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."
Rhymin & Stealin
Beastie Boys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm gonna board your ship and turn it on out
No soft sucker with a parrot on his shoulder
'Cause I'm bad, gettin' bolder, cold getting colder
Terrorizing suckers on the seven seas
And if you've got beef, you'll get capped in the knees
We got sixteen men on a dead man's chest
And I shot those suckers and I'll shoot the rest
Most illingest B-boy, I got that feeling
'Cause I am most ill and I'm rhymin' and stealin'
Snatching gold chains, nicking pieces of eight
I got your money and your honey and the fly name plate
We got wenches on the benches, and bitties with titties
Housing all girlies from city to city
One for all and all for one
Taking out MCs with a big shotgun
All for one and one for all
Because the Beastie Boys have gone AWOL
Friggin' in the riggin' and cuttin' your throat
Big biting suckers getting thrown in the moat
We got maidens and wenches, man ,they're on the ace
Captain Bly is gonna die when we break his face
Most illingest B-boy, I got that feeling
I am most ill and I'm rhymin' and stealin'
Ali Baba and the forty thieves
Ali Baba and the forty thieves
Ali Baba and the forty thieves
Ali Baba and the forty thieves
Ali Baba and the forty thieves
Ali Baba and the forty thieves
Ali Baba and the forty thieves
Ali Baba and the forty thieves
Torching and crackin' and rhymin' and stealin'
Robbin' and raping, busting two in the ceiling
I'm wheeling', I'm dealin', I'm drinking, not thinking
Never cower, never shower, and I'm always stinking
Yo-ho-ho and a pint of Brass Monkey
And when my girlie shakes her hips, she sure gets funky
Skirt chasing, free basing, killing every village
We drink and rob and rhyme and pillage
Most illingest B-boy, I got that feeling
I am most ill and I'm rhymin' and stealin'
(I was drinking) I've been drinking my rum, a def son of a gun
(I fought the law) and I cold won
Blackbeard's weak, Moby Dick's on the chicks
'Cause I pull out the jammy and squeeze off six
My pistol is loaded, I shot Betty Crocker
Deliver Colonel Sanders down to Davey Jones' locker
Rhymin' and stealin' in a drunken state
And I'll be rockin' my rhymes all the way to Hell's gate
Most illingest B-boy, I got that feeling
I am most ill and I'm rhymin' and stealin'
Most illingest B-boy, I got that feeling
I am most ill and I'm rhymin' and stealin'
Most illingest B-boy, I got that feeling
'Cause I am most ill and I'm rhymin' and stealin'
Most dillingest B-boy, I got that feeling
I am most ill and I'm rhymin' and stealin'
Most chillingest B-boy
I am most ill and I'm rhymin' and stealin'
Most killingest B-boy
I am most ill and I'm rhymin' and stealin'
Most dusted out B-boy, I'm tossin' my dust
Most finkinest B-boy, I'm doin' that finkin'
Most rhyminest B-boy, I'm stretchin' my shade
Most shootinest B-boy, I think you're shit
Most rhyminest B-boy, I'll steal your shit, homeboy
Most taxinest B-boy, I'll tax you, boy
Most illingest, illingest, illingest B-boy
Taxin' all y'all squares, yeah
The lyrics of Beastie Boys's song Rhymin & Stealin are about pirate life and the adventures that come with it. The title of the song describes the two main activities being done by the pirates, which are rhyming and stealing. The song begins with a declaration of mutiny against the bounty, which signifies their readiness to embark on pirate activities, and a warning not to mess with them because they are bad and becoming bolder. They terrorize people on the seven seas, and their punishment for anyone who opposes them is getting capped in the knees. The line, "We got sixteen men on a dead man's chest," is a reference to the famous novel Treasure Island, which is about pirates looking for treasure. The phrase "piece of eight" is a reference to a silver coin that was widely used by pirates.
In the next verse, they talk about their exploits, including stealing gold chains and jewelry, and taking money and girls from one city to another. The group talks about standing together and being united against MCs who pose a threat. They threaten to kill Captain Bly who is referred to as being weak. As the song continues, they talk about their wild behavior, including drinking, freebasing, and killing every village they come across. They end the song by declaring that they are the most illingest B-boys and they will steal from anyone who crosses their path.
Line by Line Meaning
Because mutiny on the bounty's what we're all about
We believe in taking over whatever we set our sights on and only caring for ourselves.
I'm gonna board your ship and turn it on out
I'll take over your property and flip it for our own gain.
No soft sucker with a parrot on his shoulder
I'm not a pushover and I don't pretend to be a stereotypical pirate.
'Cause I'm bad, gettin' bolder, cold getting colder
I am tough and only getting stronger and more ruthless.
