Pass the Mic

"Pass the Mic"
Single by Beastie Boys
from the album Check Your Head
B-side	"Time for Livin'", "Drunken Praying Mantis Style", "Netty's Girl"
Released	April 7, 1992
Format	CD single
Genre	Hip hop, rap rock
Length	4:16
Label	Capitol
Writer(s)	Beastie Boys
Producer	Beastie Boys, Mario Caldato
Beastie Boys singles chronology
"Shadrach" (1989) "Pass the Mic" (1992) "So What'cha Want" (1992)

"Pass the Mic" is the first single from the third studio album Check Your Head by Beastie Boys, released on April 7, 1992.

The last track on the single, "Netty's Girl", has a short clip stitched on the end of it, as well as a secret 3 second clip at the end of the track. The actual song is only 3 minutes long, as it appears on the compilation The Sounds of Science.

The song was the subject of the landmark Newton v. Diamond case in which a federal judge ruled that the band was not liable for sampling James Newton's "Choir", from which a six second sample was used.

Track listing

1. "Pass the Mic" (LP version) - 4:30
2. "Dub the Mic" (Instrumental) - 4:26
3. "Drunken Praying Mantis Style" - 2:37
4. "Pass the Mic (Pt. 2, Skills to Pay the Bills)" - 4:24
5. "Netty's Girl" - 5:39

Samples

• "Choir" by James Newton, from Axum.
• "Big Take Over" by Bad Brains, from Bad Brains.
• "So What'cha Sayin'" by EPMD, from Unfinished Business.
• "Big Sur Suite" by Johnny "Hammond" Smith, from Higher Ground.

Charts

Chart (1992)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart[1]	47
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales[2]	38

References

1. ^ "Chart Stats - Beastie Boys". Chart Stats. http://www.chartstats.com/artistinfo.php?id=155. Retrieved 2011-05-10. 
2. ^ "Check Your Head - Beastie Boys - Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. http://www.allmusic.com/album/check-your-head-r27628/charts-awards/billboard-album. Retrieved 2011-05-10.