Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys | |
|---|---|
| File:Beastie Boys.jpg | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | New York City, New York |
| Years active | 1979–Present |
| Members | Mike D King Ad-Rock MCA |
The Beastie Boys are a hip hop group from the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Manhattan. The main members are (from left to right on the photo) , Mike D (real name Michael Diamond), King Ad-Rock (Adam Horovitz) and MCA (Adam Yauch).
Beastie Boys were the first white (and the only partly-Jewish) rap group of any importance and one of the few acts from the early days of hip hop that still enjoy major success today. Their rock- and punk-influenced rap has had a significant impact on artists both in and outside the hip hop scene.
Many also note that the Beastie Boys are probably the only group out there - save for up-and-comers - who will play some of the most musically-varied concerts; from jumping around in bright Adidas track suits and rapping, to later coming onstage in matching suits and playing a combination of funk, jazz and rock.
History
The early days
Beastie Boys were formed in 1979 as a punk band called The Young Aborigines. In 1981, Adam Yauch (MCA) joined the group and changed the name to Beastie Boys. The name "Beastie" originally stood for "Boys Entering Anarchistic States Towards Internal Excellence," and the initials B.B. intended to mimic Washington DC punk band Bad Brains. The band's original line-up consisted of Adam Yauch on bass, Kate Schellenbach on drums, John Berry on guitar, and Michael Diamond (Mike D) on vocals. Their first gig was at Berry's house on Yauch's 17th birthday. The band quickly earned support slots for Bad Brains and Reagan Youth at venues such as CBGB and Max's Kansas City, playing at the latter venue on its closing night. That same year, the Beastie Boys recorded the 7" EP Pollywog Stew at 171A studios.
John Berry left the group (later forming Thwig) and was replaced by Adam Horovitz (Ad-rock)—who had previously played in the punk band The Young and the Useless in 1983. The band also performed its first rap track, Cooky Puss, based on a prank call by the group to Carvel Ice Cream. The song became a hit in New York underground dance clubs upon its release.
Licensed to Ill: 1984–1987
It was during this period that Def Jam record producer Rick Rubin entered the picture and the Beastie Boys changed from a punk rock outfit to a three-man rap crew. The band released the 12" single, Rock Hard, in 1984—the second record released by Def Jam that credited Rubin as producer. Soon after Rubin's arrival, Schellenbach developed creative differences with the band, citing her poor rapping skills and friction with Rubin. It was believed that Rubin objected to Shellenbach's place in the band as she did not fit the hip hop image the band aspired to. Schellenbach went on to join Luscious Jackson in 1991.
In 1985, the band supported Madonna on her North American Virgin tour. Later in the year, the group was on the Raising Hell tour with Run DMC, Whodini, LL Cool J, and the Timex Social Club. With their exposure on this tour, the track "Hold It Now, Hit It" made Billboard's national R&B and Dance charts. The track, "She's on It," from the Krush Groove soundtrack continued in a rap/metal vein while a double A-side 12" "Paul Revere/The New Style" was released at the end of the year and became another R&B/dance hit.
The band recorded Licensed to Ill in 1986 and released the album at the end of the year. It was a smash success, becoming the best selling rap album of the 1980s and the first rap album to go #1 on the Billboard album chart, where it stayed for five weeks. It also reached #2 on the Urban album charts. It was Columbia Records' fastest selling debut record to date and sold over five million copies. The first single from the album, "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party)," reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the video (directed by Ric Menello) became an MTV staple.
The band took the Licensed to Ill tour around the world the following year—it was controversial—featuring female members of the crowd dancing in cages and a giant motorized inflatable penis similar to one used by The Rolling Stones in the 1970s. The tour was troubled by lawsuits and arrests, with the band accused of provoking the crowd. In the United Kingdom, alleged insults supposedly aimed at leukemia victims almost resulted in the band being kicked out of the country—though the Beastie Boys maintain that the incident was an exaggeration of actual events resulting when the band politely declined to sign an autograph.
