The Beastie Boys and Beastie Gal: A Relationship That Defined an Era

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The Beastie Boys ’ crossover appeal introduced a broader audience to hip-hop and laid the groundwork for future rap artists to break into the mainstream. The album also opened doors for the blending of different genres—an approach that would later become a hallmark of the group’s sound. After the Beastie Boys severed their relationship with Rick Rubin and Def Jam Records over a heated royalty dispute, they released their second album, Paul’s Boutique, on Capitol Records. They began life as a punk band, and their name, they later explained, was an acronym for Boys Entering Anarchistic States Towards Internal Excellence. The name says it all: All the Beasties ever. While Spike Jonze is famed for his work as the Academy Award-winning director behind films such as Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, and Her, his relationship with the Beastie Boys goes back. While many would use records from the likes of AC/DC or Led Zeppelin as a reference point, Astbury was more interested in what was happening in the hip-hop community, becoming enamoured with the sounds of Beastie Boys . The Beastie Boys integrated punk-rock and hip-hop into an organic whole on Licensed To Ill (1987), while the orgy of samples of Paul’s Boutique (1989) virtually invented a new (“cut and paste”) way of making music (thanks to the producing team of the Dust Brothers). By 1982 and their first releases – first, as part of the New York Thrash compilation, then with their own EP Polly Wog Stew – the band had become the Beastie Boys . The band took inspiration from the thriving hardcore scenes all across America. Released as part of their 1998 album, ‘ Hello Nasty,’ the track became an anthem that defined an era, showcasing their ability to fuse eclectic beats with a playful exploration of science fiction motifs.