Beastie Boys
Template:Short description Template:About Template:Use mdy dates Template:Use American English Template:Infobox musical artist
The Beastie Boys were an American hip hop and rap rock group formed in New York City in 1979.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They were composed of Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (vocals, guitar), Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Michael "Mike D" Diamond (vocals, drums). The Beastie Boys were formed out of members of experimental hardcore punk band the Young Aborigines, which was formed in 1979, with Diamond on drums, Jeremy Shatan on bass guitar, John Berry on guitar, and Kate Schellenbach later joining on percussion.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> When Shatan left New York City in mid-1981, Yauch replaced him on bass and the resulting band was named the Beastie Boys. Berry left shortly thereafter and was replaced by Horovitz.
After achieving local success with the 1983 comedy hip hop single "Cooky Puss", the Beastie Boys made a full transition to hip hop, and Schellenbach left. They toured with Madonna in 1985 and a year later released their debut album, Licensed to Ill (1986), the first rap album to top the Billboard 200 chart.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Their second album, Paul's Boutique (1989), composed almost entirely of samples, was a commercial failure that later received critical acclaim. Check Your Head (1992) and Ill Communication (1994) found mainstream success, followed by Hello Nasty (1998), To the 5 Boroughs (2004), The Mix-Up (2007), and Hot Sauce Committee Part Two (2011).
The Beastie Boys have sold 20 million records in the United States and had seven platinum-selling albums from 1986 to 2004.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> They are the biggest-selling rap group since Billboard began recording sales in 1991.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 2012, they became the third rap group to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In the same year, Yauch died of cancer and the Beastie Boys disbanded.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The remaining members have released several retrospective works, including a book, a documentary, and a career-spanning compilation album.
History
[edit]1979–1983: Formation and early years
[edit]Prior to forming the Beastie Boys, Michael Diamond was part of a number of bands such as the Walden Jazz Band, and BAN. The Young Aborigines formed in 1979. In 1981, when Young Aborigines bassist Jeremy Shatan left New York City for the summer, the remaining members Diamond, John Berry and Kate Schellenbach began to perform as the Beastie Boys with Adam Yauch.<ref name="Beastiemania timeline">Template:Cite web</ref>
In a 2007 interview with Charlie Rose, Yauch recalled that it was Berry who suggested the name the Beastie Boys.<ref name="rose2007">Template:Cite episode</ref> Although the band stated that "Beastie" is an acronym standing for "Boys Entering Anarchistic States Towards Inner Excellence",<ref name="billboard">Template:Cite magazine</ref> in the Charlie Rose interview, both Yauch and Diamond acknowledged that the acronym was an "afterthought" conceived after the name was chosen.<ref name="rose2007" /> The band supported Bad Brains, the Dead Kennedys,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the Misfits<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Reagan Youth at venues such as CBGB, A7, Trude Heller's and Max's Kansas City, playing at the latter venue on its closing night. In November 1982, the Beastie Boys recorded the 7-inch EP Polly Wog Stew at 171A studios, an early recorded example of New York hardcore.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On November 13, 1982, the Beastie Boys played Philip Pucci's birthday for the purposes of his short concert film, Beastie.<ref name=pucci>Template:Cite web</ref> Pucci held the concert in Bard College's Preston Drama Dance Department Theatre. This performance marked the Beastie Boys' first on-screen appearance in a published motion picture. Pucci's concept for Beastie was to distribute a mixture of both a half dozen 16 mm Bell & Howell Filmo cameras, and 16 mm Bolex cameras to audience members and ask that they capture the Beastie Boys performance from the audience's own point of view while a master sync sound camera filmed from the balcony of the abandoned theater where the performance was held.<ref name=pucci/> The opening band for that performance was the Young and the Useless, which featured Adam Horovitz as the lead singer. A one-minute clip of Beastie was subsequently excerpted and licensed by the Beastie Boys for use in the "Egg Raid on Mojo" segment of the "Skills to Pay the Bills" long-form home video released by Capitol Records. "Skills to Pay the Bills" later went on to be certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Berry left the group in 1982 (later forming Thwig, Big Fat Love and Bourbon Deluxe) and was replaced by Horovitz, who had become close friends with the Beastie Boys.
