Since today (August 11) is considered to be the birthday of Hip-Hop by many, it is only fitting that this week’s Footage Fa Dayz features pioneering rap group The Beastie Boys.
This footage was shot in 1998, backstage at The Continental Arena in New Jersey. On the bill that evening was Rage Against the Machine, Chuck D., Black Star featuring Mos Def and Talib Kweli and of course, The Beastie Boys.
The Beasties were backstage playing a pickup game of 3 on 3 basketball just before they took to the stage. Adam “Ad Rock” Horovitz and Michael “Mike D.” Diamond breakdown the group’s origin, including how they came up with the name “Beastie Boys” in this rare clip of the group.
“It was probably like the stupidest thing we could think of at the moment. We met going to shows and going out to hear music at a young, impressionable age,” Mike D. said, revealing that the group started around 1981-83, as Hip-Hop started coming to downtown Manhattan.
Additionally, Ad Rock drops a bomb, revealing that he was instrumental in bringing a young, unsigned LL Cool J to Def Jam. “I made the beat for [LL Cool J‘s] ‘I Need a Beat’,” Ad Rock revealed.
The guys state that in the early days, they marketed themselves using the emerging medium of video, in addition to 12 inch singles, although the music was most important factor for fans at the time.
Mike D. also speaks about their split with Def Jam, although it’s obvious it’s a touchy subject for the band.
“We couldn’t work it out with them,” Mike D. said. “But everyone has their own story. Success to them and L and everyone doing their own thing. A lot of times when money gets involved, things get funny.”
It’s amazing to see that eleven years later, the Beastie Boys still function as a cohesive unit, delivering ground breaking material (like Awesome: I Shot That) to the forefront.
Millions of fans around the world are awaiting group member Adam “MCA” Yauch’s recovery from cancer treatment, which he will undergo in the coming weeks.
The group has postponed the release of their upcoming album Hot Sauce Committee Part 1. while MCA recovers.
Get well soon MCA, from AllHipHop.com
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