Now here's a little story I've got to tell about three bad brothers you know so well...
...a trio of goofy teenagers were able to run wild through a city in seedy decline. Coming of age just as punk rock and hip-hop blossomed in the city, the Beasties fell in love with the musical chaos and heady energy that was swirling all around them. They were able to tap into that energy and draw inspiration from it for the remainder of their careers, as their fond recollections of the time and place make clear. They don’t sugar-coat it, though, and every story of hanging out on the third floor of Danceteria is tempered by one about hordes of rats swarming from their apartment trash cans.
Photo pulled from Popwell.net
Adam "King Ad-Rock" Horowitz
Adam Keefe Horovitz, better known by Ad-Rock or King Ad-Rock, was born on October 31st, 1966. Horovitz began his career in music with the punk rock band, The Young and the Useless. The band would often perform alongside the Beastie Boys, who was also a punk rock band at the time. When guitarist for the Beastie Boys, John Berry, quit, Horovitz joined the Beastie Boys in 1982 at age 16. Shortly after his induction into the group, they changed their sound from punk rock to hip hop.
The King Ad-Rock, that is my name, and I know the fly spot where they got the champagne
Photo pulled from NorthernExpress.com
Adam "MC A" Yauch
Adam Yauch, or MC A, was born on August 5th, 1964 and died of cancer in 2012. Yauch founded the hip hop group, Beastie Boys in New York City. He directed many of the Beastie Boys' music videos, often under the pseudonym Nathaniel Hornblower. Yauch became a practicing Buddhist and was a champion for the Tibetan independence movement. A leader in spreading equality, MC A rapped the verse:
I want to say something that's long overdue: The disrespect to women has got to be through: To all the mothers and sisters and wives and friends: I want to offer my love and respect till the end.
Photo pulled from HappyMag.tv
Mike "D" Diamond
Michael Diamond, known as Mike D, was born on November 20th, 1965 in New York City. Mike D formed the Beastie Boys with Adam Yauch in 1981, soon adding Adam Horovitz to the group. They started out as a punk band, but they found their calling with hip-hop music. In 1985, they opened for Madonna on her famous "Like a Virgin" tour. The Beastie Boys gained huge success with numerous albums and tours, then later founded their own record label and magazine called Grand Royal in 1993. Mike often plays the drums for Beastie Boys songs when they are not performing with a DJ.
I'm Mike D and I get respect. Your cash and your jewelry is what I expect.
