Brass Monkey (song)

"Brass Monkey"
"Brass Monkey"
Single by Beastie Boys
from the album Licensed to Ill
Released	January 5, 1987
Recorded	1986
Genre	Hip hop
Length	2:37
Label	Def Jam/Columbia Records
Songwriter(s)	Beastie Boys, Rick Rubin
Producer(s)	Rick Rubin
Beastie Boys singles chronology

"Brass Monkey" is a song by the American hip hop group Beastie Boys. It was a single released from their first album Licensed to Ill. It is also on the Beastie Boys' compilation album Solid Gold Hits.

Background

"Brass Monkey" samples "Bring It Here" by Wild Sugar. The song features the Roland TR-808 drum machine. The song is named after the Heublein Company alcoholic drink of the same name, which is mentioned several times throughout the song. Cash Box called it a "scratchy rap send up."^[1] Notably, professional wrestler "Speedball" Mike Bailey uses "Brass Monkey" as his entrance song on the worldwide independent circuit, particularly in Deadlock Pro Wrestling (DPW), Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) and Game Changer Wrestling (GCW).^[2]^[3]

Covers

The Dave Matthews Band covered this song at Jones Beach, New York in 2013. It was strung in with "Too Much" and "Ants Marching".

Richard Cheese covered the song on his studio album Aperitif for Destruction, as well as on his live album Viva la Vodka as a medley, interpolated with lyrics from "Intergalactic", "Ch-Check It Out", "Sabotage" and "Three MC's and One DJ".

Charts

Chart (1987)	Peak position
US Billboard Hot 100^[4]	48
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)^[5]	83

Chart (2012)	Peak position
US Billboard Rap Digital Songs^[6]	32

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)^[7] Mastertone	Gold	500,000^*
^* Sales figures based on certification alone.

References

^ "Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. March 21, 1987. p. 9. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
^ "Themes « Mike Bailey « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". Cagematch (in English and German). Retrieved 13 October 2023.
^ Broggi, Fabio "Fantomius". "Mike Bailey: Profile, Career Stats, Face/Heel Turns, Titles Won & Gimmicks | Pro Wrestlers Database". The SmackDown Hotel. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
^ "Beastie Boys Album & Song Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 2011-05-10.
^ "Beastie Boys Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
^ "Beastie Boys' 'Licensed to Ill' Returns to Top 20 on Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
^ "American single certifications – Beastie Boys – Brass Monkey". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 27, 2023.

External links

Beastie Boys - Brass Monkey on YouTube

[cb-1] "Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. March 21, 1987. p. 9. Retrieved 2022-08-08.

[2] "Themes « Mike Bailey « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". Cagematch (in English and German). Retrieved 13 October 2023.

[3] Broggi, Fabio "Fantomius". "Mike Bailey: Profile, Career Stats, Face/Heel Turns, Titles Won & Gimmicks | Pro Wrestlers Database". The SmackDown Hotel. Retrieved 2023-10-24.

[4] "Beastie Boys Album & Song Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 2011-05-10.

[sc_Billboardrandbhiphop_Beastie_Boys-5] "Beastie Boys Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-03-24.

[6] "Beastie Boys' 'Licensed to Ill' Returns to Top 20 on Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-03-24.

[United_StatesBeastie_BoysBrass_MonkeysingleCertRef-7] "American single certifications – Beastie Boys – Brass Monkey". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 27, 2023.

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v t e Beastie Boys
Ad-Rock John Berry Mike D MCA Kate Schellenbach
Studio albums	Licensed to Ill Paul's Boutique Check Your Head Ill Communication Hello Nasty To the 5 Boroughs The Mix-Up Hot Sauce Committee Part Two
Compilations	Some Old Bullshit The In Sound from Way Out! Beastie Boys Anthology: The Sounds of Science Solid Gold Hits Beastie Boys Music
EPs	Polly Wog Stew An Exciting Evening at Home with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego Pretzel Nugget Root Down Aglio e Olio Nasty Bits Scientists of Sound (The Blow Up Factor Vol. 1) The Mix-Up Bonus Tracks
Live musicians	Rick Rubin Doctor Dré DJ Hurricane Money Mark Eric Bobo Alfredo Ortiz Mix Master Mike
Associated acts	The Young and the Useless Dust Brothers Mario Caldato Jr. BS 2000 The Latch Brothers
Filmography	Beastie Boys Video Anthology Awesome; I Fuckin' Shot That! Fight for Your Right Revisited Beastie Boys Story
Related articles	Discography Songs Grand Royal The Beastles Oscilloscope Laboratories Simply Mortified
Category

v t e Beastie Boys singles
Licensed to Ill	"Hold It Now, Hit It" "The New Style" "Paul Revere" "Brass Monkey" "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)" "No Sleep till Brooklyn" "Girls"
Paul's Boutique	"Hey Ladies" "Shadrach"
Check Your Head	"Pass the Mic" "So What'cha Want" "Jimmy James" "Gratitude" "Professor Booty"
Ill Communication	"Sabotage" "Get It Together" "Sure Shot" "Root Down"
Hello Nasty	"Intergalactic" "Body Movin'" "The Negotiation Limerick File" "Remote Control / Three MC's and One DJ"
To the 5 Boroughs	"Ch-Check It Out" "Triple Trouble" "Right Right Now Now" "An Open Letter to NYC"
The Mix-Up	"The Electric Worm"
Hot Sauce Committee Part Two	"Lee Majors Come Again" "Too Many Rappers" "Make Some Noise" "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win"
Other singles	"Cooky Puss" "Rock Hard" "She's on It" "Alive" "Now Get Busy"
Other songs	"3-Minute Rule" "In a World Gone Mad"