at a glance...

Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Formed: 1981

Personnel:
Mike D (Mike Diamond)
MCA (Adam Yauch)
Ad-Rock (Adam Horovitz)
The boys are joined by a variety of musicians on this album, including Biz Markie, Money Mark, and members of Luscious Jackson

Bands in the family :
Luscious Jackson, A Tribe Called Quest, BS2000, Money Mark, UNKLE, DFL

Notes:
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. Their debut album, License 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. After a three-year hiatus, the Beasties took a monstrous leap forward artistically with Paul's Boutique, 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. Followed (relatively) closely by 1994's Ill Communication, and a massive world tour, it would be another four years before the release of a full length album of new material, 1998's Hello Nasty. 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.

Links:
Beastie Boys Mothership
We Love The Beastie Boys

After four years of silence, well you know it's on. Beastie Boys make you wish they'd never been gone. Like a phoenix from the ashes they consistently rise, their arsenal of rhymes increasing in size. Hello Nasty is the new cassette cd lp; the soundtrack for this summer it will certainly be.

Once again, the Beasties hit the nail on the head, incorporating styles that should have been dead. They can take something boring and make it sound cool, from techno to disco to rap's old school. This time they even do pop songs, like those other b-boys did -- The Beach Boys that is, or psychedelic like Syd. It all holds together, against all odds, shout outs to afro-cubans, or Buddhism's gods. A breath of fresh air on the music scene, this record is fun with a sophisticated sheen.

The Beastie Boys give hope to jaded old fans, always picking up new ones, like no one else can. They manage to be popular with young kids and old, still doing things their way, not like they were told. What would our lives be without these guys? Much more boring, and smaller in size. So here's to the Beasties, long may they reign. Much love to them, like Tarzan for Jane. It's not important how, just that they do it. Putting out great records like they knew they could do it. You gotta love Hello Nasty, it's just a must own. Like a hot summer day and an ice cream cone. Go get you a copy, and put it on now, or you won't be cool, though I told you how.

Seriously, it rocks.