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."
OK
Beastie Boys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You talk and talk and you just can't stop
A word comes to mind, it's "Crock"
What you say, is lackluster
Plus it seems you're trying to pull a filibuster
Yeah right yeah ok
Tell me something new to start the day
Said see you later when you coming home?
Now let's start over with a nice clean slate
Please stop stressing with the hurry up wait
Heard you the first time that sounds great
But back up out my space okay
Yeah yeah right right - okay
Okay okay okay okay
Wrapped in pink ribbon so pretty
My name's Mike D from New York City
I guess it's all in the mind
But I fell behind
I thought it'd be smooth like a nice nutter butter
But I start to cringe every word that you utter
Yes you said you're a big deal
But money calm down for real
Got to control my mind
Got to slow down rewind
What is going on in my head?
Why's the sky gone red?
(What is going on in my head?
Why's the sky gone red?
What is going on in my head?
What is going on in my head?
Why's the sky gone red?
What is going on in my head?
Why's the sky gone red?
What is going on in my head?
What is going on in my head?)
Heard you the first time that sounds great now
Now, I don't give a fuck who the hell you are
Please stop shouting in you cellular
I never asked to be part of your day
So please stop shouting in your phone ok?
You lie like a plain clothes cop
Take a minute take a look and take stock
Take a minute get your mind unlocked
Get open and I'll throw you the rock
What is going on in my head?
And why had the sky gone all red?
Be kind rewind or at least
Tell me what it is I did or just say
What should I say
Hmm, okay?
Yeah yeah right right - okay
Okay okay okay okay
The Beastie Boys' "Ok" is a track that tackles the feeling of being overwhelmed with hollow conversations and small talk. The group expresses the futility of trying to participate in meaningless dialogue and highlights the power of shutting down such conversations. The first verse portrays a person who keeps talking aimlessly, with no significant outcome; the group aptly likens the words to a crock. They go ahead to point out that the person might be purposefully filibustering for no apparent reason. In the chorus, they urge the person to tell them something new that will add value to them rather than the lackluster conversations they are trying to promote.
Mike D's verse highlights the frustration he feels when things do not go as smoothly as anticipated. He compares his expectations of a smooth ride to a "nice nutter butter." Instead, every word he hears from the other party makes him cringe. He then goes ahead to plead with the person to control their mind, slow down and rewind to understand what they are saying better.
The song then comes to an end with the group urging for honest and straightforward conversations. They express their disinterest in being a part of hollow conversations that give no value. The group highlights that they do not require any explanations but would like a meaningful conversation that adds value to their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Okay
Acknowledgment that the song has started
You talk and talk and you just can't stop
The person being addressed is talking incessantly
A word comes to mind, it's 'Crock'
The content of the person's speech is false, meaningless or uninteresting
What you say, is lackluster
The person is boring or unengaging
Plus it seems you're trying to pull a filibuster
The person is intentionally preventing others from expressing their views
Yeah right yeah ok
Sarcasm and disbelief at what the person is saying
Tell me something new to start the day
Request for fresh, interesting or relevant information
Said see you later when you coming home?
Question about the person's return home
It's a gift it's a curse it's the telephone
The telephone is a useful but also a frustrating device
Now let's start over with a nice clean slate
Desire to begin anew and put the past behind
Please stop stressing with the hurry up wait
Frustration with delays and wasted time
Heard you the first time that sounds great
Acknowledgment that the person has been heard, but no need for further repetition
But back up out my space okay
Request for physical distance and personal space
Wrapped in pink ribbon so pretty
Introduction of the performer
My name's Mike D from New York City
Further introduction of the performer
I guess it's all in the mind
The person's perception of reality is subjective
But I fell behind
The person feels they have lost their way or are struggling to keep up
I thought it'd be smooth like a nice nutter butter
Expectation of a smooth and easy process
But I start to cringe every word that you utter
The singer finds the other person's words uncomfortable or annoying
Yes you said you're a big deal
The person being addressed has claimed to be important or influential
But money calm down for real
Skepticism and disbelief at the person's claim of importance
Got to control my mind
Self-admonition to focus and remain calm
Got to slow down rewind
Take a moment to reflect and reassess
What is going on in my head?
Internal questioning and reflection
Why's the sky gone red?
Confusion and disorientation
(What is going on in my head? Why's the sky gone red? What is going on in my head? What is going on in my head? Why's the sky gone red? What is going on in my head? Why's the sky gone red? What is going on in my head? What is going on in my head?)
Repetition of questioning and confusion
Heard you the first time that sounds great now
Reiteration that the singer has heard the other person before
Now, I don't give a fuck who the hell you are
Determination to assert oneself and disregard the other person's status or identity
Please stop shouting in you cellular
Request to stop using the phone loudly
I never asked to be part of your day
The singer never intended to be involved in the other person's life
So please stop shouting in your phone ok?
Reiteration of the request for the person to be quiet
You lie like a plain clothes cop
The person is lying in a way that is deceptive, like an undercover police officer
Take a minute take a look and take stock
Request for the person to reflect and reassess
Take a minute get your mind unlocked
Encouragement to open up and share one's thoughts
Get open and I'll throw you the rock
If the person opens up, the singer will be supportive
What is going on in my head?
Further reflection and questioning
And why had the sky gone all red?
Continued disorientation and confusion
Be kind rewind or at least
Request to show kindness and understanding, or at least some sense of remorse or acknowledgement
Tell me what it is I did or just say
Request for a specific explanation or apology
What should I say
A plea for guidance or suggestion on how to proceed
Hmm, okay?
Uncertain agreement or acceptance
Yeah yeah right right - okay
Skepticism and sarcasm mixed with reluctant acceptance
Okay okay okay okay
Reiteration of reluctant acceptance
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RICK RUBIN, ADAM HOROWITZ, MICHAEL DIAMOND, ADAM YAUCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Menolifee
Love this song. One of the bests by Beastie Boys.
@Carson_family
Yep
@peregrineruncie
Amazing Album, R.I.P MCA. Such a loss.
@WR3ND
Right, but we got this though. Honestly, we're pretty lucky. 😎
I'm grateful for MCA and the B Boys.
@vpdp0001
they never did anything but great music
@arnaudmahu8996
beastie always on top
@sj6316
I 💙the beastie boys. 4 life!!!!
@adrian_mayorquin
Love this song
@Itsnoahscott
Ok
@edivalentim9709
Ok