The band also recorded and then performed its first hip hop track, "Cooky Puss", based on a prank call by the group to a Carvel Ice Cream franchise in 1983.<ref name="nymag">Template:Cite web</ref> It was a part of the new lineup's first EP, also called Cooky Puss, which was the first piece of work that showed their incorporation of the underground rap phenomenon and the use of samples. It quickly became a hit in New York underground dance clubs and night clubs. After "Beastie Revolution" was later sampled in a British Airways commercial, the Beastie Boys threatened to sue them over the use of the song, and the airline immediately paid them $40,000 in royalties.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1984–1987: Def Jam years and Licensed to Ill
[edit]Following the success of "Cooky Puss", the band began to incorporate rap into their sets. They hired a DJ for their live shows, New York University student Rick Rubin, who began producing records soon thereafter. "I met Mike first," Rubin recalled. "I thought he was an arrogant asshole. Through spending time with the Beasties I grew to see that they had this great sense of humor. It wasn't that they were assholes, and even if it was, they were funny with it."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Rubin formed Def Jam Recordings with Russell Simmons, and approached the band about producing them for his new label. As the band was transitioning to hip hop, Schellenbach was fired in 1984,<ref name="forget">Template:Cite book</ref> with Diamond taking over on drums. In their 2018 memoir, Ad-Rock expressed regret for firing Schellenbach, which he attributed to her not fitting with the "new tough-rapper-guy identity".<ref name="nypostpenis">Template:Cite web</ref>
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The band's 12-inch single "Rock Hard" (1984) was the second Def Jam record crediting Rubin as producer (the first was "It's Yours" by T La Rock and Jazzy Jay). During 1985, the group was the supporting act of the Virgin Tour, Madonna's first concert series.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> On July 22, 1986, the Beastie Boys opened for John Lydon's post-Sex Pistols band Public Image Ltd.,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They headlined with Fishbone and Murphy's Law with DJ Hurricane, and later in the year the group was on the Raising Hell tour with Run-DMC, Whodini, LL Cool J, and the Timex Social Club. Thanks to this exposure, "Hold It Now, Hit It" charted on BillboardTemplate:'s US R&B and dance charts.<ref name="bbhotrnb">Template:Cite web</ref> "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.Template:Citation needed
The band recorded Licensed to Ill in 1986 and released it on November 15, 1986. The album was favorably reviewed by Rolling Stone magazine. Licensed to Ill became one of the best-selling rap albums of the 1980s and the first rap album to go number 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, where it stayed for five weeks. It also reached number 2 on the Top R&B album chart.<ref name="rnbalbums">Template:Cite magazine</ref> It was Def Jam's fastest selling debut record to date and sold over nine-million copies. The fourth single, "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)", reached number 7 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Although the group has sold over 26-million records in the US, this is their only single to peak in the US top ten or top twenty. The accompanying video (directed by Ric Menello and Adam Dubin<ref name=mtv>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=spin2>Template:Cite news</ref>) became an MTV staple.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Another song from the album, "No Sleep till Brooklyn", peaked at number 14 on the UK Singles Chart.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The band took the Licensed to Ill tour around the world the following year. The tour was troubled by lawsuits and arrests, with the band accused of provoking the crowd. This culminated in a notorious gig at the Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool, England, on May 30, 1987, that erupted into a riot approximately 10 minutes after the group hit the stage and the arrest of Adam Horovitz by Merseyside Police. He was charged with assault causing grievous bodily harm.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1988–1989: Move to Capitol Records and Paul's Boutique
[edit]In 1988, the Beastie Boys appeared in Tougher Than Leather, a film directed by Rubin as a star vehicle for Run-D.M.C. and Def Jam Recordings. After Def Jam stopped paying them for work they had already done and were owed money for, the Beastie Boys left Def Jam and signed with Capitol Records.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
The second Beastie Boys album, Paul's Boutique, was released on July 25, 1989. Produced by the Dust Brothers, it blends eclectic samples and has been described as an early work of experimental hip hop.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref> It failed to match the sales of Licensed to Ill,<ref name=":0" /> reaching number 14 on the US album charts,<ref name="bb200">Template:Cite web</ref> but later attracted acclaim;<ref name=":0" /><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Rolling Stone ranked it number 156 on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> It also made it onto the Apple Music 100 Best Albums list at number 48.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1990–1997: Check Your Head and Ill Communication
