"Hold It Now, Hit It" is a song by American hip hop group Beastie Boys, released as the first single from their debut album ''

Licensed to Ill ''Licensed to Ill'' is the debut studio album by American rap rock group Beastie Boys. It was released on November 15, 1986, by Def Jam and Columbia Records, and became the first rap LP to top the ''Billboard'' album chart. It is one of Columbia ...

''. It is also remixed on the album ''New York State of Mind''. In 2008, it was ranked number 27 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop.

Music video

The video features the three rappers lip synching, ad-libbing, and dancing on a sidewalk in front of and directly to a

fish-eye lens A fisheye lens is an ultra wide-angle lens that produces strong visual distortion intended to create a wide panoramic or hemispherical image. Fisheye lenses achieve extremely wide angles of view, well beyond any rectilinear lens. Instead of p ...

interspersed with clips of them on stage and on tour.

Samples and use in sampling

The song contains samples from " Bertha Butt Boogie" by

The Jimmy Castor Bunch James Walter Castor (January 23, 1940 – January 16, 2012) was an American funk, R&B, and soul musician. He is credited with vocals, saxophone and composition. He is best known for songs such as "It's Just Begun", "The Bertha Butt Boogie", an ...

, "

Drop the Bomb ''Drop the Bomb'' is a studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th c ...

" and " Let's Get Small" by

Trouble Funk Trouble Funk is an American R&B and funk band from Washington, D.C. The group helped to popularize funk and the subgenre go-go in the Washington metropolitan area. Among the band's well-known songs are the go-go anthem "Hey, Fellas". They re ...

, "Funky Stuff" by

Kool & The Gang Kool & the Gang is an American R&B/soul/funk band formed in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1964 by brothers Robert "Kool" Bell and Ronald Bell, with Dennis "Dee Tee" Thomas, Robert "Spike" Mickens, Charles Smith, George Brown, and Ricky West. ...

, "Take Me to the Mardi Gras" by Bob James, "Christmas Rappin'" by

Kurtis Blow Kurtis Walker (born August 9, 1959), professionally known by his stage name Kurtis Blow, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record/film producer, b-boy, DJ, public speaker and minister. He is the first commercially successful rapper ...

and "

La Di Da Di "La Di Da Di" is a song performed by Doug E. Fresh, who provides the beatboxed instrumental, and MC Ricky D (later known as Slick Rick), who performs the vocals. It was originally released in 1985 as the B-side to " The Show". The song has since ...

" by Doug E. Fresh and MC Ricky D.Beastie Boys' Sample-Based Music
/ref> The line "Pump it up, homeboy" was sampled by Eric B. & Rakim on their song "As the Rhyme Goes On" and by Ice-T on his song "Ya Don't Quit". The line "Beer drinking, breath stinking, sniffing glue" was sampled by

Dr. Dre Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper and record producer. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and previously co-founded, co-owned, and ...

on Eazy-E's "

Boyz-n-the-Hood "Boyz-n-the-Hood" is the debut single by Eazy-E, then leader of a new rap group, N.W.A. Released in March 1987, the single was a local hit, reissued, by year's end, on N.W.A's EP titled ''N.W.A.'' and on the unauthorized compilation album '' N.W. ...

Track listing

7" single

#"Hold It Now, Hit It" - 3:30 #"Hold It Now, Hit It" (Acapulco) - 3:20

12" single

#"Hold It Now, Hit It" - 3:30 #"Hold It Now, Hit It" (Instrumental) - 3:30 #"Hold It Now, Hit It" (Acapulco) - 3:20

Charts

References

External links

* * 1986 singles Beastie Boys songs Song recordings produced by Rick Rubin Songs written by Rick Rubin Songs written by Ad-Rock Songs written by Mike D Songs written by Adam Yauch 1986 songs {{hip-hop-song-stub