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 Scoop
Beastie Boys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I went and took a sledgehammer and I broke my nine
Because my life is mine, word is bond I rhyme
And every day I write the book down line by line
I'm feeling good when I do it like this
So come on and turn it up because you can't resist
Because I'm back with another track in which you lack
Because I'm on time, you're shouting rewind
You know it's Adrock that's blowing your mind
My shit is rough and you know it is (so damn tough!)
I'm getting intense, not talking nonsense
I made up my mind, not sitting on the fence
I don't always know the right from the wrong
Do my best to figure it out and work it out in the long
I try to do a lot, more than I can chew
I balance out my ambitions what I got to do
Check it, better believe it y'all
Check it, better believe it y'all
This is rough and tough
'Cause you hide in broad day light, a parasite
A hypocrite, you take a peek quick
You turn your nose up (what), you think you're high up
You play it real safe and now your shit's fake
I seen you hawking and then you clock my style
And then you try to play it off like you think you're wild
D.I.Y., that means do it yourself
I don't sit around waitin' for someone's help
I don't sit back and say "Good enough"
I keep on striving, reinventing, keepin' it off the cuff
So I kick the level up cahoot-ified
Mackadocius vibes, positively fortified
I'm throwing rhymes down, kickin' them downtown
Traveling high speed through the underground
I kick it freestyle, make it worth your while
I've got shelves of rhymes that I keep on file
I'm feeling good now, back home again
Well, New York City is the city that I feel at home in
A blast from the Grasshoff, awhile it's been
Stepping into the future again
Uh, and now I'm straight from eighty-eight
To ninety-three, to ninety-four, I'm out the door
Step into the party with the Fila fresh gear
People looking at me like I was David Koresh here
Kicking rhymes from the heart cause that's where I'm at
Fuck the bullshit, be it far from me to pop that
In the search for truth, I go a lot of ways
There's not a lot of peace that I find these days
I try to stay cool, I try to stay calm
But my life is getting hectic like a smoke bomb
So I'll say it like the group Huggy Bear
There's a boy-girl revolution of which you should be aware
You can't dis me, it ain't worth it, B
You put yourself down and you don't even see
'Cause I don't play that, I know who I am
For a minute I didn't but now I'm back again
I'm feeling strong, see, trust myself, G
Well, I stopped smoking cheeba and that was part of the key
We, we, we've got fire, we need water
There ain't no water, so I guess I ought to
Leave you broke in a comatose state of mind
And I'm blind and I'm working overtime, so check it
I keep my rhymes in my little black book
And I know you wanna take another look
The lyrics of Beastie Boys’ song The Scoop are all about self-assertion and confidence in one’s own identity. The verses are spoken in a rhythmic, almost rap-like style, and they emphasize the importance of knowing who you are and not falling in with the crowd. The singer states that he doesn’t drink or carry a gun, and that he feels good when he writes his rhymes. He talks about the importance of doing things for yourself and not waiting around for others to help you.
The chorus of the song is a repeating riff with the lyrics “check it, better believe it y'all, this is rough and tough.” The singer is essentially telling his listeners that he knows what he’s talking about and that they should take his words seriously. The second verse seems to be directed at someone who has tried to copy the Beastie Boys style but has failed. The singer calls this person a hypocrite and accuses them of copying his style before condemning them for playing it safe.
The third verse talks about the search for truth and the difficulty of finding peace in the world. The singer seems to be grappling with some sort of internal struggle as he talks about staying calm even though his life is getting hectic like a smoke bomb. He ends the song by declaring that he knows who he is, that he’s feeling strong, and that he keeps his rhymes in a little black book.
Facts about the song:
Line by Line Meaning
I don't get blind, I don't drink wine
I don't indulge in vices that cloud my judgment and hinder my productivity.
I went and took a sledgehammer and I broke my nine
I got rid of my weapon of choice because I refuse to succumb to violence.
Because my life is mine, word is bond I rhyme
I control my own destiny, and through my music, I express my values and beliefs.
And every day I write the book down line by line
I am committed to my craft and put in the hard work every day to perfect my craft and create compelling art.
I'm feeling good when I do it like this
I experience a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction when I create music that resonates with me and my audience.
So come on and turn it up because you can't resist
I have confidence in my ability to create music that is both entertaining and thought-provoking, and I know my listeners will enjoy it.
Because I'm back with another track in which you lack
I am reintroducing myself with another innovative and original song that surpasses your own creations.
'Cause things is wack and that's a fact
The current industry standards and trends are subpar, and I'm here to shake things up and raise the bar.