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Check Your Head was recorded in the band's G-Son studio in Atwater Village, California, and released on its Grand Royal record label.<ref name="weiss">Template:Cite web</ref> The band was influenced to play instruments on this album by Dutch group Urban Dance Squad; with Mike D on drums, Yauch on bass, Horovitz on guitar and Mark Ramos Nishita ("Keyboard Money Mark") on keyboards. Mario Caldato, Jr., who had helped in the production of Paul's Boutique, engineered the record and became a longtime collaborator. Check Your Head was released in 1992 and was certified double Platinum in the US and peaked at number 10 on the Billboard 200.<ref name="bb200"/> The single "So What'cha Want" reached number 93 on the Billboard Hot 100<ref name="hot100">Template:Cite web</ref> and charted on both the Rap and Modern Rock Chart,<ref name="cyhsingles">Template:Cite web</ref> while the album's first single, "Pass the Mic", peaked at number 38 on the Hot Dance Music chart.<ref name="cyhsingles"/> The album also introduced a more experimental direction, with funk and jazz inspired songs including "Lighten Up" and "Something's Got to Give". The band returned to their hardcore punk roots for the song "Time for Livin'", a cover of a 1974 Sly and the Family Stone song. The addition of instruments and the harder rock sound of the album could be considered a precursor to the nu metal genre of music to come out in the later half of the 1990s.<ref name="weiss"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Beastie Boys signed an eclectic roster of artists to their Grand Royal label, including Luscious Jackson, Sean Lennon, and Australian artist Ben Lee. The group owned Grand Royal Records until 2001. Grand Royal's first independent release was Luscious Jackson's album In Search of Manny in 1993. Also in 1993, the band contributed the track "It's the New Style" (with DJ Hurricane) to the AIDS benefit album No Alternative, produced by the Red Hot Organization.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The Beastie Boys also published Grand Royal Magazine, which ran for six issues between 1993 and 1997,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> the first issue featuring a cover story on Bruce Lee, artwork by George Clinton, and interviews with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and A Tribe Called Quest's MC Q-Tip.Template:Citation needed The 1995 issue of the magazine contained a piece on the mullet. The Oxford English Dictionary cites this as the first published use of the term, along with the lyrics from the band's 1994 song, "Mullet Head". That term was not heard in the 1980s, even though that decade has retroactively been hailed as the mullet's peak in popularity. The OED says that the term was "apparently coined, and certainly popularized, by US hip-hop group Beastie Boys".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Ill Communication, released in 1994, saw the Beastie Boys' return to the top of the charts when the album debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200<ref name="bb200"/> and peaked at number 2 on the R&B/hip hop album chart.<ref name="rnbalbums"/> The single "Sabotage" became a hit on the modern rock charts and the music video, directed by Spike Jonze, received extensive play on MTV.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Also in 1994, the band released Some Old Bullshit, featuring the band's early independent material, which made it to number 46 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
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 Ill Communication 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 largest rock benefit show since 1985's Live Aid – the Tibetan Freedom Concert, a two-day festival at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco that attracted over 100,000 attendees.<ref name="rs96">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
In 1995, the popularity of the Beastie Boys was underlined when tickets for an arena tour went on sale in the US and Madison Square Garden and Chicago's Rosemont Horizon sold out within 30 minutes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> One dollar from each ticket sold went through Milarepa to local charities in each city on the tour.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The Beastie Boys toured South America and Southeast Asia for the first time. The band also released Aglio e Olio (Italian for "Garlic and Oil"), a collection of eight songs lasting just 11 minutes harking back to their punk roots, in 1995. The In Sound from Way Out!, a collection of previously released jazz/funk instrumentals, was released on Grand Royal in 1996 with the title and artwork a homage to an album by electronic pop music pioneers Perrey and Kingsley.Template:Citation needed
In 1992, the Beastie Boys decided to sample portions of the sound recording of "Choir" by James Newton in various renditions of their song "Pass the Mic". The band did not obtain a license from Newton to use the composition. Pursuant to their license from ECM Records, the Beastie Boys digitally sampled the opening six seconds of Newton's sound recording of "Choir", and repeated this six-second sample as a background element throughout their song.<ref name=BB_statement>Template:Cite web</ref> Newton brought suit, claiming that the band infringed his copyright in the underlying composition of "Choir". The district court granted the Beastie Boys summary judgment.<ref name=legal/> The district court said that no license was required because the three-note segment of "Choir" lacked the requisite originality and was therefore not copyrightable. The decision was affirmed on appeal.<ref name=legal/>
1998–2001: Hello Nasty
