Started as a hardcore punk group in 1981, The Beastie Boys found a lot of parallels between the artistic values of punk and hip-hop and evolved into the first relevant Caucasian rap group. After several lineup changes in the early 80's, enduring members Mike D, MCA and Ad-Rock, who all hail from New York, made the crossover to rap and created the Beastie Boys as they are known today.After joining up with producer Rick Rubin, the group experienced some success from their single, "She's on It," featured on the motion picture soundtrack for Krush Groove. The hit enabled them to serve as opening acts on tours for Madonna and Run D.M.C.Their debut album, 1985's Licensed to Ill drew on teenage hormones with songs like "Girls" and featured a youthful, rebellious tone on songs like "Fight for Your Right." The album was an absolute smash, selling more than 750,000 copies in its first six weeks and becoming the fastest selling debut in Colombia Records history. Licensed to Ill went on to become the biggest rap album of the 1980s despite being made by three white, Jewish guys.The group's second effort, Paul's Boutique, drifted away from the sophomoric images so heavily featured on Licensed to Ill but was generally ignored by the public and the media alike. It did eventually develop somewhat of a cult following and certain aspects would be hailed as innovative years down the road. 1992's Check Your Head, on which the group's members played their own instruments, shot the Boys back to the top of the charts and paved the way for 1994's Ill Communication, which debuted at number one and went double platinum. The album's singles "Sabotage" and "Sure Shot" were major hits.In 1996 Ad-Rock a.k.a. Adam Yauch organized a two-day festival to raise awareness and money concerning the Chinese government's reign over the country of Tibet. The Tibetan Freedom Concert has become an annual event frequented by activists and message-filled musical acts. In 1998 the Beasties released Hello Nasty, their heavily anticipated fifth effort. The group had not lost their touch as the album, like most of its predecessors, reached number one.The group has gone on to release a greatest hits album as well as an all-instrumental disc. They've also released a couple of concert DVDs. The Beastie Boys were certainly revolutionary in terms of their race and approach to hip-hop. Their mark on the '80s and '90s is matched by few other hip-hop artists.
