Who was the first in hip hop to be sued over sampling? Here’s a hint. It was a group, not a solo performer. The answer is… Beastie Boys. Before the higher-profile lawsuits involving Biz Markie and De La Soul, there was this one: On the track “Hold It Now, Hit It”, the hip hop trio along with producer Rick Rubin used the spoken intro "yo leroy" from the Jimmy Castor song "The Return of Leroy Part 1", which landed them in court in 1987. The Beasties would also get into lawsuit trouble off and on over their sophomore effort, Paul’s Boutique, produced by the Dust Brothers. No wonder they played their instruments more often after that. It’s a lot cheaper!