[edit]The Beastie Boys began work on the album Hello Nasty at the G-Son studios, Los Angeles in 1995, but continued to produce and record it in New York City after Yauch moved to Manhattan in 1996.<ref name="RollingStone HelloNasty">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The album displayed a substantial shift in musical feel, with the addition of Mix Master Mike. The album featured bombastic beats, rap samples, and experimental sounds.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Released on July 14, 1998, Hello Nasty earned first week sales of 681,000 in the US<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and went straight to number 1 in the US, the UK, Germany, Australia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Sweden.<ref name="bb200"/><ref name="ukcharts">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The album achieved number 2 rank on the charts in Canada<ref name="canadabb">Template:Cite web</ref> and Japan,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and reached top-ten chart positions in Austria, Switzerland, Ireland, Belgium, Finland, France and Israel.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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".<ref name="grammy">Template:Cite web</ref> This was the first time that a band had won awards in both rap and alternative categories.<ref name="Zubia2012" />
At the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards, the Beastie Boys won the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award for their contributions to music videos.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Beastie Boys used both appearances at the Video Music Awards to make politically charged speeches of considerable length to the sizable MTV audiences.<ref name="mtvlovesmtv">Template:Cite web</ref> At the 1998 ceremony, Yauch addressed the issue of Muslim people being stereotyped as terrorists and that most people of the Muslim faith are not terrorists.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> These comments were made in the wake of the US Embassy bombings that had occurred in both Kenya and Tanzania only a month earlier. At the 1999 ceremony in the wake of the horror stories that were coming out of Woodstock 99, Adam Horovitz addressed the fact that there had been many cases of sexual assaults and rapes at the festival, suggesting the need for bands and festivals to pay much more attention to the security details at their concerts.<ref name="mtvlovesmtv"/>
The Beastie Boys started an arena tour in 1998. Through Ian C. Rogers,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> the band made live downloads of their performances available for their fans, but were temporarily thwarted when Capitol Records removed them from its website.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The Beastie Boys was one of the first bands to make MP3 downloads available on their website.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Zubia2012">Template:Cite news</ref> The group got a high level of response and public awareness as a result including a published article in The Wall Street Journal on the band's efforts.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
The Beastie Boys released The Sounds of Science, a two-CD anthology of their works in 1999. This album reached number 19 on the Billboard 200,<ref name="bb200"/> number 18 in Canada,<ref name="canadabb"/> and number 14 on the R&B/Hip Hop chart.<ref name="bbhotrnb"/> The one new song, the single "Alive", reached number 11 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2000, the Beastie Boys had planned to co-headline the Rhyme and Reason Tour with Rage Against the Machine and Busta Rhymes, but the tour was canceled when drummer Mike D sustained a serious injury due to a bicycle accident.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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, although they would reunite seven years later.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Under the name Country Mike, Mike D recorded an album, Country Mike's Greatest Hits, and gave it to friends and family for Christmas in 2000.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz's side project BS 2000 released Simply Mortified in 2001.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In October 2001, after the September 11, 2001 attacks, the Beastie Boys organized and headlined the New Yorkers Against Violence Concert at the Hammerstein Ballroom.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
2002–2008: To the 5 Boroughs and The Mix-Up
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In 2002, Adam Yauch started building a new studio facility, Oscilloscope Laboratories, in downtown Manhattan, New York<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and the band started work on a new album there. 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.<ref name="rskirk">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The 19th and 20th Tibetan Freedom Concerts were held in Tokyo and Taipei, the Beastie Boys' first Taiwan appearance. The Beastie Boys also headlined the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Their single, "Ch-Check It Out", debuted on The O.C. in the season 1 episode "The Vegas", which aired April 28, 2004.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
To the 5 Boroughs was released worldwide on June 15, 2004.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was the first album the band produced themselves<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and reached number 1 on the Billboard albums chart,<ref name="bb200"/> number 2 in the UK<ref name="ukcharts"/> and Australia, and number 3 in Germany. The first single from the album, "Ch-Check It Out", reached number 1 in Canada and on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart. <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The album was the cause of some controversy with allegations that it installed spyware when inserted into the CD drive of a computer.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The band 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The band stated in mid-2006 that they were writing material for their next album and would be producing it themselves.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Speaking to British music weekly NME (April 26, 2007),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Diamond revealed that a new album was to be called The Mix-Up. Despite initial confusion regarding whether the album would have lyrics as opposed to being purely instrumental, the Mic-To-Mic blog reported that Capitol Records had confirmed it would be strictly instrumental and erroneously reported a release date scheduled for July 10, 2007.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (The album was eventually released June 26, as originally reported.) On May 1, 2007, this was further cemented by an e-mail sent to those on the band's mailing list – explicitly stating that the album would be all instrumental:
