The Beastie Boys released their 1989 album Paul's Boutique.
The album followed Licensed to Ill and marked a major change in the group's sound. Production team the Dust Brothers built much of it from layered samples, while the Beastie Boys used dense wordplay and shifting voices. The result was far more compositionally elaborate than their debut's guitar-driven rap-rock style.
Paul's Boutique was released by Capitol Records on July 25, 1989. Its commercial performance was initially modest compared with Licensed to Ill, but critics and musicians increasingly recognized its ambitious sampling and intricate arrangements. The album is now regularly cited as a landmark of sample-based hip hop.
A common mix-up is confusing the album with Check Your Head or Ill Communication, which came later and featured more live instrumentation. The title also refers to the fictional store shown on the cover rather than an actual Beastie Boys business.