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Tag: Beastie Boys

  • Beastie Boys: Here’s How Ad-Rock Could Get His Role In ‘Walking Dead’

    The Walking Dead is currently on hiatus so it’s the perfect time for Ad-Rock of the Beastie Boys to pitch his ideas to Greg Nicotero.

    Ad-Rock, who’s known in real life as Adam Horowitz, is unabashed in his love for the epic zombie TV show.

    “I f—ing love that show,” Horowitz confessed. “Every moment of that show.… I would love to be in The Walking Dead.”

    But unlike other celebrities who prefer to be zombified, this Beastie Boy wants to remain alive, and maybe be friends with resident bad boy Daryl Dixon.

    In a recent Entertainment Weekly radio, the hip-hop legend said he want “to be like [Daryl’s] friend from the city. Like a distant relative—‘He’s my uncle’s friend from New York.”

    “I’d show up with like a PBS tote bag and something from Zabar’s—be like, ‘Hey, I got lox! Who wants bagels?’” Horowitz added.

    While the idea he’s trying to pitch is pretty farfetched, and would likely result in Ad-Rock getting killed by Carl just for the bagels, the singer can say that he has already claimed some notable roles.

    The Beastie Boy member currently has a small but notable role in Adam Sandler’s While We’re Young.

    But maybe Ad-Rock doesn’t need to play some character in The Walking Dead. Maybe he can play himself, like he was on tour in Atlanta or something when the zombie apocalypse hit and he had to fight for his right…to live (see what I did there?)

    Daryl Dixon, or even Rick Grimes, could be revealed as being a fan of the Beastie Boys.

    Ad-Rock would eventually find his way to Alexandria and they’ll have one big, noisy party to welcome him.  After all, even in the depressing world of The Walking Dead, a little party every now and then never hurts anyone.

    At least, not until the zombie horde overruns the community.

  • Beastie Boys: Judge Backs Band; Monster Energy Drink Has to Pay Up

    The Beastie Boys sued Monster Beverage Corporation, the energy drink maker, earlier this year. At issue was a promotional video that Monster put together that prominently featured the Beastie Boys’ music.The Beastie Boys won that lawsuit. But it ended up before a judge again.

    Now the surviving members of The Beastie Boys have been handed a second victory. But why did the case go back to court again?

    According to court documents, the initial jury had found that “Monster had intended to deceive consumers” into believing that the Beastie Boys endorsed their product. The amount Monster was ordered to pay up to the tune of $2.7 million.

    But Monster fought the decision, again according to court documents:

    “Monster argues that the evidence was insufficient to support the finding of willful infringement. Monster argues that the evidence was insufficient to support either a finding of a false endorsement or that Monster acted with intentional deception.”

    But this second judge begs to differ. Apparently Monster’s claim is that the tracks they used were a re-mix done my a DJ named Zach Sciacca, who goes by the name “Z-Trip.”

    “In early 2011, Z-Trip had entered into an agreement with the Beastie Boys to create a remix of some of their songs to promote the group’s then-upcoming album, Hot Sauce Committee Part II. Under the agreement, Z-Trip was authorized to offer the remix for free as a promotional item.”

    Monster says that they got Z-Trip’s permission to use his mix of the Beastie’s songs in their video.

    “However, Z-Trip did not have the right to sell or license the remix, or to authorize third parties to use it. Nor did he obtain any rights to the underlying Beastie Boys songs.”

    In the end, it boiled down to the fact that:

    “Monster never obtained, or attempted to obtain, permission from the Beastie Boys or their management to use the Beastie Boys’ music in the video.”

    But Monster claims that Monster’s regional marketing director, Nelson Phillips, did not know that he had to obtain explicit permission from the Beastie Boys, not just Z-Trip. The judge wasn’t buying it.

    “Notwithstanding his background (in the forestry and skiing industries) and his lack of training in music licensing there was ample evidence from which a jury could conclude that Phillips well appreciated the concept of copyright and the consequent need to obtain permission to use an artist’s music in the promotional videos he created for Monster.”

    The judge further found that the Beastie’s music was used so much in the video, that any reasonable person would assume they had given permission.

    “The Beastie Boys are featured as prominently in the video as Monster — where Monster is dominantly featured pictorially, the Beastie Boys are dominantly featured aurally. The Beastie Boys’ music fills almost all of the video.”

    The video had been uploaded to YouTube and concluded with the words “RIP MCA,” referring to the then-recent death of Beastie’s member Adam Yauch. Universal Music Group is next in line to get a piece of Monster over the video. They have filed their own lawsuit against the company.

