Beastie Boys: Classic or Dud?

I liked their schtick, LOVED their magazine, was happy to see their vids, enjoyed their pranks. I don't question their worth as an industry. I just think their achievements in irreverance on CD are pretty minor. "So Watcha Want" is their only transcendent hip hop single, and anyone who thinks Paul's Boutique is the greatest rap album of all time just isn't listening for the same things I look for in rap music, things that usually have something to do with, you know, rapping.

(btw, I don't think the Beatles were perfect so I ain't saying the Beasties are, dig?).

More people should voice their two cents on this group. They're more fun than any other ex-beerbrawlers-turned-new-age-buddhists. Allegedly MCA has an emo band. Their protest song has Zoolander quotes. They need an editor bad. They take an ungodly amount of time between albums. They're white rappers. Ad-Rock, who kicked the cutie in the patootie and needs girls to do his laundry, is dating Kathleen Hanna. They really look awkward when they play their own instruments. And when they're on, they make me happier than any other group ever.

nasty = nasty little man = public relations firm (dealing w/ beastie boys but more importantly ATP) = "hello nasty" = receptionist's phrase.

They're the San Francisco of hip-hop.

wtf? they are the west islip of hip-hop. not to mention they live in your town... just cuz they "pimp" harputs does not mean BB = SF... ew gross.

reminder: this is the beastie boys thread.

As an SF resident, I can't tell if I'm supposed to be offended or not...

btw when is your both show shakey mo?

I hope you haven't heard LL Cool J.

I'll defend the Beasties (on some levels), I just don't get where this weird regional insult is coming from, or what it has to do with anything...

HI! I have heard LL COOL J! OMG! HAHA! LOL! ^_^

sounds good shakey mo, let me know the details.

Beck's "Odelay" was a critical orgasm, but it was little more than Paul's Boutique Part 2 (and I'm guessing the upcoming Tenacious D record will be Part 3).

hahahaha. sigh.

roger adultery not to thread!

Need I go on? Well, they might have faded *slightly* after that, but the rest of the albums are still really good and do still show growth. Also, look at their instrumental stuff. Quite good and varied. Impressive resume for 3 snotty kids from Brooklyn.

Look at all the damn rap records coming out around Pauls Boutique. Listen to them. They were nowhere near the musical genius that Pauls Boutique represents. The beats were all one dimensional. And they were so far ahead of their time they still hold up today. I dont hear too many people listening to run dmc anymore and they were supposed to be the gods yet pauls boutique can still conquer and rap in todays society. C'mon, doesnt that tell you something?

http://www.creemmagazine.com/BeatGoesOn/BeastieBoys/LayItDownClowns.html

they have had their share of classics, and their share of crap. for better or worse, their classics are front-loaded. unfortunately, we're now living in the back-end and there's less (or NO) great music to detract from the smarm.

For the generation weaned on Danny Bonaduce, awakened by Haldeman, Erlichman and Dean, and enlightened by punk and its progeny, this disillusionment casts doubt and cynicism on not only our leaders, but on the mass media that stimulate our national mood.

I thought that was a really great article, until I reached this part, which just totally went over my head. Who are these people?

old school!!! (almost 20 years ago, natch, but yow!!!)

They all went to jail.

GHAGARRRAGH

I'll stop there. Sure the last few have been largely recycled material, and yeh, I've got mixed feelings about the whole "P.C. Boys" vibe. But are they Classic????? They are one of the utmost classic artists of our time, and if ya don't know, now ya know.

How about an instrumental "Paul's Boutique" release? Now that I'd buy...

Particularly for the way they divide people here. Cleverer and more innovative in retrospect than they seem at the time. Equally stupid and annoying and repetitive. I hated License to Ill as a teenager in the late 80s. (Kind of teenager I was.) The first album I got into was Ill Communication, which blew me away.

Yeah the rapping is horrible. (Except it sounds *amazing* on those Kleptones bootlegs that put Intergalactic and Body Movin over Queen's Radio Gah Gah and I Want to Break Free.)

Hello Nasty : Apart from Intergalactic some of the party tracks are kind of dull. But I love the song that sounds like Broadcast. (I'm forever putting it on mix-tapes with a kind of "guess who this is" subtext.) and some of the other non-rap tracks are more than filler.

What's the later stuff like?

I've always kind of liked them because they just sound fun. I think they also were pretty innovative in their time and seemed to be on the cusp of interesting culture just before everyone else caught up. I think I still would enjoy most of the stuff up to about Hello Nasty, but Paul's Boutique is probably the only one I'd think of putting on myself.

While you were still in shortpants.

By the way, by 1986, I had in fact graduated to the all-important longpants. And that, my friends, has made all the difference.

(Paul Revere still does hold a certain draw, however. I wish that I had "did it with a whiffle-ball bat", i guess.)

interesting track, I like the music more than his vocals

thought the revival was connected to Jamelle Bouie's comments

I 100% agree with Jamelle, BBs begin for me with PB and peak on CYH/IC

same here, Licensed to Ill is fine but I never listen to it. honestly I think Hello Nasty is the peak but I just love the weird shit so that's just me

Mike D doing May 7 and May 10 gigs in Los Ángeles and an upcoming gig in NY. Doing gigs with his kids who have a band

https://consequence.net/2026/05/beastie-boys-mike-d-la-nyc-shows/

xp no I agree as well

I’m such a huge fan of these guys and somehow I’ve never given a full listen to either five boroughs or hot sauce committee, I really have to remedy that though I’m sure people will jump in here telling me not to bother with the former.

idk I prefer the former out of the two

check this out instead: https://www.discogs.com/release/950379-Beastie-Boys-New-York-State-Of-Mind

i haven't heard Hot Sauce but i like everything through the Mix-Up. they have an eclectic disco and that's part of the fun imo

Five Boroughs is very much one gear, but I think it is a LOT of fun. That said, my favourite era was when they'd constantly be swinging from rap to funk to punk.

My favs are Paul's Boutique and Hello Nasty, but I recently saw this video and it got me thinking I need an Ill Communication revisit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WvgGdivQzE

Hot Sauce is good. I dug it

I had ill communication with me when I moved to a new city and I didn't know anyone, and it was one of the only albums I had, and I listened to it all the time, and memorised most of the songs. i loved it so much

walk into the party with my fila fresh gear / people lookin at me like i was david koresh here

I was staying with a friend in SF and they had PB and IC on CD, I dubbed edits onto a C100 and listened to it constantly as I walked around SF for a week

Ill Communication was our goto house party cd in college, but PB was a very close second Hey Ladies, Shake Your Rump, Egg Man, Shadrach all house party dancefloor bangers

And both great hangout records too for the next day when you were hungover

Mike D (& Tamra Davis)'s stoner/surfer sons are pulling GenZ AnCo revival:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDEqAMA6fg0

Mike D's playing London in June, a mate is trying to get tix!