Beastie Boys Book

Written by surviving band members Adam “Ad-Rock” Horowitz and Michael “Mike D” Diamond with contributions from key collaborators, Beastie Boys Book charts the group’s evolution over its three-decade history. Three teenage middle-class Jewish outcasts meet in New York City’s club scene in the late 70s/early 80s and form a hardcore punk band before shifting their focus to rap. Under the auspices of Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin, they become the first commercially successful white rappers until falling out with their benefactors. This break, coupled with a move to the west coast, proves to be a blessing in disguise as the Beasties branch out musically, becoming innovative samplers and cementing an enduring legacy. They mature both artistically and personally, renouncing their prior misogyny and addressing more sophisticated lyrical themes, before disbanding when Adam “MCA” Yauch dies of cancer in 2012.

Once derided as a novelty act (white Jewish rappers!) or shallow party fiends, the Beastie Boys always had a lot more going on than their image suggests, and this book confirms that. For instance, their breakout hit, “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party),” celebrated as a frat bro anthem, was actually a parody whose satirical intent was lost on many of its admirers. And while the Beasties rose on the strength of their sampling prowess, they could actually play instruments competently (or, in Yauch’s case, well). However, this book is less a vindication and more an exploration not only of the good, but the bad and the weird as well. Crazed managers, sketchy venues, and bizarre encounters all dot the landscape, and Horovitz doesn’t shy away from copping to despicable past behavior (such as kicking founding drummer Kate Schellenbach out of the band because a female member didn’t fit their image). Beyond that, the book is also a touching tribute to Yauch: a visionary iconoclast with an engineer’s mind.

Some of Beastie Boys Book’s best moments, however, come not from Horowitz or Diamond but from others who set scenes and fill in context around their escapades. Luc Sante nails the atmosphere of late 1970s New York nightlife with clarity and verve while celebrated chef Roy Choi draws parallels between passion for music and passion for food. Of course, much like the Beastie Boys’ music, nonsense filler pops up every now and then, as if the audience is being excluded from a prolonged inside joke. But just as those tracks can be skipped, so too can those pages.

While prior Beastie Boys fandom is a likely prerequisite to get through the book’s 500-plus pages, those with any interest in the group’s music will not be disappointed.

TIP: Get the audiobook version. It is read by Horovitz, Diamond, and an insane amount of celebrity guests: LL Cool J, Chuck D, Jarvis Cocker, Elvis Costello, Will Ferrell, Wanda Sykes, Maya Rudolph, and more.