Beastie Boys

The Beastie Boys are a trailblazing, Grammy-winning rap group from New York City, with over 40 million albums sold worldwide. The group has been inactive since the passing of founding member Adam “MCA” Yauch in 2012. Bad Brains bassist Darryl Jenifer noted that the name originated from the code word ‘beast’, used as a warning for musicians selling drugs about police presence near a record shop that was also a rehearsal space in the early 1980s.

Initially a punk rock band named The Young Aborigines—featuring Yauch, Kate Shellenbach, Michael “Mike D” Diamond, and John Berry—the band was renamed Beastie Boys and released the Polly Wog Stew EP just before Berry's departure in 1982. Adam “Ad-rock” Horowitz replaced Berry, and the band recorded a parody of Malcolm McLaren’s “Buffalo Gals” titled “Cookie Puss” the next year. Producer Rick Rubin was intrigued by the track, seeing the group as ‘the first white rap group’ without Shellenbach. Rubin soon founded Def Jam Records and signed the trio.

Their debut rap single, 1984’s “Rock Hard”, included an unauthorized sample of AC/DC’s “Back In Black” and was quickly recalled. However, its b-side “Beastie Revolution” was used without permission in a British Airways ad, leading to a $40,000 settlement that enabled the band to pursue a full-time rap career.

“She’s On It” was released in 1985 on the Krush Groove soundtrack. That year, the band opened for Madonna’s Virgin Tour after Russell Simmons convinced her management to hire them at a lower rate compared to Run DMC. MCA later described their set as provocative, eliciting negative reactions from the audience.

In summer 1986, “Hold It, Now Hit It” climbed to #55 on the US Hip Hop/R&B chart. November saw the release of Licensed To Ill, with “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)” propelling the band to international fame—breaking into the top 20 in five countries by early 1987. The album was the first hip hop record to top the Billboard 200 for seven weeks, remaining on the chart for 73 weeks during the Licensed To Ill Tour. By year-end, internal tensions and financial disputes with Rubin and Def Jam led to the band's discontent and new side projects.

In 1988, Ad-rock, then living in LA, attended a party by Delicious Vinyl CEO Matt Dike and met the Dust Brothers, leading to the collaboration on 1989’s Paul’s Boutique. This funk-infused evolution shifted their sound and image, rebelling against their previous frat-boy persona. Initially considered a flop, the album later received extensive acclaim as one of the greatest of all time.

A further musical shift came with 1992’s Check Your Head, as The Beasties resumed instruments, combining genres like hip hop, punk, funk, and rock. They began trending towards more thoughtful themes such as peace and equality. Despite modest chart performance, the album garnered diverse audiences and solidified their artistry.

The 1994 album Ill Communication mirrored this evolution, achieving chart success and featuring the iconic “Sabotage”. Tours and random releases followed, during which the group became actively involved in social causes.

Hello Nasty (1998) integrated electronic components and welcomed Mix Master Mike, achieving significant success with tracks like “Intergalactic”, earning another Grammy. 2004's To The Five Boroughs leaned heavily into political commentary, while subsequent releases included The Mix Up and Hot Sauce Committee Part Two.

Following MCA's cancer diagnosis, eventual passing, and their induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2011, Mike D and Ad-rock pledged not to produce music as the Beastie Boys without him.