The Beastie Boys were the first successful white rap group and one of the few acts from the early days of hip-hop that still enjoyed major success their whole career. Their rock and punk-influenced rap has had a significant impact on artists both in and outside the hip-hop scene. And they were the first rap group to gain a substantial following with alternative rock fans.
The Beastie Boys came together in 1979 as a punk band called The Young Aborigines. In 1981 MCA joined the group and from the suggestion of their guitarist John Berry, they changed their name to Beastie Boys. Their line up then consisted of Adam Yauch (aka MCA) on bass, drummer Kate Schellenbach (later of Luscious Jackson), guitarist John Berry (of Big Fat Love), and Mike Diamond (aka Mike D) on the mic. Beastie Boys' debut EP, the Pollywog Stew vinyl 7" was released in 1982.
The band's first foray into hip hop, the Cooky Puss 12", followed in 1983, with The Young and the Useless guitarist Adam Horovitz (aka Adrock) replacing John Berry. "Cooky Puss" would be the first B Boys record to receive play at NYC clubs like Danceteria as the band played its first shows outside the city.
The Mike D/MCA/Adrock Beastie Boys lineup debuted in 1984 with the "Rock Hard"/"Beastie Groove" 12." Produced by Rick Rubin, who went on to produce albums for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Johnny Cash and Audioslave. The "She's On It"/ "Slow And Low" 12" followed in 1985 and Beastie Boys went on Madonna's "Virgin Tour." as her opening act.
Licensed to Ill dropped in fall 1986 and became the first Beastie Boys album--and the first Rap album ever--to go #1. Fueled by Fight for Your Right and No Sleep Till Brooklyn it remained at #1 for seven weeks and simultaneously reached #2 on the urban chart, becoming the fastest selling debut to date for Columbia and the first hip hop record to break 5 million.
In 1989 Beastie Boys released their second album Paul’s Boutique produced by Beastie Boys and the Dust Brothers. Paul's Boutique laid down the blueprint for a generation of emergent genres and went over the collective head of a nation. The likes of "Shake Your Rump," "Lookin' Down The Barrel Of A Gun," "Car Thief," Shadrach," and the hip hop "suite" "B-Boy Bouillabaisse" contained lyrical and musical references too plentiful and diverse for the average mind to compute in one sitting.
Check Your Head, released in 1992, heralded the return of live instrumentation into the B Boys mix. The album was produced by the band and Mario Caldato Jr. (who first worked with B Boys as engineer on Paul's Boutique), Check Your Head would yield a watershed of new B Boys staples, including So Whatcha' Want, Pass The Mic, "Gratitude" and "Jimmy James." With the assistance of Keyboard Money Mark, Eric Bobo and assorted percussionists, Beastie Boys returned to the touring circuit and Check Your Head hit double platinum.
In the summer of 1994, Ill Communication, also produced by the band and Mario Caldato Jr., entered the charts #1. The album featured such hits Sure Shot and Sabotage. Ill Communication was supported by Beastie Boys' first arena headline tour since the '80s. Following the tour's conclusion, Beastie Boys recorded and released Aglio e Olio consisting of eight songs clocking in at 11 minutes, the EP recalls the vintage hardcore punk of the band's infancy.
On July 14 1998, their fifth album titled Hello Nasty was released. Spurred by the monster success of the "Intergalactic" single and video, the record clocked first week sales of nearly 700,000 in the U.S. and went straight in at #1 in England, Germany, Australia, Holland, New Zealand and Sweden. Early in the tour, Beastie Boys made live tracks available for free download to fans unable to attend the shows-and were blindsided by their label pulling the tracks down.
Having closed 1998 by accepting the Video Vanguard lifetime achievement honor at the MTV Video Music Awards, Beastie Boys rang in 1999 with Artist, Band and/or Record of the Year accolades from the likes of Rolling Stone, SPIN, The New Yorker and Playboy, among others. A month later, at the 41st Annual Grammy Awards, the now quadruple-platinum Hello Nasty took Best Alternative Music Performance, while "Intergalactic," nailed Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group--the first time an artist has ever won in both Rap and Alternative categories.1999 would also see "Intergalactic" take Best Hip Hop Video honors at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards.
Beastie Boys' sixth studio album, To The 5 Boroughs, released in summer 2004, was the band's third consecutive #1 debut-and Rolling Stone magazine's only 5-star review of the year. To The 5 Boroughs was supported by world tour - traveling pageant - supported by Talib Kweli and Bob Moore's Amazing Mongrels (yes, a live dog show, hence the pageant appellation).
