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."
Posse in Effect
Beastie Boys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You keep it on and shockin' the place
Well I'm M.C.A. I got nothing to prove
Pay attention my intention is to bust a move
I drink quarts and cans and bottles and sixes
Between the turntables keep the vodka and the mixes
I'm Mike D. I got the deuces wild
A list of girlies numbers that I've dialed
I like Bullwinkle but I don't like Brutus
I'm schoolin' in the boys' room coolin' by the locker
All the girls in class know that I'm the cool rocker
Punk in the hall man I should of oughta hit him
Had the fresh rhymes and the kid cold bite 'em
Smokin' in the boys room is what I do best
While you were at a party your girlfriend fessed
I keep a pistol in my pocket so you better be cautious
Fly around the world but it makes me nauseous
Mike D.'s day off everyday of the week
I got to the party and I did the freak
I got a girl in the Castle and one in the pagoda
You know I got rhymes like Abe Vigoda
I'm a Def Manhattan killer, a rhyme driller
A mic in my hand and a mouth full of Miller
I got a hat not a visor, I drink Budweiser
The turntables up on the drum riser
The needle's in the groove and the vinyl's on the platter
I know that I'm fly man there's no need to flatter
I travel around the globe, it's keeping girlies dizzy
My name's Mike D., now watch me get busy y'all
You're a fake wearin' sucker whose gold got rusted
Cheaper than a hot do with no mustard
You tried to steal my fresh and you got cold busted
Because your crew's all soft and I'm disgusted
I'm from downtown from the city of Manhattan
I got a lotta girlies and not one's cattin'
My posse's in effect and we're doin' the do
And we got more rhymes than your damn crew
Caught you poppin' that weak and you must of been dusted
Stuck you head in the toilet and stone cold flushed it
Word
"Posse in Effect" by the Beastie Boys is a bravado-filled rap track that's full of swagger and attitude. The lyrics are cleverly constructed with witty wordplay and references to popular culture, showcasing the trio's ability to create fun, playful rhymes over a rolling bassline that makes it hard not to bop along.
The song begins with M.C.A introducing himself and his intention to "bust a move." He talks about his fondness for drinking and partying, a common theme throughout the Beastie Boys' music. Mike D then enters with his own verse, name-dropping popular dance moves and sharing tales of his conquests. The third verse features a diss aimed at a fake "sucker" who tried to steal the Beastie Boys' style, followed by a repetition of the chorus.
Overall, "Posse in Effect" perfectly encapsulates the Beastie Boys' early sound and foretells their future as one of the most influential hip hop groups of all time.
Line by Line Meaning
Yes, yes, y'all and you don't stop
We're here to party and we're not stopping any time soon
You keep it on and shockin' the place
We're here to keep the energy high and keep the party going
Well I'm M.C.A. I got nothing to prove
I'm confident in my abilities as an MC and don't feel the need to prove myself to anyone
Pay attention my intention is to bust a move
I'm here to show off my dance moves and make people move with me
I drink quarts and cans and bottles and sixes
I enjoy drinking a lot and don't discriminate when it comes to the type of alcohol
Between the turntables keep the vodka and the mixes
I keep my preferred mixers and alcohol close by while I'm DJing
I'm Mike D. I got the deuces wild
My style is unpredictable and wild
A list of girlies numbers that I've dialed
I have a lot of girls' phone numbers from my adventures
I do the Smurf, the Popeye, and the Jerry Lewis
I enjoy and am skilled at performing different dance moves
I like Bullwinkle but I don't like Brutus
I have opinions about cartoons
I'm schoolin' in the boys' room coolin' by the locker
I'm hanging out in the boys' bathroom and acting cool by the lockers
All the girls in class know that I'm the cool rocker
I have a reputation as a cool guy who loves rock music among the girls in my class
Punk in the hall man I should of oughta hit him
I was tempted to hit a punk who was causing trouble in the hallway
Had the fresh rhymes and the kid cold bite 'em
I had the best rhymes and flow that could have put the punk in his place
Smokin' in the boys room is what I do best
I love to smoke in the boys' bathroom
While you were at a party your girlfriend fessed
Your girlfriend told me something important while you were partying
I keep a pistol in my pocket so you better be cautious
I carry a weapon and it's best for others to be aware of that
Fly around the world but it makes me nauseous
I travel a lot but it can make me feel sick
Mike D.'s day off everyday of the week
I have a laidback lifestyle and take every day off as a casual day
I got to the party and I did the freak
I went to a party and showed off my unique dance moves
I got a girl in the Castle and one in the pagoda
I have two girls in different locations
You know I got rhymes like Abe Vigoda
I have a lot of rhymes and they're as impressive as Abe Vigoda's acting chops
I'm a Def Manhattan killer, a rhyme driller
I'm a skilled rapper from Manhattan
A mic in my hand and a mouth full of Miller
I have a microphone in one hand and a beer in my mouth
I got a hat not a visor, I drink Budweiser
I wear a hat instead of a visor and my preferred beer is Budweiser
The turntables up on the drum riser
The DJ booth is elevated and looks like a drum riser
The needle's in the groove and the vinyl's on the platter
The DJ has set up the turntable and is ready to play a record
I know that I'm fly man there's no need to flatter
I'm aware of my own coolness and don't need anyone to compliment me
I travel around the globe, it's keeping girlies dizzy
I tour around the world and it makes girls dizzy with excitement
My name's Mike D., now watch me get busy y'all
My name is Mike D. and I'm about to show off my skills as an MC
You're a fake wearin' sucker whose gold got rusted
You're a phony person wearing fake gold jewelry that has tarnished
Cheaper than a hot do with no mustard
You're worth less than a hot dog without any condiments
You tried to steal my fresh and you got cold busted
You tried to copy my style but got caught and called out for it
Because your crew's all soft and I'm disgusted
Your group of friends is weak and it makes me sick
I'm from downtown from the city of Manhattan
I'm from the heart of New York City
I got a lotta girlies and not one's cattin'
I have a lot of female admirers and none of them are being unfaithful
My posse's in effect and we're doin' the do
My group of friends is here and we're partying
And we got more rhymes than your damn crew
We have better rhymes and flow than your group
Caught you poppin' that weak and you must of been dusted
I caught you using a weak drug and you must have been high
Stuck you head in the toilet and stone cold flushed it
I dunked your head in a toilet and flushed it
Word
Agreement or affirmation
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Rick Rubin, Adam Horowitz, Michael Diamond, Adam Yauch
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nestor Galaviz
on Body Movin' (Fatboy Slim remix)
dope