British comedian Tony Hawks recorded the song, "Stutter Rap," under the pseudonym of "Morris Minor and the Majors" as a send up of the Beastie Boys' then image. It became a major hit in the UK reaching #4 and #1 in Australia.
Paul's Boutique / Check Your Head: 1988–1992
The group matured with their second album, Paul's Boutique. Produced by the Dust Brothers and Matt Dike. Recorded in 1988, this extremely sample-heavy oeuvre is still considered one of the strongest works by the Beasties and is considered to be one of the greatest rap albums of all time. [1], as well as one of the most important albums to use a large array of samples (this was also one of the few albums that attempted to clear all 100+ samples.) Due to stricter sampling laws, an album like this would be nearly impossible to recreate today.
The album was released in 1989 by Capitol Records, after the falling out between the Boys and Def Jam. It failed to match the sales of Licensed to Ill, reaching #14 on the Billboard 200 and #10 on the Billboard R&B charts. The lead single, "Hey Ladies," reached #36 on the Billboard 100 and #10 on the R&B charts. Rolling Stone would describe the album as "the Pet Sounds / Dark Side of the Moon of hip hop." Paul's Boutique would eventually sell a million albums, despite the initially weak commercial reception.
The follow-up album, Check Your Head, was recorded in the band's own "G-Son" studio in Atwater Village, California and released on its Grand Royal record label. The band played the instruments on this album, with Mike D on drums, Yauch on bass, Horovitz on guitar and Mark Ramos Nishita ("Keyboard Money Mark") on keyboards. Mario Caldato Jr. ("Mario C") engineered the record and would become a longtime collaborator.
Check Your Head was released in 1992 and went double platinum in the U.S., reaching a peak of #10 on the Billboard 200. The first single, "So What'cha Want," reached #93 on the Billboard 100 and made both the urban and modern rock charts while "Pass the Mic" became a hit in dance clubs. The album also introduced a more experimental direction—with funk and jazz inspired songs—including "Lighten Up" and "Something's Got To Give." Hardcore punk even made its reappearance with "Time For Livin'."
The Beastie Boys signed an eclectic roster of artists to the Grand Royal label including Luscious Jackson and Sean Lennon, promising Australian artist Ben Lee and the Japanese duo Cibo Matto. The Beastie Boys owned Grand Royal Records until 2001 when it was then sold for financial reasons. Grand Royal's first independent release was Luscious Jackson's album In Search of Manny in 1993.
The Beastie Boys also published Grand Royal Magazine, with the first edition in 1993 featuring a cover story on Bruce Lee, artwork by George Clinton, and interviews with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and A Tribe Called Quest MC Q-Tip. The 1995 issue of the magazine contained a memorable piece on the "mullet." The Oxford English Dictionary cites this as the first published used of the term, along with the lyrics from the Beasties 1994 song Mullet Head. The OED says that the term was "apparently coined, and certainly popularized, by U.S. hip-hop group the Beastie Boys."[2]
Ill Communication: 1993–1996
Ill Communication, released in 1994, saw the Beastie Boys' return to the top of the charts when the album debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 & peaked at #2 on the R&B/ hip hop album chart. The single, "Sabotage," became a hit on the modern rock charts and the music video—directed by Spike Jonze—received extensive play on MTV. "Get It Together" reached Top 10 of the Billboard dance charts and also became an urban hit while "Sure Shot" was a dance hit. Some Old Bullshit, featuring the band's early independent material, made #50 on the Billboard independent charts.
The Beastie Boys headlined at Lollapalooza—an American travelling music festival—in 1994, together with the Smashing Pumpkins. In addition, the band performed three concerts—in Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington D.C.—to raise money for the Milarepa Fund and dedicated the royalties from "Shambala" and "Bodhisattva Vow" from the Ill Communication album to the cause. The Milarepa Fund aims to raise awareness of Tibetan human rights issues and the exile of the Dalai Lama. In 1996, Yauch organized the Tibetan Freedom Concert—a two-day festival at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco—that attracted 100,000 people.