2006 saw the release of the film, Awesome, I Fuckin' Shot That!, a concert film made up of footage filmed by audience members, which debuted at Sundance in early 2006 and was released theatrically the same year.
In 2007 Beastie Boys released The Mix-Up, first ever full length offering of all-new, all-original instrumental recordings.
On February 3rd, 2009, they digitally remastered and released Paul's Boutique on their website.
The band's next record, "Hot Sauce Committee Part 2" was released in the first quarter of 2011. It features the same tracklisting as the previously announced "Hot Sauce Committee Part 1", which was delayed indefinitely after Yauch was diagnosed with a tumor on his parotid gland (which was successfully removed).
Bassist and vocalist Adam Yauch died on May 4, 2012 of cancer.
In June 2014, Mike D stated that the Beastie Boys would not continue their careers as a group, as a promise to Adam Yauch. "We have not been able to tour since MCA, Adam Yauch, died," Diamond said. "We can't make new music."
Brass Monkey
Beastie Boys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Brass Monkey junkie
That funky Monkey
Brass, got this dance that's more than real
Drink Brass Monkey here's how you feel
You put your left leg down, your right leg up
Tilt your head back let's finish the cup
Adrock gets nice with Charlie Chan
We're offered Moet (we don't mind Chivas)
Wherever we go with bring the Monkey with us
Adrock drinks three (Mike D is D)
Double R. Foots the bill most definitely
I drink Brass Monkey and I rock well
I got a Castle in Brooklyn (that's where I dwell)
Brass Monkey that funky Monkey
Brass Monkey junkie
That funky Monkey
Because I drink it anytime and anyplace
When it's time to get ill I pour it on my face
Monkey tastes def when you pour it on ice
Come on y'all it's time to get nice
Coolin' by the lockers getting kind of funky
Me and the crew we're drinking Brass Monkey
This girl walked by she gave me the eye
I reached in the locker grabbed the Spanish Fly
I put it with the Monkey mixed it in the cup
Went over to the girl, "Yo baby, what's up?"
I offered her a sip (sip) because she gave me lip (lip)
It did begin, the stuff wore in and now she's on my tip
Brass Monkey, that funky Monkey
Brass Monkey junkie
That funky Monkey
Brass
Step up to the bar, put the girl down
She takes a big gulp and slaps it around
Take a sip you can do it (you get right to it)
We had a case in the place and we went right through it
You got a dry Martini thinking you're cool
I'll take your place at the bar I smack you off your stool
I'll down a 40 dog in a single gulp
And if you got beef you'll get beat to a pulp
Monkey and parties and reelin' and rockin'
Def, def (girls, girls) all y'all jockin'
The song and dance keeping you in a trance
If you don't buy my record I got my advance
I drink it (I think it) I see it (I be it)
I love Brass Monkey but I won't give D It
We got the bottle, you got the cup
Come on everybody let's get fff
Brass Monkey that funky Monkey
Brass Monkey junkie
That funky Monkey
Brass Monkey that funky Monkey
Brass Monkey junkie
That funky Monkey
Brass Monkey
The Beastie Boys' "Brass Monkey" is a song about a drink made with Brass Monkey. Although the song doesn't make it clear what Brass Monkey is, the lyrics show that it is a strong alcoholic drink. The song also tells the story of the Beastie Boys having a party and getting drunk on Brass Monkey. The chorus of the song repeats the words "Brass Monkey that funky Monkey, Brass Monkey junkie, that funky Monkey," creating a catchy hook that is easy to sing along with.
The verses of the song describe the process of making the drink and the effects of drinking it. The lyrics instruct the listener how to perform the Brass Monkey dance, which involves putting your left leg down and your right leg up and tilting your head back to finish the cup. The song even makes mention of the film character Charlie Chan, suggesting that it was a reference to the cultural context of the time.
Overall, "Brass Monkey" is a fun and catchy song that celebrates partying and getting drunk. It makes use of a catchy hook and simple lyrics to create a song that is easy to dance to and sing along with. The song was popular in the late 1980s and remains a classic to this day.