Terrorizing suckers on the seven seas
We are spreading fear and ruthlessness on the ocean.
And if you've got beef, you'll get capped in the knees
If anyone has a problem with us, we'll take them out without hesitation.
We got sixteen men on a dead man's chest
We have a group of people ready to take whatever we want.
And I shot those suckers and I'll shoot the rest
We have taken out many and will continue to do so.
Most illingest B-boy, I got that feeling
I am the best at what I do and it feels great.
'Cause I am most ill and I'm rhymin' and stealin'
I am the top dog and I am good at taking whatever I want.
Snatching gold chains, nicking pieces of eight
We are stealing whatever shiny valuables we can get our hands on.
I got your money and your honey and the fly name plate
We are taking money, women, and other valuables from anyone we can.
We got wenches on the benches, and bitties with titties
We have women on the sidelines and men with nothing to offer.
Housing all girlies from city to city
We are collecting women from different places along our journey.
One for all and all for one
We are a group and we back each other up no matter what.
Taking out MCs with a big shotgun
We are not afraid to take out anyone that gets in our way.
Friggin' in the riggin' and cuttin' your throat
We are having fun while committing acts of extreme violence.
Big biting suckers getting thrown in the moat
We are taking out anyone that isn't useful to us.
We got maidens and wenches, man ,they're on the ace
We have women with us that we can use to our advantage.
Captain Bly is gonna die when we break his face
We are going to take out anyone that we don't like.
Most illingest B-boy, I got that feeling
I am the best at what I do and it feels great.
Ali Baba and the forty thieves
We are akin to the infamous group of thieves from the story.
Torching and crackin' and rhymin' and stealin'
We are destroying what we can, rapping about it, and looting what we can't destroy.
Robbin' and raping, busting two in the ceiling
We are stealing and forcing ourselves on women while taking out anyone that tries to stop us.
I'm wheeling', I'm dealin', I'm drinking, not thinking
I am doing whatever I want without regard for consequences.
Never cower, never shower, and I'm always stinking
I am strong and unwavering, but also unpleasant to be around.
Yo-ho-ho and a pint of Brass Monkey
We are drinking and having fun while we commit acts of violence.
And when my girlie shakes her hips, she sure gets funky
We use women as another tool in our arsenal.
Skirt chasing, free basing, killing every village
We are constantly chasing women, doing drugs, and taking everything we can from those around us.
Most illingest B-boy, I got that feeling
I am the best at what I do and it feels great.
I've been drinking my rum, a def son of a gun
I am getting drunk and becoming more fearless and violent.
I fought the law and I cold won
I have fought against the law and won without remorse.
Blackbeard's weak, Moby Dick's on the chicks
I am stronger and better than other pirates and even fictional sea monsters.
'Cause I pull out the jammy and squeeze off six
I am not afraid to use violent means to get what I want.
My pistol is loaded, I shot Betty Crocker
I am armed and have no problem with using deadly force against anyone that comes after me.
Deliver Colonel Sanders down to Davey Jones' locker
We are willing to take out anyone that stands between us and what we want.
Rhymin' and stealin' in a drunken state
We are committing crimes and rapping about it while intoxicated.
And I'll be rockin' my rhymes all the way to Hell's gate
We will continue to take what we want until the end, no matter where that end might be.
Most illingest B-boy, I got that feeling
I am the best at what I do and it feels great.
I am most ill and I'm rhymin' and stealin'
I have rap and theft down to a science.
Most dillingest B-boy, I got that feeling
I am the most daring and extreme.
Most chillingest B-boy
I am the one that strikes fear into others through my actions.
Most killingest B-boy
I am the one willing to take out anyone that gets in my way.
Most dusted out B-boy, I'm tossin' my dust
I am a drug user and am throwing around my influence.
Most finkinest B-boy, I'm doin' that finkin'
I am always thinking about ways to get what I want, even if they are unethical.
Most rhyminest B-boy, I'm stretchin' my shade
I am always looking for ways to stretch my influence and reach through my rapping.
Most shootinest B-boy, I think you're shit
I am willing to use violence against anyone that I don't like.
Most rhyminest B-boy, I'll steal your shit, homeboy
I am capable of taking anything I want and am not afraid to do so.
Most taxinest B-boy, I'll tax you, boy
I am taking money and valuables from anyone that comes across my path.
Most illingest, illingest, illingest B-boy
I am the absolute best at what I do, no question.
Taxin' all y'all squares, yeah
We are taking everything we want from those that are too weak to stop us.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Adam Keefe Horovitz, Adam Nathaniel Yauch, Michael Louis Diamond, Rick Rubin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nestor Galaviz
on Body Movin' (Fatboy Slim remix)
dope