The band subsequently confirmed the new album and announced a short tour that focused on festivals as opposed to a traditional tour,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> including the likes of Sónar<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (Spain), Roskilde (Denmark), Hurricane/Southside (Germany), Bestival<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (Isle of Wight), Electric Picnic (Ireland) and Open'er Festival (Poland). The Beastie Boys performed at the UK leg of Live Earth July 7, 2007 at Wembley Stadium, London with "Sabotage", "So What'cha Want", "Intergalactic", and "Sure Shot".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
They worked with Reverb, a non-profit environmental organization, on their 2007 summer tour,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and headlined the Langerado Music Festival in South Florida on Friday, March 7, 2008.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The band won a Grammy for The Mix-Up in the "Best Pop Instrumental Album" category at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards in 2008.<ref name="grammy" />
2009–2012: Hot Sauce Committee
[edit]
In February 2009, Yauch revealed their forthcoming new album had taken the band's sound in a "bizarre" new direction, saying "It's a combination of playing and sampling stuff as we're playing, and also sampling pretty obscure records."<ref name="spin">Template:Cite web</ref> The tentative title for the record was Tadlock's Glasses, of which Yauch explained the inspiration behind the title:
On May 25, 2009, it was announced during an interview on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon that the name of their new album would be Hot Sauce Committee and was set for release on September 15<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> (with the track listing of the album announced through their mailing list on June 23). The album included a collaboration with Santigold who co-wrote and sang with the band on the track "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win".<ref>Template:Citation</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In June, the group appeared at Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival and performed the new single from the album titled "Too Many Rappers" alongside rapper Nas who appears on the track. It was the last live performance by the Beastie Boys as a trio.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The group would have toured the UK later in the year in support of the new record.<ref name=beastie>Template:Cite news</ref>
Speaking to Drowned in Sound, the Beastie Boys revealed that Part 2 was done.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Mike D also hinted it may be released via unusual means:
On July 20, Yauch announced on the band's official YouTube channel<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and through the fan mailing list, the cancellation of several tour dates and the postponement of the new album<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> due to the discovery of a cancerous tumor in his parotid gland and a lymph node. The group also had to cancel their co-headlining gig at the Osheaga Festival in Montreal<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and another headlining spot for the first night of the All Points West Festival in Jersey City, New Jersey.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In late October 2010, the Beastie Boys sent out two emails regarding the status of Hot Sauce Committee Pts. 1 and 2 to their online mailing list. An email dated October 18 read: "Although we regret to inform you that Hot Sauce Committee Part 1 will continue to be delayed indefinitely, Hot Sauce Committee Part 2 will be released on time as originally planned in spring of 2011."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> One week later, a second email was sent out, reading as follows:
The official release dates were April 27, 2011, for Japan; April 29 in the UK and Europe, and May 3, 2011, in the US.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The third single for the album "Make Some Noise" was made available for download on April 11, 2011, as well as a limited edition 7-inch vinyl single for Record Store Day five days later with a Passion Pit remix of the track as a b-side.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The track was leaked online on April 6 and subsequently made available via their blog.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On April 22, the Beastie Boys emailed out the cryptic message "This Sat, 10:35 am EST – Just listen, listen, listen to the beat box". A day later, they live streamed their album online via beatbox inside Madison Square Garden.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The band was announced as an inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in December 2011. They were inducted by Chuck D and LL Cool J on April 14, 2012.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Yauch was too sick to attend the ceremony, having been admitted to NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital the same day,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> therefore the group didn't perform; instead Black Thought, Travie from Gym Class Heroes and Kid Rock performed a medley of their songs. Diamond and Horovitz accepted and read a letter that Yauch had written.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2012–present: Deaths of Yauch and Berry, and disbandment
