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."
The Negotiation Limerick File
Beastie Boys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We're comin' with the limericks and we're comin' strong
And the rhythm's on time to every word and rhyme
When it comes to keep it real I keep it really wrong
At the risk of sounding crass I would like to mention
That I am well aware of your wack intentions
To usurp my prose you so and so
It's my primary bone of contention
With all these people with static
I'll go insane if it don't rain
Sucker MC's are problematic
I love it when you hit those switches
A curve ball's what my pitch is
So here we here we come
Like dumb ditty dumb
I keep all five boroughs in stitches
The sound sounds sweeter through the echo plex
It'll spin you around and throw you in a hex
Until you feel no pain inside your brain
All your worries are soothed by the sound effects
Read it in the Post and the Daily News
Listen everybody lets show improve
Don't let me begin about heroin
Living six feet deep just ain't the move
We're giving you soul power
I like it sweet and sour
When it comes to rhymes and beat designs
I'm at the control tower
Tell me what makes you so afraid
Of all those people you say you hate
Just give it one time for your mind
And let's try to negotiate
And let's try to negotiate
And let's try to negotiate
In the song "The Negotiation Limerick File" by Beastie Boys, the group shows off their lyrical prowess with clever wordplay and confident delivery. They start by proclaiming their DJ's skills and then move on to their own lyrical talent, calling out anyone who tries to imitate or compete with their style. They even go as far to criticize those who use heroin, suggesting it is not a viable lifestyle choice. The overall message of the song seems to be one of asserting their dominance in the rap world while also encouraging listeners to negotiate and find common ground.
The lyrics in this song illustrate Beastie Boys' distinctive style and how they use clever rhymes, wordplay and humor, to create memorable and infectious tunes. Even though they often dealt with controversial, social issues like drugs, violence, racism or inequality, they always did it through their unique lens, full of wit and irony, without taking themselves too seriously. Beastie Boys were also known for embracing their love for different genres of music and mixing them up into their music, blending punk rock and rap, funk and soul, and more. This juxtaposition made them significant pioneers and influencers of alternative hip hop, and a great example of how to innovate in music.
Line by Line Meaning
My DJ's got the cuts and the beats are on
Our DJ has great musical skills and the rhythm is perfect
We're comin' with the limericks and we're comin' strong
We are delivering powerful, funny and witty verses
And the rhythm's on time to every word and rhyme
Our music matches the pace and rhyme of our lyrics
When it comes to keep it real I keep it really wrong
I am not trying to fit in, I am proudly different and unique
At the risk of sounding crass I would like to mention
Although it may be impolite, I must bring it up
That I am well aware of your wack intentions
I know you want to copy my style but it won't work
To usurp my prose you so and so
You want to steal my words and ideas, you sneaky person
It's my primary bone of contention
This is my biggest problem with you
I tell you everybody I've had it
I am fed up with this situation
With all these people with static
I am surrounded by people who cause trouble
I'll go insane if it don't rain
I am going crazy from all this stress
Sucker MC's are problematic
I am annoyed by mediocre musicians who think they're great
I love it when you hit those switches
I enjoy when you add sound effects and other surprises to the music
A curve ball's what my pitch is
I like to throw unexpected things into my art
So here we here we come
We are arriving and ready to perform
Like dumb ditty dumb
With a silly and catchy tune
I keep all five boroughs in stitches
My work is popular and humorous, especially in New York City
The sound sounds sweeter through the echo plex
The music is more enjoyable with the right equipment
It'll spin you around and throw you in a hex
You will be pleasantly surprised and disoriented
Until you feel no pain inside your brain
The music is so good it can distract you from your problems
All your worries are soothed by the sound effects
The clever sounds and production techniques can calm you down
Read it in the Post and the Daily News
We have been mentioned in important newspapers and websites
Listen everybody lets show improve
Let's work together to make things better
Don't let me begin about heroin
I cannot even start to describe how bad heroin is
Living six feet deep just ain't the move
Dying from drug addiction is not a good idea
We're giving you soul power
Our music and lyrics are heartfelt and empowering
I like it sweet and sour
I enjoy mixing different styles and moods
When it comes to rhymes and beat designs
Our lyrics and music are top-notch
I'm at the control tower
I am in charge of making the music and creative decisions
Tell me what makes you so afraid
What is causing you to be scared or nervous
Of all those people you say you hate
Why do you dislike or resent certain individuals
Just give it one time for your mind
Open your mind and give us a chance
And let's try to negotiate
Let's find common ground and work things out
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ADAM HOROVITZ, ADAM NATHANIEL YAUCH, MARIO CALDATO JR., MICHAEL LOUIS DIAMOND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nestor Galaviz
on Body Movin' (Fatboy Slim remix)
dope