Meta Description: Discover Kerry King’s regret over his contribution to Beastie Boys’ “No Sleep till Brooklyn.” Learn how a missed opportunity for royalties could have made him a rich man.
Kerry King’s Regret: The Missed Opportunity with Beastie Boys’ “No Sleep till Brooklyn”
Living in the musical world often comes with a volume of mistakes and regrets. Particularly within rock music, most artists are simply making it up as they go along. Seemingly inconsequential actions, like lending a short guitar solo to friends, can become a pretty sore subject years down the line. This is especially true for Slayer guitarist Kerry King, whose regret revolves around his contribution to Beastie Boys’ hit “No Sleep till Brooklyn.”
The 1986 Crossroads: Slayer and Beastie Boys
Back in 1986, Kerry King and Slayer were in the midst of recording their defining record, Reign In Blood. This album marked a significant point in Slayer’s history, being their first with Def Jam Records and Rick Rubin. Def Jam, primarily a hip-hop label, led Slayer to rub shoulders with some unlikely figures.
Just across the corridor from Slayer, Beastie Boys were recording their debut album, Licensed To Ill. With Rubin producing both projects, some inevitable overlap occurred between the two very different bands.
Kerry King’s Contribution to “No Sleep till Brooklyn”
During the recording process, Rick Rubin thought a guitar solo would elevate Beastie Boys’ track “No Sleep till Brooklyn.” He drafted Kerry King for the job. In a recent interview with Border City Rock Talk, King reflected on his regret over taking a flat fee for the solo.
“The simplicity of it is what’s funny about it,” King said. “We were doing what became the Reign In Blood album and the Beastie Boys were doing Licensed To Ill in the same studio – like down the hall from each other.”
The Regret Over Missed Royalties
King continued, “And Rick Rubin was doing both projects. So they needed a lead on that particular song, ‘No Sleep till Brooklyn’. So I thought about it, and I went, ‘Yeah, why not? I can use a couple hundred bucks.’”
Session musicians taking a flat fee rather than a percentage of royalties is a tale as old as rock music itself, and it never seems to end harmoniously. “I certainly wasn’t well-to-do back then,” King shared, “So, that’s what I did. I went in there and I did it. And in hindsight, I wish I didn’t get paid. I wish I took a quarter point or something, because now I would be a rich man!”
Conclusion
Kerry King’s regret over his contribution to Beastie Boys’ “No Sleep till Brooklyn” highlights a common dilemma in the music industry. While a flat fee might seem appealing at the moment, the potential for long-term royalties often outweighs the immediate gain. King’s reflection serves as a reminder of the importance of considering future benefits in the fast-paced world of music.
