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."
Do It
Beastie Boys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Building rhymes like buildings, like a Stonehenge druid
Step up and get enlightened, educating my mind
I play the tape forward, it's not time to rewind
Step inside the motherfucker and I get my flow on
Amalgamate my style so I got something to go on
Seasons change when it comes their time
Fall brings the winter and on back to springtime
Listen all of y'all I'm not the son of Sam
'Cause I'm thin and I don't grin
But check it out people 'cause I love to go and swim
Caught up on the phone fiber optic distraction
Information super highway got the brain contraction
I'm the kung-fu master versus the sumo wrestler
Got the beats in Manhattan you can hear in Westchester
Well, my mother was born out in Coney Island
Raised on the L.E.S Manhattan Island
My dad camo out from Detroit and they had me
And back on through Ellis Island goes through the family tree
Well, I'm a six-point-seven on the Richter scale
Got rhymes gallore and then I never fail
Like gravy to potatoes, Luke to Darth Vader
I'm a souped-up sucker and I'll see you all later
You see me coming down the block with the funky cuts
You say (hey, Mike D!) and I say mic these nuts
I've got attractions like I'm Elvis Costello
Adam Yauch grab the mic 'cause you know you're my mellow
Well when I get it into the zone
I'm gonna take my mind to a place where I'm all alone
Ah well, I've got my shit and the rhyme style's kicking
My brain is flowing, honest like Abe Lincoln
'Cause I'm the fuckin' rhythm ace with the rhyme selection
Listen all y'all I rap with perfection
Because I got the mother fuckin' old school flavor
That you savor so watch your behavior
Talking other dimensions, levels higher
Why did Billy Joel say "we didn't start the fire"
Take you to another realm, another level
I've got the funky rhymes but I'm not the funky devil
I step from minute to minute, lifetime to lifetime
Step from stage to stage to see it all unwind
Slowly but surely I seek to find my mind
And every wall that I face is ow my own design
Yeah, Glendale Boulevard, a-Boulevard
Glendale Boulevard is where I'm at
It's where I'm at, where I live
Check-it-check-it out 'cause my head is like a sieve and we turn it out
The lyrics to Beastie Boys’ “Do It” are rich in symbolism and metaphors, beginning with the comparison of the singer to the blackbird, a creature known for its graceful and fluid movements. The singer then likens the process of building rhymes to building a Stonehenge, referencing the ancient druids who were believed to have constructed this mystical monument. He urges listeners to step up and get enlightened, emphasizing his dedication to educating himself and playing his life forward instead of dwelling on the past. He then introduces himself as the “king Adrock,” but distances himself from the infamous serial killer, Son of Sam.
The singer then shifts to describing his “funky cuts” and “rhyme selection,” highlighting his skills as a rapper. He references Elvis Costello and Billy Joel, using them as examples of artists who have left their mark on the music industry. He speaks to the idea of seeking higher levels and dimensions, symbolized by levels of a building or different stages of a performance. The song ultimately celebrates creativity, individuality, and the pursuit of excellence in all aspects of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Like the blackbirds Ima do it fluid
I will execute flawlessly, like the movements of a blackbird in flight
Building rhymes like buildings, like a Stonehenge druid
Forming my rhymes with precision, like a druid constructing Stonehenge
Step up and get enlightened, educating my mind
Increase your knowledge and understanding, as I continue to educate myself
I play the tape forward, it's not time to rewind
I focus on the present and future, rather than dwelling on the past
Step inside the motherfucker and I get my flow on
I enter the zone and let my creativity and lyrics flow
Amalgamate my style so I got something to go on
Combine my unique style to create something new and fresh
Seasons change when it comes their time
Change is inevitable and occurs when it's meant to happen
Fall brings the winter and on back to springtime
The cycle of nature brings winter after fall, and spring after winter
Well, it's the king Adrock and that's who I am
I am King Adrock, and that's my identity
Listen all of y'all I'm not the son of Sam
I am not a murderer, like the notorious Son of Sam
'Cause I'm thin and I don't grin
My appearance may not reflect my mood or intentions
But check it out people 'cause I love to go and swim
I enjoy swimming and staying active
Caught up on the phone fiber optic distraction
