Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys is a rap rock group from New York City.
New York trio that went from punk to hip-hop and made the first rap album to top the Billboard 200.
Who are the Beastie Boys?
The Beastie Boys were a trio from New York: Mike D, Ad-Rock and MCA. They started as a hardcore punk band and switched to hip-hop in the mid-'80s.
Known for
Licensed to Ill (1986), produced by Rick Rubin on Def Jam, was the first rap album to reach number one on the Billboard 200. The sample-heavy Paul's Boutique (1989) became a cult classic, and "Sabotage" and "Intergalactic" were big hits in the '90s. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012, the year MCA died.
Style
Three voices trading loud, funny lines over rock riffs, funk and dense samples. Later they also played their own instruments.
Impact
The Beastie Boys brought hip-hop to a huge rock audience and showed how far you could go with sampling. They paved the way for rap-rock and alternative hip-hop.
Influences
- Run-DMC
- Bad Brains and the New York hardcore punk scene
Beastie Boys: quick answers
What genre is Beastie Boys?
Beastie Boys’s music falls under Rap Rock. Beastie Boys is part of East Coast hip-hop, with the most important work in the 1980s.
Where do Beastie Boys come from?
Beastie Boys comes from New York City.
When did Beastie Boys start?
Beastie Boys has been active since 1981.
Who influenced Beastie Boys?
Beastie Boys was influenced by Run-DMC.
Who did Beastie Boys influence?
Beastie Boys influenced Cypress Hill.
Which artists are similar to Beastie Boys?
If you like Beastie Boys, listen to Cypress Hill, LL Cool J, Rev Run and Run-DMC.