In 1995, the popularity of the Beastie Boys was underlined when tickets for an arena tour went on sale in the U.S. and sold out within a few minutes. One dollar from each ticket sold went to local charities. The Beastie Boys toured South America and Southeast Asia for the first time. The band also released Aglio e Olio, a collection of eight songs lasting for just eleven minutes harking back to their punk roots, in 1995. The In Sound From Way Out!, a collection of jazz/funk instrumentals, was released on Grand Royal in 1996 with the title and artwork the same as a groundbreaking album by electronic music pioneers Perrey and Kingsley.
Hello Nasty: 1998–2001
The Beastie Boys returned to New York City in 1997 to produce and record the album Hello Nasty. The album displayed a substantial shift in musical feel, with the departure of DJ Hurricane. He was replaced by Mix Master Mike, who added to the Beasties' sound with his kinetic DJ style. Released 14 July, 1998, Hello Nasty clocked first week sales of nearly 700,000 in the U.S. and went straight to #1 in the U.S., the UK, Germany, Australia, Holland, New Zealand, and Sweden. The album achieved #2 rank in the charts in Canada and Japan, and was in the Top Ten in Austria, Switzerland, Ireland, Belgium, Finland, France, and Israel.
The Beastie Boys won two Grammy Awards in 1999—receiving the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album for Hello Nasty, as well as the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for "Intergalactic". This was the first, and as of 2005, the only time that a band has won awards in both rap and alternative categories.
Also at the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) they won the highly coveted Video Vangaurd Award for their contribution to music videos. The following year at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards they also won the award for Best Hip Hop Video for their hit song "Intergalactic". The opening to the Best Hip Hop award even had a man singing lyrics from the song into a waterstick repeating "Intergalactic Planetary, Planetary, Intergalactic" over & over again.
The Beastie Boys started an arena tour in 1998. Through Ian C. Rogers, the band made live downloads of their performances available for their fans but were temporarily thwarted when Capitol Records removed them from its website. The Beastie Boys was one of the first bands who made mp3 downloads available on their website—they got a high level of response and public awareness including a published article in The Wall Street Journal on the band's efforts.
The 1999 Tibetan Freedom Concerts featured shows in East Troy, Wisconsin, Sydney, Tokyo, and Amsterdam. On 28 September 1999, the Beastie Boys joined Elvis Costello to play "Radio, Radio" on the 25th anniversary of Saturday Night Live.
The Beastie Boys released The Sounds of Science, a two-CD Anthology of their works in 1999. This album reached #19 on the Billboard 200, #18 in Canada, #6 on the Internet sales charts, and #14 on the R&B/Hip Hop charts. The one new song, the single "Alive," reached #11 on the Billboard's Modern Rock chart.
In 2000, the Beastie Boys had planned to headline the "Rhyme and Reason" tour with Rage Against the Machine, but the tour was cancelled when drummer Mike D suffered a serious injury due to a bicycle accident. The official diagnosis was fifth degree acromioclavicular joint dislocation—he needed surgery and extensive rehabilitation. By the time he recovered, Rage Against the Machine had disbanded.
Adam "Ad-rock" Horovitz's side project BS 2000 released Simply Mortified in 2001.
To the 5 Boroughs: 2002–present
The band increased its level of political activism after the September 11th terrorist attacks in 2001—organizing and headlining the New Yorkers Against Violence Concert in October 2001. Funds from the concert went towards the New York Women's Foundation Disaster Relief Fund and the New York Association for New Americans (NYANA).
