Beastie Boys

Hip-Hop

Beastie Boys were an American hip-hop trio from New York City, United States: Brooklyn and Manhattan. Originally formed as a four-piece hardcore punk band, The Young Aborigines, in 1978 by Michael Diamond (vocals), John Berry (guitar; died May 2016), Adam Yauch (bass) and Kate Schellenbach (drums), for the majority of its career the group consisted of Mike D (real name Michael Diamond), Ad-Rock (Adam Horovitz) and, until his death in May 2012, MCA (Adam Yauch). 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 Aboriginies. 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 P...