Licensed to Ill

The idea for the Licensed to Ill cover came from the album's producer, Rick Rubin, after he read Hammer of the Gods, the Led Zeppelin biography. The artwork shows an American Airlines Boeing 727 with the Beastie Boys logo on its tail, and it is meant to be read across the gatefold from front to back.

Read that way, the joke lands. The jet has flown nose-first into the side of a mountain, and its crumpled body looks like a stubbed-out joint. Small details reward a closer look: the tail carries the Def Jam logo and the registration number 3MTA3, which spells EATME in a mirror.

The cover art was created by David Gambale, credited under the pun World B. Omés, with art direction by Stephen Byram. Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey Powell later included it in their book 100 Best Album Covers, and Eminem modelled the cover of his 2018 album Kamikaze closely on it. Licensed to Ill was released on 15 November 1986. Steve Byram was the art director.