  • Beastie Boys’ “Paul’s Boutique”: 25 Years of Beats

    When the Beastie Boys made their first album, License to Ill, the sales went through the roof. The hit single “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)” had taken MTV by storm. Then came “No Sleep till Brooklyn,” “Paul Revere,” and “Brass Monkey.” The Beasties were on top, and were ready to pop a second album.

    But things went downhill fast. The group was getting a bad rep as “frat hip hop”. The Rick Rubin production formula that had worked so well for them on License — simple beats, rock guitars, juvenile lyrics — was also their albatross. The guys did not want to go down as another light-weight white rap act with no staying power.

    When their follow-up was released, 1989’s Paul’s Boutique, the Beasties showed that they were here to stay. Ad-Rock, Mike D, and MCA threw down a record that still rings throughout the hip-hop community to this day.

    Produced by The Dust Brothers, who later did Beck’s Odelay, the album was a heavy-duty layer of samples from all over the map. The beats were anything but simple. The tune “Shake Your Rump” alone has samples from 12 different tunes. The radio hit “Hey Ladies” sampled 15 songs.

    Ad-Rock once said that the album came together easily because the Dust Brothers were already putting together loads of instrumental material that they intended to use in clubs.

    “The Dust Brothers had a bunch of music together, before we arrived to work with them. As a result, a lot of the tracks come from songs they’d planned to release to clubs as instrumentals – “Shake Your Rump,” for example. They’d put together some beats, basslines and guitar lines, all these loops together, and they were quite surprised when we said we wanted to rhyme on it, because they thought it was too dense. They offered to strip it down to just beats, but we wanted all of that stuff on there. I think half of the tracks were written when we got there, and the other half we wrote together.”

    Public Enemy’s Chuck D once said that the “dirty secret” in the black hip-hop community back then was that “Paul’s Boutique had the best beats.”

    This year marks 25 years since Paul’s Boutique hit the streets. MCA died in 2012, but the Beasties are as relevant as ever. To mark the occasion of the 25th anniversary, a mural is being painted on the street corner where the album cover art was snapped.

    Image via YouTube

  • Ben Stiller’s New Film Features A Hip Hop Favorite

    According to Spin, Beastie Boy Adam Horovitz, AKA Ad-Rock, will be featured in Ben Stiller’s new film While We’re Young. The drama also stars Naomi Watts, Amanda Seyfried, Adam Driver, and Charles Grodin. It was directed by Noah Baumbach, the filmmaker who helmed several critically acclaimed dramas including the black-and-white Francis Ha and The Squid and the Whale. It was just announced that the film will be screened at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.

    This isn’t Ad-Rock’s first time in front of the camera. He’s appeared in several shorts and television shows, including Inside Amy Schumer and 30 Rock. However, his biggest silver screen role was as a supporting character for the 1989 drama Lost Angels, which starred Donald Sutherland. So, it’s been almost 25 years since Ad-Rock has had a major role in a feature film. Of course, he’s been busy putting out albums and touring with one of the biggest hip hop bands in the world.

    Fellow Beastie Boy Michael “Mike D” Diamond and Ad-Rock announced this past June that the Beastie Boys will not put out anymore new music following the death of fellow original band member Adam “MCA” Yauch, who died of cancer in 2012.

    Here’s the official synopsis for the film: Noah Baumbach’s exploration of aging, ambition and success, stars Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts as a middle-aged couple whose career and marriage are overturned when a disarming young couple enters their lives.

    The film reunites Stiller and Baumbach, who worked together in Greenberg in 2010. James Murphy, the man behind LCD Soundsystem and co-founder of DFA Records, has signed on to score the movie.

    No release date has been set for While We’re Young. The film does not currently have a U.S. distributor.

    Image via YouTube Screenshot

  • Beastie Boys Reveal Sad News For Fans

    The Beastie Boys are done putting out new music.

    Michael “Mike D” Diamond revealed that he and Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz will never make new music again as the Beastie Boys after the death of fellow original band member Adam “MCA” Yauch, who died from cancer in 2012.

    Diamond stated, “We have not been able to tour since MCA, Adam Yauch, died. We can’t make new music.”

    Diamond and Horovitz have spent the past several days testifying in a Manhattan federal court against Monster Energy Drink in a copyright infringement lawsuit. The Beastie Boys are suing Monster for $1 million for using their songs without permission for a video called Ruckus in the Rockies. The energy drink company also used several Beastie Boys’ songs in videos to promote a snowboarding event.

    According to Diamond, if the beverage company had asked (they didn’t) for permission to use the songs, they would have been told “absolutely no.” Diamond testified, “We do not let our music get used in commercials for commercial products.”

