The Beastie Boys On Their Hip-Hop Journey And Missing Adam Yauch

Season 2, Episode 11 • October 24, 2018

It was a divine combination of right place, right time, right mutual interests that brought Adam "MCA" Yauch, Mike "Mike D" Diamond and Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz together to create the Beastie Boys.

The trio first formed in 1981 as a hardcore band, playing shows and hanging out in the Lower East Side punk scene. But little by little hip-hop began seeping into their work. In 1983 they released an experimental hip-hop EP called Cooky Puss, which gained local success and was used — without their permission — in a British Airways commercial (they sued the airline and got $40,000 for use of their song).

With that money Ad-Rock bought an 808 drum machine and the Beasties fully committed to their new identity as a rap group.

Around the same time they befriended a young DJ named Rick Rubin, then a student at NYU, who together with classmate Russell Simmons founded Def-Jam Recordings. Beastie Boys were one of the label's first releases.

Beastie Boys' first mainstream success was with their 1986 Def Jam release License To Ill, which topped the Billboard charts and by 2015 was certified diamond, marking the sale of 10 million units. Throughout the group's 30 years in music they've released a total of eight studio albums, the last being the 2011 release Hot Sauce Committee Part Two.

Sadly, the Beastie Boys as a group effectively ended on May 4, 2012 when Adam Yauch died of salivary parotid gland cancer at the age of 47.

Now, several years after his death, Ad-Rock and Mike D are releasing Beastie Boys Book, a sprawling, 600-page love letter to Adam Yauch full of personal stories, unseen photos and memories written by Ad-Rock, Mike D and contributors like Colson Whitehead Amy Poehler, Spike Jonze and more.

Ad-Rock and Mike D stopped by the Stretch and Bobbito studio for a conversation about the making of Beastie Boys Book, about their early years in New York City, how they found their way as white kids in hip-hop and how they keep the memory of Adam Yauch alive today.

READ MORE AT NPR

Views: 413

Reply to This

Best guide to hip hop, soul, reggae concerts & events in San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles & New York City + music, videos, radio and more

Connect

Bookmark and Share

Subscribe to E-Blast

WIN TICKETS

Andre 3000
Saturday, Oct 5 @ Fox Theater, Oakland

PJ Morton
Wedneday, Oct 23 @ Fox Theater, Oakland

Qveen Herby
Saturday, Nov 2 @ Fox Theater, Oakland

Members

Photos

  • Add Photos
  • View All

Latest Activity

Editor's Pick posted discussions
6 hours ago
Phillip Ranelli posted an event
Thumbnail

(WIN TICKETS Mykal Rose Fri., Oct. 18, 2024 @ Sweetwater Music Hall Show: 8pm at Sweetwater Music Hall, Mill Vallet, Ca

October 18, 2024 from 7pm to 11:30pm
Wintickets for Mykal Rose All Ages Friday, October 18, 2024  Doors: 7pm Show: 8pm $42+ Sweetwater Music Hall  Mykal Rose, the Grammy Award-winning voice formerly of Black Uhuru is an R&B and neo-soul artist. In Kingston, Jamaica in the early 70s, Mykal Rose (then Michael) got his start opening for Roberta Flack and playing with Fab 5 and other hotel showbands. As lead vocalist, he and…See More
8 hours ago
miss candi posted an event
Thumbnail

Oaktoberfest at Dimond District, Oakland, CA

October 5, 2024 at 11am to October 6, 2024 at 5pm
The 17th Annual Oaktoberfest in the Dimond, Oakland’s signature family friendly craft beer festival, returns on Saturday & Sunday, October 5th and 6th with live performances on 5 stages of music, 200+ craft beers, artisan marketplace, traditional food & more. Catch live performances on the Northeastern University Main Stage with Valerie Troutt & MoonCandy, Anita Lofton and more. Youth take the spotlight at the Supervisor Nate Miley Family Stage. Don’t miss “Dancing in the Dimond” on…See More
8 hours ago
TEAM BIGGA RANKIN posted a blog post

Ferro "Stay With Me" Video

Emerging record producer, singer, and songwriter, at the age of 14, Ferro produced/ arranged, wrote, and completed an entire album.Ferro, who is Black and Puerto Rican, was born in New York and moved to Atlanta in2019 to attend Woodward Academy. Obsessed with Usher as a baby and singing on stage since the age of 3, his love and respect for music have been undeniable. But it wasn’t until the pandemic that he began making…See More
13 hours ago
Artistpr posted a blog post

Discover the Essence of Life's Uncertainties in "You Never Know" by Mr. V. Banks

Houston, Texas — Music has a unique way of capturing our emotions and translating life’s complexities into melodies that resonate with our souls. Mr. V. Banks, a talented artist with Bentley Records, has done just that with his latest single, “You Never Know.” This track…See More
15 hours ago
Editor's Pick posted videos
yesterday
Editor's Pick posted discussions
yesterday
Editor's Pick posted videos
Tuesday
Editor's Pick updated an event
Thumbnail

THROWBACK (All Throwbacks: Soul, Funk, Hip Hop, Reggae & more) featuring Ren the Vinyl Archaeologist at Hello Stranger Bar, Oakland

September 11, 2024 at 9pm to September 12, 2024 at 1:45am
WEDNESDAY SEPT 11 THROWBACK (2nd & 4th Wednesdays) All Throwbacks: Hip Hop, Soul/Funk, Reggae +more!Featuring Ren the Vinyl Archaeologist (True Skool)and special guest Jah Yzerat Hello Stranger Bar, 1724 Broadway, Oakland. Doors 8pm. DJ Set starts at 9pm. No cover!…See More
Tuesday
Editor's Pick posted blog posts
Monday
realmuzik posted discussions
Monday
Editor's Pick posted discussions
Saturday

© 2024   Created by Ren the Vinyl Archaeologist.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service