In 2002, the Beastie Boys started building a new studio facility, Oscilloscope, in downtown Manhattan, New York and started work on a new album. The band released a protest song, "In A World Gone Mad," against the 2003 Iraq war as a free download on several websites—including the Milarepa website, the MTV website, MoveOn.org, and Win Without War—it became the most downloaded track during April 2003. The 19th and 20th Tibetan Freedom Concerts were held in Tokyo and Taipei—the Beastie Boys' first Taiwan appearance. Beastie Boys also headlined the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
Their single, "Ch-Check It Out," debuted on The O.C. in "The Vegas" episode from Season 1 which aired April 28 2004. Yahoo Launch News Story
To The 5 Boroughs was released worldwide on June 15, 2004—it was the first album the Beastie Boys produced themselves and reached #1 on the Billboard album charts, #2 in the UK and Australia, and #3 in Germany. The first single from the album, "Ch-Check It Out," has reached #1 in Canada, #2 on the US modern rock chart and world Internet download charts, and #3 on a composite world modern rock chart.
The album was the cause of some controversy with allegations that it installed spyware when inserted into the CD drive of a computer. [3] The band has denied this allegation, defending that there is no copy protection software on the albums sold in the US and UK. While there is Macrovision CDS-200 copy protection software installed on European copies of the album, this is standard practice for all European releases on EMI/Capitol Records released in Europe and it does not install spyware or any form of permanent software.
The band stated in summer of 2006 that they are currently writing material for the next album, and will likely be producing it themselves. [4] [5]
There have been unconfirmed rumours (www.heebmagazine.com) that the band will be playing at the 2006 Perth Jew Year's Eve event.
As a band
Ever since their early days as a hardcore band, the Beastie Boys have continued creating instrumental music in addition to the rap music for which they're most well known. Their music ranges over many disparate genres, from punk rock and hardcore to funk and bossa nova. Such songs have been interspersed among the rap tracks on some of their major albums and have also been released in such collections as Aglio e Olio and The In Sound From Way Out!. The most common band setup features Mike D playing drums, Ad-Rock on guitar, and MCA on bass.
Influence
The Beastie Boys are equally influential in rock and rap music history—their blending of rap and punk rock genres could be seen as a precursor to the rapcore and nu metal genres of the late 1990s, such as Limp Bizkit and KoЯn.The band recognised their influence on the new movements, and expressed their dislike for them in the track Alive, featured in their "The Sounds of Science" anthology ("Created a monster with these rhymes I write / Goatee metal rap please say goodnight").
The band was also a leader in the use of sampling techniques—with Paul's Boutique being notable for its effective use of samples. The influence of this album can be seen on Beck's 1996 Odelay album (also produced by the Dust Brothers).
In the 90's they were setting trends with mixed skater, hip hop urban wear or as some dub "Skaballer".
The chart consistency of the Beastie Boys must also be acknowledged—they have had four albums reach the top of the Billboard album charts: Licensed to Ill, Ill Communication, Hello Nasty and To The 5 Boroughs since 1986. Few, if any, of the Beastie Boys' contemporaries have matched this feat.
The band can even be said to have influenced an entire generation: the Beastie Boys are a band that has been around for two decades, been a part of the early New York hardcore punk scene, and gone on to put out ground-breaking albums like Paul's Boutique. In fact, as of this writing, while largely considered a rap group, the group doesn't ignore their jazz, rock and funk songs and will play some selections at concerts. Also notable is the presence of the track "I Want Some" on the compilation The Sounds of Science, a song from their 1995 album Aglio E Olio which shows they haven't forgotten about where they started their career as a punk band.
Cultural references
- The "Sabotage" music video parodied 1970s police dramas, shot to resemble the opening credits of such a show.
- The "Intergalactic" video featured a giant robot causing destruction by fighting a giant squid-like creature in a city while popping, in a parody of Japanese Kaiju films, as well as the various franchises of the Power Rangers.
- The "Body Moving' Music Video is clearly a spoof on 1960s Spy and Crimefighter films and TV shows, notably James Bond and Batman, and directly parodies Danger: Diabolik.
- The matching tracksuits worn by the band in their post-"Hello Nasty" stage performances, and projected images of New York trains and spraypaint graffiti murals, represent a retrospective incorporation of Old School hip hop culture.
In the series Futurama, the Beastie Boys are lampooned for releasing albums slowly with the exchange with main character Philip J. Fry:
- Fry: Back in the 20th century, I had all five of your albums.
