Beastie Boys Online
Nice fansite with biographies, news, pictures, virtual cards, and more.
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The Story So Far
Formed in New York City in 1981
by Mike Diamond and Adam
Yauch, with drummer Kate
Schellenbach and guitarist John
Berry, The Beastie Boys began as
straight ahead punk rock band,
joining the burgeoining
underground club scene.
In 1983,
Schellenbach and Berry left, and
Adam Horovitz joined; one year
later they joined forces with
aspiring record moguls Rick Rubin
and Russell Simmons and their
fledgling Def Jam Records. Early single "She's On It" created a stir with it's obvious ACDC sample and sneering raps, and The Beasties soon found themselves annoying audiences on tour with Madonna.
Their
debut album, Licensed to Ill, was
released in 1986, and the mix of
heavy metal riffs, punk attitude,
and hip hop sensibility made the
album an overnight sensation and
the best-selling rap album of the
1980's. The associated tours got well out of hand, especially in Britain, where the tabloids hounded the Beasties out of the country with all manner of false accusations. Nonetheless, the Boys had become a parody of themselves, and decamped for a rethink.
They split with Rubin and Def Jam, feeling his ideas were holding them back. Rubin was furious, and swore that he'd created them and could destroy them. Instead, after a three-year hiatus, Rubin found himself shaking his head in disbelief at the record the Beasties made without his input.
Paul's Boutique was a monstrous
leap forward artistically, a
groundbreaking masterpiece that
introduced the world to the
inimitable production style of The
Dust Brothers.
In 1992, the band
formed their own record label,
Grand Royal, built their own
studio, G-Son, and picked up their
instruments again to record Check
Your Head, which catapulted
them back into the spotlight.
Ill Communication followed (relatively) closely in 1994, captilalizing on all of its predecessors strengths and establishing the Beasties as arguably the most important band of the decade.
It would be
another four years before the
release of a full length album of
new material, 1998's Hello Nasty. The album was a huge critical and commercial success and re-staked the Beasties claim as Emperors of All That Is Cool. The Sounds of Science compilation is their latest release, and includes rare mixes and unheard tracks.
The Beastie Boys are also the
founders of the Tibetan Freedom
Concert, The Milarepa
Foundation (dedicated to raising
awareness and money in an effort
to end Chinese oppression of
Tibet and its people), Grand
Royal Magazine, and X-Large
Clothing. The Boys will be appearing on De La Soul's forthcoming album, Art of Official Intelligence.
