MCA
A lot of people have been asking “how are you feeling about the death of Adam Yauch?”, by that I mean my Mum said “you used to like the Beastie Boys didn’t you?”.
I did, I do like the Beastie Boys. No tears have fallen, not because I’m dead inside but because I didn’t know him personally. Though the loss has affected me, I’m disappointed, saddened and feeling it much more than the recent death of the crack-fuelled diva or the funny plastic-faced one who (allegedly) fiddled with kids. I’ll regret that - my Nana always told me it was wrong to speak ill of the dead.
The Beastie Boys music was a catalyst to opening my musical mind. I remember a friend playing “Ill Communication” to me in the car on the way to the skate park knowing full well I was a spotty metal head. He played “Get It Together” and then “Sabotage”. I wouldn’t acknowledge it was the same band, I was torn, it frazzled my shrivelled brain.
They changed hip-hop, certainly for me anyway. Rap was no longer monotonous beats and repetitive lyrics which obsessed over money, smoking drugs and being disrespectful towards women. It was clever, fun, insightful and their music crossed genres with blasts of punk, comedy skits and journeys of instrumental acid jazz.
More recently we wore out “Hot Sauce Committee Part Two” whilst driving around Morocco, we laughed at “The Larry Routine” and nodded to “Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win” as our grom hosts asked “who’s this? They’re sick!”
I’m not going to post videos of “Sabotage” or “No Sleep till Brooklyn“, they’re everywhere. Instead, here’s a track off their latest album which proves they’ve remained consistently good and that it’s worth digging deeper if you’re new to them.
You’ll be missed, Nathanial Hornblower.
“MCA” May 5, 2012 in Music
