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."
Stand Together
Beastie Boys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As I live my life, I've got just me to be true to
When I find that I don't know about just what to do
I turn and look within—to see what I should do
Now I'm not sure what it takes to be hip
A lot of people making music that to me ain't shit
So I ask creation for rhymes for this jam
Gimme lickle solo and I'll take the mic stand
(Love vibe, love vibe, love vibe, love vibe)
(Love vibe, love vibe, love vibe, love vibe)
Yeah, as the earth spins into a brand new day
I see the light on the horizon's not fading away
Gonna shine from within, like a bright white sun
No need to hide and no place to run
Got the vibrations of the music bringing light to your mind
So you can move and groove, and feel the beat of the time
Sense the power in the air as it starts to move
You get a real good feeling that you just can't lose
(Love vibe, contemplation time)
(Love vibe, intuition time)
(Love vibe, evolution time)
(Love vibe, resolution time)
Free your mind, it's time for good times
And let yourself move, it's a time to shine
Spread your wings in the sky, feelin' good inside
You're breaking free, with no need to hide
I got the music cuttin' through me, take control of my soul
I can't hold back, I've got to let go
Stand together (people come together now)
It's about time (we've got to get together now)
Stand together (people come together now)
I said it's about time (we've got to get together now), come on
Stand together (people come together now)
I said it's about time (we've got to get together, y'all)
I think we should stand together
The song "Stand Together" by Beastie Boys is a call for unity and togetherness. The lyrics reflect on the idea that the world may not be as it once was and that the singer perceives things differently now. However, they know that they must be true to themselves and seek guidance from within when they aren't sure what to do. When it comes to music, the singer is critical of what is considered "hip" and prefers to ask creation for inspiration. The chorus encourages listeners to let go of their inhibitions, move to the beat, and spread their wings. The song urges us to stand together, come together, and get together because it's about time.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't see things quite the same as I used to
I don't have the same perspective or views as before
As I live my life, I've got just me to be true to
I have to be true to myself and my own beliefs
When I find that I don't know about just what to do
When I am unsure what to do
I turn and look within—to see what I should do
I introspect to figure out what action to take
Now I'm not sure what it takes to be hip
I am uncertain about what it means to be fashionable or cool
A lot of people making music that to me ain't shit
Many people create music that I don't think is great
So I ask creation for rhymes for this jam
I ask the universe for inspiration to create lyrics for this song
Gimme lickle solo and I'll take the mic stand
Give me a guitar solo and I'll take the microphone
Yeah, as the earth spins into a brand new day
As the world revolves and a new day begins
I see the light on the horizon's not fading away
The upcoming future seems bright and promising
Gonna shine from within, like a bright white sun
I will exude brilliance from my inner self like the sun
No need to hide and no place to run
No need to conceal the true self since there's no escape
Got the vibrations of the music bringing light to your mind
The music's harmony can enlighten and uplift your mind
So you can move and groove, and feel the beat of the time
You can dance and groove, and sense the rhythm of the era
Sense the power in the air as it starts to move
Feel the vigorous energy of the atmosphere as it begins to stir
You get a real good feeling that you just can't lose
You experience an unbeatable sense of joy and ecstasy
Free your mind, it's time for good times
Let go of your inhibitions and enjoy the moment
And let yourself move, it's a time to shine
Allow yourself to dance and express yourself
Spread your wings in the sky, feelin' good inside
Feel ecstatic and uninhibited, as if you're soaring in the sky
You're breaking free, with no need to hide
You're liberating yourself from all constraints without the need to hide
I got the music cuttin' through me, take control of my soul
The music is deeply affecting me and taking over my very being
I can't hold back, I've got to let go
I can't contain myself; I have to let loose
Stand together (people come together now)
We should stand unitedly as a group
It's about time (we've got to get together now)
It's time for us to come together now finally
I said it's about time (we've got to get together now), come on
I once again emphasize that it's high time for us to unite
Stand together (people come together now)
Let's stand together as a people
I said it's about time (we've got to get together, y'all)
I once again say it's time for us to come together
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ADAM HOROVITZ, ADAM NATHANIEL YAUCH, COLIN HODGKINSON, MARIO CALDATO JR., MICHAEL LOUIS DIAMOND, RON ASPERY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nestor Galaviz
on Body Movin' (Fatboy Slim remix)
dope