    The Beastie Boys are known for not selling out. They refused to let Arnold Schwarzenegger use their song Sabotage in his 2014 movie of the same name, despite what would have been a very lucrative deal for Diamond and Horovitz. The action film turned out to be a big time box office flop. Diamond said in his testimony, “It felt like too much of an endorsement of the movie.”

    The group’s no tolerance policy towards endorsement and licensing deals stems from Yauch’s wishes that the band never use his likeness or music to hock products. In fact, his will states, “Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, in no event may my image or name or any music or any artistic property created by me be used for advertising purposes.”

    Monster thinks that it should pay less than the million dollars that the group is suing for.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Beastie Boys “Girls” Gets Feminist Remake

    Remember the Beastie Boys classic 1987 hit Girls? Here’s a few lines in case you need to refresh your memory:

    Girls, to do the dishes
    Girls, to clean up my room
    Girls, to do the laundry
    Girls, and in the bathroom

    Girls, that’s all I really want is girls
    Two at a time, I want girls
    With new wave hairdos, I want girls
    I ought to whip out my girls, girls, girls, girls
    Girls, girls, girls, girls, girls, girls, girls, girls, girls, girls

    The lyrics certainly seem pretty misogynistic without the benefit of the catchy music and the good-natured delivery of the band.

    Ready for an updated feminist take? Sizzy Rocket has released a cover version of the hip hop classic with a markedly more girl-friendly angle. The musician recently sat down for an interview with the Huffington Post and talked about how she turned the song around to make it empowering for young girls.

    The 22-year-old from Las Vegas first got the idea to cover the song while singing it in the shower. Although the original lyrics are, “All we really want is girls.” For whatever reason, Rocket said she kept singing, “All they really want is girls.” And from that moment, the Beastie Boys fan got the idea to flip the song and make it a feminist anthem.

    Rocket discussed the idea of female sexuality in her version of Girls, “The message behind the song … it’s just a really fun way for girls to feel like they can be sexy in any way that they want to be. There is a fine line between saying ‘I want to be empowering’ and ‘I want to be sexy,’ but I think it’s important to realize that you can be both in any way that you choose.”

    The musician is a self-proclaimed feminist. She said in a 2013 interview with Luna Luna, “I’m a total fucking feminist it’s ridiculous. I think women are the most powerful creatures on earth. Men don’t like that – when women are in control. I’ve experienced a lot of this in my work, especially because of how open I am with my sexuality.”

    Rocket is currently only signed as a writer, however, she is working towards signing with a major record label that gives her creative control. Sizzy Rocket is actually a made up character in the vein of Ziggy Stardust. The classically trained pianist spoke about why she chose the name Sizzy Rocket and what it means, “I read this book called Please Kill Me when I was 18 and it changed my life. I was like I want an iconic name, and I want to create an exaggerated version of myself. I want to live my life as this exaggeration. Like Andy Warhol or Freddie Mercury, I want to be bigger than myself. I’m very inspired by Andy Warhol, borderline obsessed, so, you know, everything I do is just bigger than life and that’s the goal.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Beastie Boys: MCA Day Attracts Breakdancing Buddhist Monks

    The Beastie Boys is one of the most influential hip-hop groups of all time. That’s why it was a blow to hip-hop and music in general when Adam Yauch, also known as MCA, died in 2012 from cancer. Fans now gather on the anniversary of his death to celebrate his life and music.

    For 2014’s MCA Day in New York City, a group of fans dressed up as Buddhist Monks showed up and performed a breakdance routine in honor of Yauch. Why Buddhist monks? Yauch was a Buddhist and it’s only fitting that a performance celebrating his life be done in traditional Buddhist clothing. It’s also noted that the performance intended to bring attention to Yauch’s dream of seeing Tibet being granted independence.

    According to the video, the four dancers in the video are Bobby Selby, Jaehyuk Choi, Christopher Groelle, and Stephen Cho. These four men may have been filming a promotion for MCA Day, but it’s always super impressive to see professional breakdancing. There’s something wholly unique about the form that lends itself so well to hip-hop. Speaking of which, the video below is set to the Beastie Boys’ Ch-Check It Out.

    MCA-DAY “Buddhist Monks” from KNARF® New York on Vimeo.

    While they may not be dressed up as monks, other fans showed off some impressive breakdancing skills at this year’s MCA Day as well. Check it out:

    As MCA Day is a celebration of music just as much as it is a celebration of MCA’s life, here are some more pictures from the event:

    If you want to see more, be sure to check out the MCA Day Twitter and Instagram feeds.