[edit]On May 4, 2012, Yauch died from cancer at the age of 47.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Mike D told Rolling Stone that the Beastie Boys had recorded new music in late 2011, but did not say if these recordings would be released. He also said that the Beastie Boys would likely disband due to the death of MCA, though he was open to making new music with Ad-Rock and that "Yauch would genuinely want us to try whatever crazy thing we wanted but never got around to".<ref name="fuse">Template:Cite web</ref> In June 2014, Mike D confirmed that he and Ad-Rock would not make music under the Beastie Boys name again.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The founding Beastie Boys guitarist John Berry died on May 19, 2016, aged 52, as a result of frontotemporal dementia,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> following several years of ill health.<ref name="Founding Member Dead">Template:Cite web</ref> He was credited with naming the band<ref name="Beastie's Name">Template:Cite web</ref> and played guitar on the first EP.<ref name="Founding Member Dead" /><ref name="Beastie's Name" /><ref name="Early Member of Band">Template:Cite web</ref> The first Beastie Boys show took place at Berry's loft.<ref name="Founding Member Dead" /><ref name="Beastie's Name" />
Yauch's will forbids the use of Beastie Boys music in advertisements. In June 2014, the Beastie Boys won a lawsuit against Monster Energy for using their music in a commercial without permission.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> They were awarded $1.7 million in damages and $668,000 for legal fees.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In October 2018, Mike D and Ad-Rock released a memoir, Beastie Boys Book, recounting events throughout the group's history.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The book was adapted into a documentary in April 2020, Beastie Boys Story, directed by Spike Jonze and premiered on Apple TV+.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The book and documentary were also complemented by the compilation album Beastie Boys Music, released in October 2020.<ref name="bbm">Template:Cite web</ref>
Activism
[edit]Template:Main In 1994, Yauch and activist Erin Potts<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> organized the Tibetan Freedom Concert in order to raise awareness of humans rights abuses by the Chinese government on the Tibetan people. Yauch became aware of this after hiking in Nepal and speaking with Tibetan refugees.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The events became annual, and shortly after went international with acts such as Live, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe of R.E.M., Rage Against the Machine, the Smashing Pumpkins, and U2.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Musical style and influences
[edit]Originally a hardcore punk band,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the Beastie Boys had largely abandoned the genre in favor of hip hop and rap rock<ref name="Popmatters genres">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> by the time work began on their debut studio album Licensed to Ill. The group mixed elements of hip hop, punk, funk, electro, jazz and Latin music into their music.<ref name="Popmatters genres"/> They have also been described as alternative hip hop<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> and punk rap.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Legacy, influence and cultural impact
[edit]Around the time of the release of their debut album, Licensed to Ill, Mike D started to appear on stage and in publicity photographs wearing a large Volkswagen emblem attached to a chain-link necklace. This started a rash of thefts of the emblem from vehicles around the world as fans tried to emulate him.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A controversial concert in Columbus, Georgia, in 1987 led to the passage of a lewdness ordinance in that city.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Beastie Boys are influential in the hip hop and rock music scenes, with artists such as Eminem,<ref name="Eminem 2008, p. 20">Template:Cite book</ref> Rage Against the Machine,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Hed PE,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Nowrap,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Sublime,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Blur<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> citing them as an influence. In the 2022 book What's That Sound?: An Introduction to Rock Music and Its History, music journalists Andrew Flory and John Covach surmised "perhaps the Beastie Boys will prove to be the Elvises of rap—the inevitable white catalysts necessary for exploding black music innovations into Anglo ears."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
