6]
Production and play
Rick Rubin played the guitar riffs.[7]Kerry King, guitarist for Slayer, played the solo; Slayer had released an album produced by Rubin earlier in 1986 (Reign in Blood). In a different tuning, the song interprets "TNT" by AC/DC.[8] More metal commentary and adaptation is added by the video, directed by Ric Menello,[9] as a parody of glam metal.[10]
Later in their career, the Beastie Boys continued to perform the song live, although with altered lyrics to downplay their early party-boy reputation. "M.C.A.'s in the back because he's skeezin' with a whore," was changed to "M.C.A.'s in the back with the mahjong board",[11] and "Autographed pictures and classy hoes" was changed to "Autographed pictures to nobody knows."[11]
The song features one of many homages to New York City's boroughs, and has been described as "joyful ranting".[12]
Bob Dylan played the song on the "New York" episode of Season 1 of his Theme Time Radio Hour show in 2007, noting the Beastie Boys were not merely a "flash in the pan" in his introduction.[13]
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
References
^Tim Grierson. "Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch Has Died". About.com. Retrieved July 2, 2013. "As a member of Beastie Boys, Yauch (who recorded under the name MCA) helped pioneer rap-rock with (...) classic tracks like "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party)" and "No Sleep Till Brooklyn,""
^ abTucker, Ken. "Rough-rapping Beastie Boys Cut A Path From Cult To Chart". Philly.com. Archived from the original on June 6, 2014. Retrieved July 2, 2013. "The Beastie Boys also pepper their music with bits of heavy metal and hard rock - the squalling guitar solo on "No Sleep Till Brooklyn," for example, is provided by Kerry King"
