3 Things to Know About Slayer's Uncredited Role on Licensed to Ill

Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman played uncredited guitar on two Beastie Boys songs from Licensed to Ill. They contributed to “Fight for Your Right” and “No Sleep Till Brooklyn.”

The collaboration happened because the bands shared a producer, Rick Rubin. Rubin brought in the Slayer guitarists to add a heavier, thrash-metal edge to the tracks.

Their involvement was kept uncredited, likely to avoid confusing fans of either band. The Beastie Boys were still seen as a punk-rap group, and Slayer’s extreme metal image didn’t fit the album’s commercial vibe.