The Beastie Boys 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.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In the November 2004 issue, Rolling Stone named "Sabotage" the 475th song on their 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In their April 2005 issue, Rolling Stone ranked them number 77 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> VH1 ranked them number 89 on their list of their 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On September 27, 2007, it was announced that the Beastie Boys were one of the nine nominees for the 2008 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductions.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In December 2011, they were announced to be official 2012 inductees.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Beastie Boys have many high-profile longtime fans, including Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) president Dana White, who has a bass guitar signed by all three members and a copy of Beastie Boys Book in his office.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Speaking on the death of Adam Yauch, White said, "I seriously haven't been impacted by a death in a long time like I was with the Beastie Boys".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Actor Seth Rogen, who appeared in the video for "Make Some Noise", also said, "I'm a huge Beastie Boys fan and they just called and asked if I wanted to be a part of it, and I said yes without hesitation. I didn't need to hear anything. I didn't need to see anything, any concepts. I was just like, 'I will literally do anything you ask me to do'".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Ben Stiller was seen in the crowd for the DVD release Awesome; I Fuckin' Shot That! and featured Horovitz in his movie While We're Young, where he said, "I'm a huge Beastie Boys fan, so doing that, for me, was beyond anything".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Eminem was highly influenced by the Beastie Boys and cited them alongside LL Cool J as being the reason he got into rap. During an interview with MTV after the death of Yauch, he said, "Adam Yauch brought a lot of positivity into the world and I think it's obvious to anyone how big of an influence the Beastie Boys were on me and so many others. They are trailblazers and pioneers and Adam will be sorely missed. My thoughts and prayers are with his family, Mike D., and Ad-Rock."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His album cover for Kamikaze paid homage to Licensed to Ill<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and he also paid homage in his "Berzerk" video.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In an interview with Rolling Stone, Beavis and Butt-Head creator Mike Judge acknowledged he was a fan of the band, citing his favorite song as "Fight for Your Right",<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> as the Beastie Boys appeared on Beavis and Butt-Head on numerous occasions.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Kid Rock wrote an in-depth tribute to Yauch after being influenced by the band, which said, "I thought I was the 4th member of Beastie Boys in 7th grade. You couldn't tell me I wasn't. The first time I ever saw them on stage was a very early show of theirs before Licensed to Ill came out, opening for Run DMC at Joe Louis Arena. My jaw dropped to the floor!"<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2020, Spin ranked the Beastie Boys as the 12th-most influential artist of the previous 35 years.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Tributes
[edit]In 2022, the New York City Council voted to rename the intersection of Ludlow and Rivington streets in Manhattan's Lower East Side—the location of the Paul's Boutique album cover—"Beastie Boys Square".<ref>Kaufman, Gil. "Beastie Boys Mike D, Ad-Rock To Celebrate Hip-Hop 50 With Unveiling of Beastie Boys Square in New York". Billboard. Published September 6, 2023. Accessed September 6, 2023.</ref> The vote was the result of a grassroots campaign started in 2013 by historian LeRoy McCarthy.<ref>Kreps, Daniel. "'Beastie Boys Square' Finally Approved for 'Paul's Boutique' NYC Intersection". Rolling Stone. Published July 16, 2022. Accessed September 6, 2023.</ref> The renaming was voted down when first proposed in 2014, but it passed on July 14, 2022.<ref>Post by @beastieboyssquare on Instagram. Posted July 15, 2022. Accessed September 6, 2023.</ref> The square was renamed on September 9, 2023, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of hip hop.<ref>Bloom, Madison. "Mike D and Ad-Rock Unveiling 'Beastie Boys Square' in New York on Saturday". Pitchfork. Published September 6, 2023. Accessed September 6, 2023.</ref>
Legal issues
[edit]Template:See also In 2003, the Beastie Boys were involved in the landmark sampling decision Newton v. Diamond. In that case, a federal judge ruled that the band was not liable for sampling James Newton's "Choir" in their track "Pass the Mic". The sample used is the six-second flute stab. In short, the Beastie Boys cleared the sample but obtained only the rights to use the sound recording and not the composition rights to the song "Choir". In the decision, the judge found that:
Members
[edit]Template:Col-float-begin Members
- Mike D – vocals, drums (1981–2012)
- Kate Schellenbach – drums, percussion, backing vocals (1981–1984)
- John Berry – guitars (1981–1982; died 2016)
- MCA – vocals, bass (1981–2012; his death)
- Ad-Rock – vocals, guitars (1982–2012)
Template:Col-float-break Touring musicians
- DJ Double R (Rick Rubin) – disc jockey (1984–1985)
- Sam Sever – disc jockey (1986)
- Doctor Dré – disc jockey (1986)
- DJ Hurricane – disc jockey, backing vocals (1986–1997)
- Eric Bobo – percussion, drums (1992–1996)
- Money Mark (Mark Ramos-Nishita) – keyboards, vocals (1992–2012)
- Amery "AWOL" Smith – drums, backing vocals, percussion (1992–1998)
- Alfredo Ortiz – drums, percussion (1996–2012)
- Mix Master Mike – disc jockey, backing vocals (1998–2012)
Timeline
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Touring Members Timeline
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Discography
[edit]Studio albums
- Licensed to Ill (1986)
- Paul's Boutique (1989)
- Check Your Head (1992)
- Ill Communication (1994)
- Hello Nasty (1998)
- To the 5 Boroughs (2004)
- The Mix-Up (2007)
- Hot Sauce Committee Part Two (2011)
Tours
[edit]- The Virgin Tour (1985) (supporting Madonna)
- Raising Hell Tour (1986) (supporting Run-D.M.C.)
