You gotta fight. For your right. To go DIAAAAMOND!

You gotta fight. For your right. To go DIAAAAMOND!

Earlier this month the Recording Industry Association of America’s list of albums reaching over 10 million in album sales (Diamond status) was updated with the addition of the iconic release from the Beastie Boys, “Licensed to Ill.”

Per Rolling Stone: “Def Jam released Licensed to Ill on November 15th, 1986. Produced by the label's co-founder Rick Rubin, the hip-hop trio's debut is stocked with some of the group's biggest and most memorable hits, including ‘Fight For Your Right,’ ‘No Sleep Till Brooklyn’ and ‘Paul Revere.’ It was certified platinum in February 1987.”

The New York City-bred trio of party anthem hip-hop pioneers was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 2012 — the third hip-hop act ever to achieve the feat. The next month founding member Adam “MCA” Yauch tragically passed away after a very public battle with cancer.

The success of “Licensed to Ill” places the Beastie Boys onto a short list of other hip-hop artists to reach Diamond status. Others include: Eminem (The Eminem Show / The Marshall Mathers LP), Outkast (Speakerboxxx / The Love Below), 2Pac (Greatest Hits / All Eyez On Me), MC Hammer (Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em), TLC (CRAZYSEXYCOOL) and The Notorious B.I.G. (Life After Death).