- Adam Horovitz: Dude, that was a thousand years ago! Now we got seven.
- Fry: Cool. Can I borrow the new ones? And a couple of blank tapes?
Nevertheless, in the ninth episode of the first season, Mike D and Ad-rock provide the voices for themselves (though their characters were but heads preserved in jars). Additionally, the viewer is treated to a humorously "live" performance of "Intergalactic" (quite obviously the album version). The ending credits also featured King Ad-Rock and Mike D performing a shout out to the show's characters over the Futurama theme song.
Their song "Brass Monkey" was referenced in the Lucasarts adventure game, "Escape From Monkey Island"," in which there was a small brass monkey powering a furnace. When examined, the line, "Brass Monkey, That Funky Monkey" can be heard.
Band members
Regular members (as of 2005):
- Michael Diamond, aka Mike D -born November 20 1965;
- Adam Yauch, aka MCA -born August 5 1964; and
- Adam Horovitz, aka King Ad-Rock -born October 31 1966.
Other contributing members:
- Michael Schwartz aka Mix Master Mike (DJ)
- Mario Caldato Junior aka Mario C (producer/engineer)
- John King and Mike Simpson aka The Dust Brothers (producers)
- Rick Rubin (producer and original DJ)
- Matt Dike (producer)
- Mark Ramos-Nishita aka Money Mark (keyboards, vocals, carpentry)
- Wendell Fite aka DJ Hurricane (DJ)
- Eric Bobo (percussion)
- Amery Smith aka AWOL (drums)
- Alfredo Ortiz (percussion)
- Biz Markie (did version of Elton John's Bennie and The Jets with the Beastie Boys, and also did a track called "The Biz vs. The Nuge")
- Q-Tip - (vocals on "Get It Together")
Media
Discography
| Year | Title | Label |
| 1982 | Pollywog Stew (EP) | Ratcage |
| 1983 | Cooky Puss (EP) | Ratcage |
| 1984 | Rock Hard (EP) | Def Jam |
| 1986 | Licensed to Ill | Def Jam |
| 1989 | Paul's Boutique | Capitol Records |
| 1992 | Check Your Head | Grand Royal |
| 1994 | Ill Communication | Grand Royal |
| 1994 | Some Old Bullshit | Grand Royal |
| 1995 | Aglio e Olio | Grand Royal |
| 1996 | The In Sound From Way Out! | Grand Royal |
| 1998 | Hello Nasty | Grand Royal |
| 1998 | Love American Style EP | Grand Royal |
| 1999 | The Sounds of Science | Capitol Records |
| 2003 | In A World Gone Mad | Capitol Records |
| 2004 | To the 5 Boroughs | Capitol Records |
| 2005 | Solid Gold Hits | Capitol Records |
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | ||||
| US Hot 100 | US Modern Rock | US Hot Hip Hop | US Hot Dance | UK | |||
| 1985 | "Rock Hard" | Rock Hard | |||||
| 1986 | "The New Style" | - | - | - | - | - | Licensed to Ill |
| 1986 | "Hold It, Now Hit It" | - | - | #55 | - | #27 | Licensed to Ill |
| 1986 | "Paul Revere" | - | - | #34 | - | - | Licensed to Ill |
| 1987 | "The New Style / Paul Revere" | - | - | - | #41 | - | Licensed to Ill |
| 1987 | "Brass Monkey" | #48 | - | #83 | - | - | Licensed to Ill |
| 1987 | "Fight For Your Right" | #7 | - | - | - | #11 | Licensed to Ill |
| 1987 | "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" | - | - | #29 | - | #14 | Licensed to Ill |
| 1987 | "She's On It" | - | - | - | - | #10 | Krush Groove Soundtrack |
| 1987 | "Girls / She's Crafty" | - | - | - | - | #34 | Licensed to Ill |
| 1989 | "Hey Ladies / Shake Your Rump" | - | - | - | #15 | - | Paul's Boutique |
| 1989 | "Hey Ladies" | #36 | #18 | #10 | - | - | Paul's Boutique |
| 1992 | "So What'cha Want" | #93 | #22 | #18 | - | - | Check Your Head |
