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."
Now Get Busy
Beastie Boys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can tell you 'bout now I'm not a fortune teller
Grab a treat from Yosi my muffin seller
Got mad technique like Rudy Van Geller
And yes I got a plan I'm a carry out it
Yes I'm pro-choice I'm a scream and shout it
Yes I love life and I try not to doubt it
Yes I'm gonna body 'cause I'm 'bout it 'bout it
When I write rhymes, I use indeli-ble ink
That will make you think
Flowing like water that you love to drink
NOW get busy
Sweet like a ??? filled with Nutella
Creamy like buffalo mozzarella
Sneaking around you know I smell ya
Well I play ya like a peanut and throw the shell ya
Well I could give a fuzz if ya think you're a baller
Against a menehune ????? well you fall smaller
Middle school rapper and the crowd gets your love
If ya think about your grandma go ahead call her
From the East Coast so I don't say hella
At the mic stand my performance is stellar
Pop the tape in and I listen to Fela
I give a little shout to Nelson Mandela
NOW get busy
Known for the words that make you scream and holler
I'm Count Dooku to your Queen Amidala
Give a shout to Spiros or John Waller
I'm a student of the game and a bonafide scholar
So ease up on the bong to ease that coughin'
Butter's on the table now watch it soften
Bring in those beats and I'm a bring them muffin
I'm a keep rappin' when I'm in my coffin
Like a mind gone mad that is unwinding
In a padded room the walls you're climbing
Don't sign on the line if it looks binding
Ya have to get loose and find the lining
NOW get busy
Beastie Boys's song "Now Get Busy" is a rap song with a fast and dynamic rhythm. The song is full of references to different things, from the singer's personal habits to their heroes and influences. The first verse is focused on establishing the singer's qualities and beliefs. They claim to have "mad technique" and compare themselves to the basketball hall of famer Rudy Van Geller. They also declare that they are "pro-choice" and that they love life. The chorus, "NOW get busy," is a call to action, urging listeners to start doing something, whether it's rapping, dancing, or just living life to the fullest.
The second verse continues with the singer's self-description, comparing themselves to sweet and creamy foods like Nutella and mozzarella. They also assert that they don't care about ballers or fame, and that they are a student of the game, referring to the rap industry. The conclusion of the verse is a warning to not get caught up in rules and regulations, but to stay true to oneself and find the lining in life.
Overall, "Now Get Busy" is a high-energy song with a positive message, encouraging listeners to do what they love and not let anything hold them back.
Line by Line Meaning
Whether in a penthouse or a cave dweller
No matter where I am, high-end or low, I'm the same person
I can tell you 'bout now I'm not a fortune teller
I don't know what the future holds, but I can tell you about what's happening now
Grab a treat from Yosi my muffin seller
I get a baked good from Yosi, who sells muffins
Got mad technique like Rudy Van Geller
I have great techniques, like Rudy Van Geller (an imagined person)
And yes I got a plan I'm a carry out it
I have a plan and I'm going to execute it
Yes I'm pro-choice I'm a scream and shout it
I believe in pro-choice and I'm going to make it known
Yes I love life and I try not to doubt it
I enjoy life and I try to keep any doubts at bay
Yes I'm gonna body 'cause I'm 'bout it 'bout it
I'm going to give it my all and take it to the top
When it rains I don't use an umbrella
I don't shelter myself from the rain
When I write rhymes, I use indeli-ble ink
My rhymes are permanent, leaving a lasting impression
That will make you think
My words and messages will make you think deeply and critically
Sweet like a ??? filled with Nutella
I'm sweet, like a food item filled with Nutella (a chocolate-hazelnut spread)
Creamy like buffalo mozzarella
I'm smooth and creamy, like buffalo mozzarella cheese
Sneaking around you know I smell ya
I notice what's happening around me, I 'smell' what's going on
Well I play ya like a peanut and throw the shell ya
I trick you and then discard you like a peanut shell
Well I could give a fuzz if ya think you're a baller
I don't care if you think you're a big shot
Against a menehune ????? well you fall smaller
Even against a small opponent (menehune), you'll lose
Middle school rapper and the crowd gets your love
I'm a middle-school-aged rapper and the crowd loves me
If ya think about your grandma go ahead call her
If you want to, go ahead and call your grandma
From the East Coast so I don't say hella
I'm from the East Coast and don't use 'hella' like they do on the West Coast
At the mic stand my performance is stellar
I'm great on stage, giving a stellar performance
Pop the tape in and I listen to Fela
I listen to tapes of Fela Kuti (Afrobeat music legend)
I give a little shout to Nelson Mandela
I give a shout-out to Nelson Mandela, a heroic anti-apartheid leader
Known for the words that make you scream and holler
I'm known for my words that excite and energize people
I'm Count Dooku to your Queen Amidala
I'm Count Dooku (a Star Wars character) to your Queen Amidala (another character)
Give a shout to Spiros or John Waller
I give a shout-out to Spiros or John Waller (unknown individuals)
I'm a student of the game and a bonafide scholar
I'm a student of the hip hop music genre and a true scholar of it
So ease up on the bong to ease that coughin'
Don't smoke too much to avoid coughing
Butter's on the table now watch it soften
Butter is on the table and it will eventually soften
Bring in those beats and I'm a bring them muffin
Bring in the beats and I'll bring my rhymes and skills
I'm a keep rappin' when I'm in my coffin
I'll never stop rapping, even when I'm dead
Like a mind gone mad that is unwinding
Like a crazy mind that is unraveling, wild and unpredictable
In a padded room the walls you're climbing
In a padded room, you're trying to climb the walls, looking for a way out
Don't sign on the line if it looks binding
Don't commit to something if it has too many strings attached
Ya have to get loose and find the lining
You have to let go and find the silver lining, the positive side
NOW get busy
Now is the time to get to work and get things done
Contributed by Bentley H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Nestor Galaviz
on Body Movin' (Fatboy Slim remix)
dope