Kerry King’s Biggest Regret about Collaborating with Beastie Boys

Slayer guitarist Kerry King recently opened up about his notable cameo on the Beastie Boys’ “No Sleep Till Brooklyn,” a hit single from their iconic Licensed to Ill album. The track, accompanied by a memorable video that got heavy airplay on MTV, featured King playing a blistering solo.

During an appearance on Border City Rock Talk, King reflected on this experience and disclosed a significant regret related to it.

“It’s funny how simple it was. We [Slayer] were working on what became the Reign In Blood album, and the Beastie Boys were creating Licensed To Ill down the hall in the same studio. Rick Rubin was producing both albums. They needed a lead for ‘No Sleep Till Brooklyn,’ and I thought, ‘Sure, why not? I could use a couple of hundred bucks.’ I wasn’t well-off back then, so I did it,” King shared.

King continued, “In hindsight, I wish I didn’t get paid. I wish I took a quarter point or something, ’cause now I would be a rich man.” King referred to “points” as percentages of the net profits from the song’s composition and recording. Even a small percentage would have earned significantly more than the “couple hundred bucks” he initially received.

While the payment was modest, King’s participation did have a lasting impact. Back in 2014, during an interview for the Scion AV All Purpose Show, King talked about his influence on the “No Sleep Till Brooklyn” video.

He recalled, “I went in and did the video, thinking it would be a great way to get Slayer’s foot in the door with videos. I thought, ‘I’m in the Beastie Boys video, and that’s gonna be huge.’”

However, when he arrived on set, he learned that a gorilla was supposed to knock him offstage in the clip. King’s response was firm: “That ain’t gonna happen.” Instead, he suggested an alternative where he swiped at the gorilla with his nails and continued performing, which ended up in the final cut.

This wasn’t the only guest appearance King made over his career. Years later, he also featured in the Sum 41 song “What We’re All About,” which was part of the 2002 Spider-Man soundtrack.

Initially, King turned down Sum 41’s request multiple times, despite their persistence. It wasn’t until a record label representative gave him a compelling argument that he reconsidered.

King told Metal Hammer, “A friend of mine at the label came to me with a point I couldn’t argue with. He said, ‘Well, you played on the Beastie Boys record.’ That was my epiphany. It was before Slayer got back on the map. Those dudes were fun, and they were popping.”

The massive success of the Tobey Maguire-led Spider-Man film brought attention to King in a way his band hadn’t always received.

Reflecting on those guest spots, King remarked, “So, yeah, I played on the Beastie Boys record and I played on the Sum 41 record. Those weren’t just choices for me; they were career moves. Some people may agree with them, and some may not.”