Paul's Boutique

The Beastie Boys recorded the album in Los Angeles at the Record Plant with producers the Dust Brothers. They spent about a year there layering hundreds of samples and constructing the album's dense, cinematic soundscapes.

The album was released in 1989, right before strict copyright laws regarding sampling were heavily enforced in the music industry. This allowed the Beastie Boys and the Dust Brothers to legally layer over a hundred different audio samples from diverse genres into the tracks.

Before settling on Paul's Boutique, the Beastie Boys referred to the project as 'Cheese.' The final title was inspired by a clothing store in Manhattan called Paul's Boutique.

Initially, Paul's Boutique was considered a commercial disappointment, selling far fewer copies than their debut album Licensed to Ill. However, it eventually achieved platinum status and is now universally recognized as a landmark in hip-hop production.