| 1994 | "Sabotage" | - | #18 | - | - | - | Ill Communication |
| 1994 | "Get It Together" | - | - | #43 | - | - | Ill Communication |
| 1994 | "Get It Together / Sabotage" | - | - | - | - | #19 | Ill Communication |
| 1994 | "Sure Shot" | - | - | - | - | #27 | Ill Communication |
| 1998 | "Intergalactic" | #28 | #4 | - | - | #5 | Hello Nasty |
| 1998 | "Body Movin'" | - | - | - | - | #15 | Hello Nasty |
| 1999 | "The Negotiation Limerick File" | - | #29 | - | - | - | Hello Nasty |
| 1999 | "Remote Control / 3 MCs And 1 DJ" | - | - | - | - | #21 | Hello Nasty |
| 1999 | "Alive" | - | #11 | - | - | #28 | The Sounds of Science |
| 2004 | "Ch-Check It Out" | #68 | #1 | - | - | #8 | To the 5 Boroughs |
| 2004 | "Triple Trouble" | - | #11 | - | - | #37 | To the 5 Boroughs |
| 2004 | "Right Right Now Now" | - | - | #41 | #12 | - | To The 5 Boroughts |
| 2005 | "An Open Letter To NYC" | - | - | - | - | #38 | Solid Gold Hits |
Unreleased discography
| Year | Title | Label |
| 1996 | Don't Mosh In The Ramen Shop (ECD) | Grand Royal / Turntable Media |
| 1999 | Country Mike's Greatest Hits | Grand Royal |
Videography
| Year | Title | Label | Format |
| 1987 | "Licensed To Ill" | CBS / FOX | LD |
| 1987 | "Licensed To Ill" | CBS / FOX | VHS |
| 1992 | "The Skills To Pay The Bills" | Pioneer / Captiol | LD |
| 1992 | "The Skills To Pay The Bills" | Grand Royal | VHS |
| 1994 | "Sabotage" | PMI | VHS |
| 1995 | "Sabotage" | PMI / EMI | VCD |
| 1997 | "Sabotage" | Pioneer / Captiol | LD |
| 1997 | "Sabotage" | Grand Royal | DVD |
| 2000 | "Beastie Boys Video Anthology" | Grand Royal / The Criterion Collection | DVD |
In addition to the above releases, The Criterion Collection issued a promotional DVD single of Intergalactic in 2000. As well as this there have been some other promotional VHS and DVDs released by Capitol over the years, most notably, The Hiatus Is Back Off, Again DVD—released in the lead up to the release of To the 5 Boroughs.
A movie titled Awesome; I Fuckin' Shot That! [6], featuring a live performance on October 9, 2004 at Madison Square Garden, was released on March 31, 2006. Directed by Nathanial Hörnblowér, it was taped by 50 fans in the crowd who were given Hi-8 video cameras. The film was first screened on January 6, 2006, to the fans that shot the footage. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, and the DVD of the film will be released in July, 2006.
To promote the film, as well as their hits album, the Beastie Boys performed a medley of classics from "Three MC's and One D.J." to "So Whatcha Want" on The Late Show with David Letterman on February 8, 2006.
To promote the film's DVD release they performed "Root Down" on Late Night with Conan O'Brien on July 22nd, 2006
External links
- Beastie Boys Official Website
- Grand Royal Direct
- Capitol Records Capitol Records Beastie Boys page
- Beastiemania An unofficial information resource for all things Beastie
- Beastie Boys videos at Youtube
- Future Rock Hall entry for Beastie Boys eligible for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2007
- BeastieBoysRemixes.com Taco Zip's Beastie Boys remixes
- Phosphoros TT5B Full album remix
- BeastieMixes.com Beastie Boys remix hosting and downloads
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| Compilations | |
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| Live musicians | |
| Associated acts | |
| Filmography | |
| Related articles | |
