On March 7, 1987, Licensed To Ill, the debut album from New York hip-hop trio Beastie Boys, became the first rap album to hit number one on the US Billboard 200 chart. That same week, the group had an additional reason to celebrate, as their single (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!) crashed into the US Top 10. When UK magazine Smash Hits joined the group on tour in New Orleans around this time, writer Chris Heath found the trio - Mike D (aka Michael Diamond), Ad-Rock (Adam Horovitz) and MCA (Adam Yauch) - in understandably ebullient mood.
"I don't know if we are the best band in America," Mike D mused, "but we're definitely having the best time."