    [h/t: The Daily Dot]
    Image via Knarf New York/Vimeo

  • Beastie Boys And GoldieBlox Settle Lawsuit Over Use Of ‘Girls’ Song

    Rapcore band Beastie Boys has finally settled their battle with the Oakland-based toy company GoldieBlox. The news was reported in the Oakland Tribune, but other details regarding the amount of settlement was not disclosed.

    GoldieBlox is geared towards manufacturing construction and engineering toys for girls in order to break stereotypes. In one of their advertisements, Princess Machine, the company used Girls, a Beastie Boys song that was released in 1987. The advertisement went viral last year when it aired during the Super Bowl.

    The band says that they support what the toy company stands for, but they have already decided long ago to have a blanket ban on the use of their songs in any type of advertisement.

    The toy company was the first to sue the band stating that the use of the song was a parody, as the lyrics were changed to suit the commercial. The Beastie Boys then countersued, since they were following the their fellow band member Adam Yauch’s will. A statement in the will says, “in no event may my image or name or any music or any artistic property created by me be used for advertising purposes.”

    GoldieBlox said that they did not know about Yauch’s will and they did not want to be in a legal battle with the Beastie Boys. They then took down the commercial from YouTube. The Beastie Boys also criticized the company for not using original music. GoldieBlox has also used music from other artists, such as Avicii, Daft Punk, and Queen.

    According to a spokesperson from GoldieBlox, the settlement between the two parties include an apology from the toy company on their official website, and a fee that will be given to the Beastie Boys based on the toy company’s revenues. The amount will be donated by the band to various charities that support math, engineering, technology, and science education for girls.

    The Goldie Blox Ad that triggered the lawsuit

    Image via YouTube

  • Beastie Boys Settle “Girl” Lawsuit

    You may have seen the YouTube ad video that showed a bunch of young girls turning up their noses as traditional girl toys and choosing to make a Rube Goldberg device while singing their own version of the Beastie Boys’ song Girls. If you didn’t see the video, you probably heard all the hype about the lawsuit when it made headlines a few months ago.

    According to the Beastie Boys, the company responsible for the video, GoldieBlox, was using their music without their permission and violating copyright laws. GoldieBlox claimed that the video fell under the doctrine of Fair Use. GoldieBlox filed a suit against the Beastie Boys and the band countersued and claimed the company was guilty of “systematic campaign of infringement” with a “series of video advertisements set to well-known song from popular artists in an effort to achieve the company’s goal of selling toys.”

    The lawsuits were both settled in court on Tuesday. A representative from the GoldieBlox company released a statement that included the details of the settlement saying,

    “That settlement includes (a) the issuance of an apology by GoldieBlox, which will be posted on GoldieBlox’s website, and (b) a payment by GoldieBlox, based on a percentage of its revenues, to one or more charities selected by Beastie Boys that support science, technology, engineering and mathematics education for girls.”

    A representative for the Beastie Boys confirmed the terms of the settlement. Both sides seemed to be okay with these terms and ready to concentrate on other things.

    Do you think the GoldieBlox company was right to use the Beastie Boys song without permission?

    Image via YouTube

  • Alex Trebek Raps, And He Isn’t That Bad Either

    When Bronx DJ Kool Herc invented Hip Hop back in the late 70s, he probably had no idea it would turn into such a cultural phenomenon in the United States and around the globe. And it’s also safe to assume that he probably didn’t expect Jeopardy host, Alex Trebek, to start spitting rap lyrics either–but strangely enough he did.

    On Monday night, the 30-year host of the legendary game show rapped lyrics from groups like the Beastie Boys and Grandmaster Flash. He even found time to kick a little Notorious B.I.G when he rapped the song “Juicy.”

    “I made the change from a common thief/To up close and personal with Robin Leach.” Trebek rapped. But for some reason he didn’t have the same smooth cadence that Biggie Smalls did, but it’s hard to figure out why. Then the 73-year old spit lyrics from the Beastie Boys’ song “No Sleep till Brooklyn,” from the group’s 1986 album “Licensed to Ill.”

    Trebek’s rap performance was tied to a category of the show called “It’s a rap,” where he quoted a small section of a particular verse, and the contestants had to either figure out the rest it or guess who wrote it. However, it was hard to stump the contestants, as they seemed to answer the first few questions very easily, which shows that rap music these days may not be loved by everyone, but it certainly has penetrated pop culture to the point where you don’t have to be an expert to know a particular song.

