"Pass the Mic" is the first single from the third studio album Check Your Head

Check Your Head

Check Your Head is the third studio album by the Beastie Boys, released on April 21, 1992.Three years elapsed between the release of Paul's Boutique and their recording of this album. Check Your Head was recorded at the G-Son Studios in Atwater Village, California in 1991...

by Beastie Boys

Beastie Boys

Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....

, 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
  James Newton
  James W. Newton is an American jazz flautist, composer, and conductor.-Biography:From his earliest years, James Newton grew up immersed in the sounds of African American music, including urban blues, rhythm and blues, and gospel. In his early teens he played electric bass guitar, alto saxophone,...
  
  , from Axum.
• "Big Take Over" by Bad Brains
  Bad Brains
  Bad Brains is an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1977. They are widely regarded as among the pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members objected to this term to describe their music. They are also an adept reggae band, while later recordings featured elements of...
  
  , from Bad Brains
  Bad Brains (album)
  Bad Brains is the first full-length studio album recorded by Bad Brains. Adam Yauch of Beastie Boys has been quoted as saying that this album is "the best punk/hardcore album of all time"...
  
  .
• "So What'cha Sayin'" by EPMD
  EPMD
  EPMD is an American hip hop group from Brentwood, New York. The group's name is a concatenation of the members' name "E" and "PMD" or an acronym for "Erick and Parrish Making Dollars", referencing its members, emcees Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith...
  
  , from Unfinished Business
  Unfinished Business (EPMD album)
  Unfinished Business is the second album from Hip Hop duo EPMD. Released in 1989, the album built upon the success of the group's previous album Strictly Business, which was released the previous year. The lead single, "So Wat Cha Sayin'," was the only charting single released from the album...
  
  .
• "Big Sur Suite" by Johnny "Hammond" Smith, from Higher Ground.

Charts

Chart (1992)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...	47
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales	38