Distracted by the endless information and technology available on our phones
Information super highway got the brain contraction
The overwhelming amount of information available can be mentally taxing
I'm the kung-fu master versus the sumo wrestler
I am nimble and quick like a kung-fu master, while my opponent is slow and cumbersome like a sumo wrestler
Got the beats in Manhattan you can hear in Westchester
My music is popular and enjoyed throughout the New York City area
Well, my mother was born out in Coney Island
My mother's birthplace was in the famous amusement park destination Coney Island
Raised on the L.E.S Manhattan Island
I grew up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan
My dad camo out from Detroit and they had me
My father migrated to New York City from Detroit, where my parents had me
And back on through Ellis Island goes through the family tree
My family's immigration history can be traced back to Ellis Island
Well, I'm a six-point-seven on the Richter scale
I am powerful and impactful, comparable to an earthquake on the Richter scale
Got rhymes gallore and then I never fail
I have an abundance of rhymes and never disappoint in delivering them
Like gravy to potatoes, Luke to Darth Vader
I complement and complete the expectations, like gravy to potatoes and Luke to Darth Vader
I'm a souped-up sucker and I'll see you all later
I am an enhanced and upgraded artist, and I will return to entertain again soon
You see me coming down the block with the funky cuts
You notice me approaching with my skilled and impressive turntable techniques
You say (hey, Mike D!) and I say mic these nuts
When you try to address me in a familiar way, I respond with a witty retort
I've got attractions like I'm Elvis Costello
My energetic and captivating performances are reminiscent of Elvis Costello
Adam Yauch grab the mic 'cause you know you're my mellow
Adam Yauch, my bandmate, takes over the mic because of his relaxed and laid-back persona
Well when I get it into the zone
When I am focused and in the creative zone
I'm gonna take my mind to a place where I'm all alone
I will transport my thoughts to a peaceful and secluded state of mind
Ah well, I've got my shit and the rhyme style's kicking
I am confident in my skills and the delivery of my rhymes
My brain is flowing, honest like Abe Lincoln
My thoughts are freely flowing, much like the honesty of Abraham Lincoln
'Cause I'm the fuckin' rhythm ace with the rhyme selection
I am a skilled and proficient rapper, with an impressive selection of rhymes
Listen all y'all I rap with perfection
I deliver my rhymes with a flawless and polished performance
Because I got the mother fuckin' old school flavor
I have a classic and vintage style, reminiscent of past eras in hip hop music
That you savor so watch your behavior
My music is enjoyed and appreciated, so be cautious of your actions in response to it
Talking other dimensions, levels higher
I am discussing topics beyond what is tangible and visible, on a higher level of understanding
Why did Billy Joel say "we didn't start the fire"
Questioning the meaning and significance of lyrics from a famous Billy Joel song
Take you to another realm, another level
Bring you to a higher state of consciousness and understanding
I've got the funky rhymes but I'm not the funky devil
My music has a fun and upbeat vibe, but I am not promoting or representing any negative or harmful messages or ideologies
I step from minute to minute, lifetime to lifetime
I move through life with intention and purpose, from moment to moment and through the stages of life
Step from stage to stage to see it all unwind
Performing and traveling from one venue to another, watching life unfold and experiences accumulate
Slowly but surely I seek to find my mind
I am on a quest to discover and explore my own thoughts and consciousness
And every wall that I face is ow my own design
The obstacles and challenges I encounter are a result of my own actions and decisions
Yeah, Glendale Boulevard, a-Boulevard
Referencing a street in Los Angeles, California named Glendale Boulevard
Glendale Boulevard is where I'm at
Stating their current location on Glendale Boulevard
It's where I'm at, where I live
Further emphasizing their current location and residence
Check-it-check-it out 'cause my head is like a sieve and we turn it out
Come see my live performances and check out my music, because my creativity constantly flows and I am always entertaining
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Michael Louis Diamond, Adam Keefe Horovitz, Adam Nathaniel Yauch, Mario Caldato, Mark Ramos Nishita, Marcel Theo Hall
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nestor Galaviz
on Body Movin' (Fatboy Slim remix)
dope