- Licensed to Ill Tour (1987) (with Public Enemy)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Together Forever Tour (1987) (with Run-D.M.C.)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Check Your Head Tour (1992) (with Cypress Hill, Rollins Band, Firehose, and Basehead)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
- Lollapolooza (1994)
- Ill Communication Tour (1994–1995)
- In the Round Tour (1998–1999) (with A Tribe Called Quest and Money Mark)
- To the 5 Boroughs Tour (2004)
- The Mix-Up Tour (2007–2008)
Awards and nominations
[edit]Template:Awards table |- |1992 |Check Your Head |Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group |Template:Nom |- |1995 |"Sabotage" |Best Hard Rock Performance |Template:Nom |- |Rowspan="2"|1999 |"Intergalactic" |Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group |Template:Won |- |Hello Nasty |Best Alternative Music Album |Template:Won |- |2001 |"Alive" |Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group |Template:Nom |- |rowspan="2"|2005 |"Ch-Check It Out" |Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group |Template:Nom |- |To The 5 Boroughs |Best Rap Album |Template:Nom |- |rowspan="2"|2008 |"Off the Grid" |Best Pop Instrumental Performance |Template:Nom |- |The Mix-Up |Best Contemporary Instrumental Album |Template:Won |- |2010 |"Too Many Rappers" (featuring Nas) |Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group |Template:Nom |}
Template:Awards table |- |rowspan="5"|1994 |rowspan="5"|"Sabotage" |Video of the Year |Template:Nom |- |Best Group Video |Template:Nom |- |Breakthrough Video |Template:Nom |- |Best Direction (Director: Spike Jonze) |Template:Nom |- |Viewer's Choice |Template:Nom |- |1998 |Beastie Boys |Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award |Template:Won |- |1999 |"Intergalactic" |Best Hip-Hop Video |Template:Won |- |2009 |"Sabotage" |Best Video (That Should Have Won a Moonman) |Template:Won |- |rowspan="2"|2011 |rowspan="2"|"Make Some Noise" |Video of the Year |Template:Nom |- |Best Direction (Director: Adam Yauch) |Template:Won |}
Template:Awards table |- |1994 |Beastie Boys |Best Group |Template:Nom |- |rowspan="4"|1998 |"Intergalactic" |Best Video |Template:Nom |- |Hello Nasty |Best Album |Template:Nom |- |rowspan="2"|Beastie Boys |Best Group |Template:Nom |- |Best Hip-Hop |Template:Won |- |1999 |Beastie Boys |Best Hip-Hop |Template:Nom |- |rowspan="2"|2004 |rowspan="2"|Beastie Boys |Best Group |Template:Nom |- |Best Hip-Hop |Template:Nom |- |2011 |"Make Some Noise" |Best Video |Template:Nom |}
Template:Awards table |- |2005 |"Ch-Check It Out" |Best Hip-Hop Video |Template:Won |- |2009 |Beastie Boys |MTV Street Icon Award |Template:Won |}
Filmography
[edit]- Beastie (1982)
- Krush Groove (1985)
- Tougher Than Leather (1988)
- Futurama episode "Hell Is Other Robots" (1999)
- Awesome; I Fuckin' Shot That! (2006)
- Fight for Your Right Revisited (2011)
- Beastie Boys Story (2020)
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]Further reading
[edit]External links
[edit]- Template:Official website
- Template:Discogs artist
- Beastie Boys Lyrics Annotated – Beastie Boys lyrics laid out with annotated comments explaining popular culture and historical references as well as known samples.
- Template:Rockhall
Template:Beastie Boys Template:Beastie Boys singles Template:Navboxes
- Pages with broken file links
- 1981 establishments in New York City
- Beastie Boys
- Alternative hip-hop groups
- East Coast hip-hop groups
- American rap rock groups
- Hip-hop groups from New York City
- Hardcore punk groups from New York (state)
- Alternative rock groups from New York (state)
- Capitol Records artists
- Def Jam Recordings artists
- ROIR artists
- Grand Royal artists
- Grammy Award winners for rap music
- MTV Europe Music Award winners
- MTV Video Music Award winners
- American feminist musicians
- Musical groups established in 1981
- Musical groups disestablished in 2012
- Mixed-gender bands
- Fellaheen Records artists