Because I'm on time, you're shouting rewind
My music is timeless, and people can't get enough of it. They constantly replay it to grasp every word and every message.
You know it's Adrock that's blowing your mind My shit is rough and you know it is (so damn tough!)
My music is so raw, honest, and powerful that it challenges and inspires my audience to think for themselves and reflect on their own lives.
I'm getting intense, not talking nonsense
My music is not superficial or trivial, but it's provocative, meaningful, and impactful.
I made up my mind, not sitting on the fence
I have a clear vision and direction of where my music is heading and what message I want to convey. I don't compromise or settle for mediocrity.
I don't always know the right from the wrong Do my best to figure it out and work it out in the long
I'm not perfect, and I make mistakes in life, but I strive to learn from them and grow as a person and an artist.
I try to do a lot, more than I can chew I balance out my ambitions what I got to do
I set ambitious goals for myself, but I also recognize my limits and prioritize what's most important and realistic to achieve.
D.I.Y., that means do it yourself
I value independence, self-reliance, and creativity in my music, and I don't rely on others to dictate my sound or style.
I don't sit around waitin' for someone's help
I don't wait for opportunities to come to me, but rather, I create my own opportunities through hard work and dedication.
So I kick the level up cahoot-ified Mackadocius vibes, positively fortified
I elevate my music to new heights by infusing fresh ideas, styles, and sounds that energize and inspire my listeners and me.
I'm throwing rhymes down, kickin' them downtown Traveling high-speed through the underground
I create rhymes that are both lyrical and poetic, and they resonate with people from all walks of life and various subcultures.
I kick it freestyle, make it worth your while I've got shelves of rhymes that I keep on file
I create music that's both spontaneous and rehearsed, and I have a vast collection of rhymes and lyrics that I draw upon for inspiration and creativity.
I'm feeling good now, back home again Well, New York City is the city that I feel at home in A blast from the Grasshoff, awhile it's been Stepping into the future again
I feel a sense of nostalgia and comfort when I return to my hometown of New York City, where I launched my music career. I'm excited and optimistic about the future and what it holds for me.
Uh, and now I'm straight from eighty-eight To ninety-three, to ninety-four, I'm out the door
I'm progressing and evolving along with the music industry, from the late 80s to the mid-90s, and I'm always on the move to create new and innovative music.
Step into the party with the Fila fresh gear People looking at me like I was David Koresh here
I enter a party with confidence and style, wearing fashionable clothes that exude my personality and taste. People, however, are unsure how to react or approach me, just like David Koresh, a religious leader who was both revered and feared.
Kicking rhymes from the heart cause that's where I'm at Fuck the bullshit, be it far from me to pop that
I create music from a place of honesty, integrity, and passion, not for commercial gain or popularity. I despise and reject any falsehood or insincerity in the industry.
In the search for truth, I go a lot of ways There's not a lot of peace that I find these days I try to stay cool, I try to stay calm But my life is getting hectic like a smoke bomb
I explore various paths and sources of knowledge to better understand and make sense of the world, but often, the truth is elusive and unsatisfying. I try to maintain my composure and equanimity, but the chaos and confusion of reality can be overwhelming and suffocating.
So I'll say it like the group Huggy Bear There's a boy-girl revolution of which you should be aware
I make a reference to the feminist punk rock group Huggy Bear, who advocated for gender equality and challenged gender norms. I echo their message and urge people to recognize and support the ongoing struggle for women's rights and empowerment.
You can't dis me, it ain't worth it, B You put yourself down and you don't even see 'Cause I don't play that, I know who I am For a minute I didn't but now I'm back again
I'm confident in myself and my music, and I don't care about negative opinions or criticisms from others. I've learned from my past mistakes and setbacks and have grown into a stronger and more self-assured person and artist.
I'm feeling strong, see, trust myself, G Well, I stopped smoking cheeba and that was part of the key
I have a newfound sense of strength and self-reliance, and I credit my decision to quit smoking marijuana for that transformation. It has helped me to focus and prioritize my goals and responsibilities better.
We, we, we've got fire, we need water There ain't no water, so I guess I ought to Leave you broke in a comatose state of mind And I'm blind and I'm working overtime, so check it
I use the metaphor of fire and water to symbolize my passion and creativity that are intense but also require balance and nourishment. However, I feel drained and stuck in an unproductive and uninspired state, which frustrates and demotivates me.
I keep my rhymes in my little black book And I know you wanna take another look
I hold on to my creative ideas and lyrics in a personal notebook that I guard fiercely. And I'm aware of my fans' curiosity and eagerness to hear new music from me, which motivates me to continue creating and evolving my art.
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