Line by Line Meaning
Brass Monkey, that funky Monkey
Brass Monkey is a type of alcoholic drink that is funky and potent
Brass Monkey junkie
The singer is a fan of the Brass Monkey drink
That funky Monkey
The singer is continuing to describe the Brass Monkey drink
Brass, got this dance that's more than real
The artist is comparing the effects of Brass Monkey to a dance that is more intense than reality
Drink Brass Monkey here's how you feel
The artist is suggesting that drinking Brass Monkey will give you a certain feeling
You put your left leg down, your right leg up
The singer is describing a dance move while drinking Brass Monkey
Tilt your head back let's finish the cup
The singer is suggesting that the listener tilts their head back to finish their drink
M.C.A. with the bottle (D. Rocks the can)
M.C.A. is holding a bottle of Brass Monkey, while D. is drinking from a can
Adrock gets nice with Charlie Chan
Adrock is becoming intoxicated and is enjoying the effects of the drink
We're offered Moet (we don't mind Chivas)
The group is offered different types of alcohol, but they settle on Brass Monkey
Wherever we go with bring the Monkey with us
The group always brings Brass Monkey with them wherever they go
Adrock drinks three (Mike D. Is D.)
Adrock has consumed three Brass Monkey drinks, while Mike D. has a different drink
Double R. Foots the bill most definitely
Double R. pays for the drinks with certainty
I drink Brass Monkey and I rock well
The singer is boasting about their ability to drink Brass Monkey and perform well
I got a Castle in Brooklyn (that's where I dwell)
The singer lives in a castle in Brooklyn
Because I drink it anytime and anyplace
The artist can drink Brass Monkey anywhere, anytime
When it's time to get ill I pour it on my face
The artist uses Brass Monkey to get hyped up and gets so excited that they spill it on their face
Monkey tastes def when you pour it on ice
Brass Monkey tastes great when poured over ice
Come on y'all it's time to get nice
The group is encouraging others to try Brass Monkey for a good time
Coolin' by the lockers getting kind of funky
The group is hanging out by the lockers and having a good time
Me and the crew we're drinking Brass Monkey
The group is having fun while drinking Brass Monkey together
This girl walked by she gave me the eye
A girl walked by and caught the artist's attention
I reached in the locker grabbed the Spanish Fly
The singer retrieved the drug Spanish Fly from their locker
I put it with the Monkey mixed it in the cup
The artist mixed the Spanish Fly with Brass Monkey in a cup
Went over to the girl, "Yo baby, what's up?"
The singer approached the girl and started a conversation
I offered her a sip (sip) because she gave me lip (lip)
The singer gave the girl a sip of their drink because she talked back to him
It did begin the stuff wore in and now she's on my tip
The singer's plan worked and the girl is now interested in him
Step up to the bar put the girl down
The artist is putting the girl aside to get a drink
She takes a big gulp and slaps it around
The girl takes a large sip of Brass Monkey and playfully hits the artist
Take a sip you can do it (you get right to it)
The group is encouraging everyone to take a sip of their drink to get in the mood
We had a case in the place and we went right through it
The group had a case of Brass Monkey and drank it all at the party
You got a dry Martini thinking you're cool
The artist is mocking someone drinking a dry Martini and thinking they're cool
I'll take your place at the bar I smack you off your stool
The artist will take the other person's spot at the bar and knock them off their stool
I'll down a '40 dog" in a single gulp
The artist is saying they can drink a 40 oz beer in one gulp
And if you got beef you'll get beat to a pulp
The singer is threatening to physically harm anyone who has a problem with them
Monkey and parties and reelin' and rockin'
The group is having a good time drinking Brass Monkey and dancing
Def, def (girls, girls) all y'all jockin'
The group has attracted the attention of girls at the party
The song and dance keeping you in a trance
The music and dancing are entrancing and keeping everyone entertained
If you don't buy my record I got my advance
The singer is promoting their music and warns that they will still make money either way
I drink it (I think it) I see it (I be it)
The artist is confidently saying that they drink Brass Monkey and enjoy it
I love Brass Monkey but I won't give D. It
The artist loves Brass Monkey but won't share it with someone named D.
We got the bottle, you got the cup
The group has the bottle of Brass Monkey, and others have cups to drink from
Come on everybody let's get fff
The group is urging everyone to have a wild and fun time
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Rick Rubin, Adam Keefe Horovitz, Adam Nathaniel Yauch, Michael Louis Diamond
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nestor Galaviz
on Body Movin' (Fatboy Slim remix)
dope