    Of course this isn’t the first time Jeopardy used Hip-Hop based questions in the show, and it’s not the first time Trebek has gone viral either. But it is the first time that he seemed very comfortable spitting rap tunes, which could make a person wonder if he’s been secretly practicing in his dressing room. I mean, it would make sense, wouldn’t it?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Beastie Boys Song ‘Girls’ Parody Turns Into Lawsuit

    The Beastie Boys’ 1986 album License to Ill included a single entitled, “Girls,” in which the group sings, “Girls to do the dishes/Girls to clean up my room/Girls to do the laundry/Girls and in the bathroom.” Now, a toy company has used that song in a spoof empowering girls, promoting academia instead of being “Princesses.”

    GoldieBlox, a San Francisco toy and game company, recently used the tune of “Girls” in a parody of the song. GoldieBlox’s mission is to empower young girls, promoting young women learning about science and technology. In GoldieBlox’s video, a group of girls sing, “Girls build a spaceship/Girls code the new app/Girls that grow up knowing/That they can engineer that.”

    The Beastie Boys issued a letter publicly on Monday stating that they own the rights to the song and did not give GoldieBox permission for it to be used.

    The band’s letter reads:

    “Like many of the millions of people who have seen your toy commercial ‘GoldieBlox, Rube Goldberg & the Beastie Boys,’ we were very impressed by the creativity and the message behind your ad. We strongly support empowering young girls, breaking down gender stereotypes and igniting a passion for technology and engineering. As creative as it is, make no mistake, your video is an advertisement that is designed to sell a product, and long ago, we made a conscious decision not to permit our music and/or name to be used in product ads. When we tried to simply ask how and why our song “Girls” had been used in your ad without our permission, YOU sued US.”

    GoldieBlox filed a lawsuit in California on Thursday, stating that the company “created its parody video specifically to comment on the Beastie Boys song, and to further the company’s goal to break down gender stereotypes.”

    The suit included the statement that viewers and the media are well aware of the original song, and their video has reached over 8 million views already. In response, the band has threatened the toy company with filing a lawsuit of their own, citing “copyright infringement,” because the parody is not a “fair use” of the song.

    Main image courtesy @Local4News via Twitter.

  • Listen All Y’all, It’s A Sabotage (With Kids)

    Earlier this month the music world was hit with the loss of Beastie Boys co-founder Adam Yauch, better known as “MCA.” The legendary artist had been fighting a battle with cancer after discovering a tumor in his salivary gland back in 2009. Tributes for the late Yauch rolled in from all over the place, while fans as well as colleagues and other musicians shared their grief on Twitter and Facebook.

    But as far as tributes go, it’s going to be really hard to beat this.

    Amateur filmmaker and possible best dad of all time James Winters grabbed his children, his nephew, and his wife and decided to recreate the Beastie Boys’ legendary video for their song “Sabotage.” You know the one, right? The awesome 1970’s throwback video that’s found itself in the pantheon of MTV classics, mentioned by many as one of the best music videos of all time.

    Without further ado, here’s “Sabotage” – with kids:

    The Beastie Boys released “Sabotage” in 1994. Along with rocking the bass for the track, MCA had two roles in the iconic music video. The Spike Jonze-helmed video was nominated for “Video of the Year” at the MTV Music Awards, but lost out to Aerosmith’s “Cryin’.”

    The video caused a minor controversy due to some of the imagery. The dude-falling-off-a-bridge scene had to be cut for the video’s normal playback on the network. As you can see, Mr. Winters decided to go full body-on-pavement for his recreation.

    As awesome as that tribute video is, I’d be remiss to leave the original out of your heads:

    [h/t Uproxx]

  • Beastie Boys Lawsuit: Record Label Sues for Copyright Infringement

    The Beastie Boys lawsuit couldn’t have arrived at a more inopportune moment. One day before Adam “MCA” Yauch died from cancer, record label Tuf America dropped a legal bombshell on the group: A few of the songs appearing on both “License to Ill” and “Paul’s Boutique” contain unlicensed samples, and the company wants their money. Never mind that both albums were released decades ago — Capitol Records and the Beastie Boys are still making money off both releases, and the label wants their slice of the proverbial pie.

    The songs allegedly containing unlicensed material from the R&B group Trouble Funk are “Hold It Now Hit It”, “The New Style”, “Car Thief”, and “Shadrach”, all of which are well-known ditties to fans of the pioneering rap group. Tuf America apparently came to this conclusion after an extensive investigation, which, as far as I can tell, took several long years to complete. The company hopes to take the matter to court in order to figure out how much money in punitive damages they can weasel out of the Beasties and Capitol Records.

    Of course, I use the word “weasel” as though Tuf America’s claims are unfounded. Maybe it’s the mourning fan in me talking, but it seems kind of shady that it’s taken the label this long to figure out some of their tunes have been used without permission. It’s not like the Beastie Boys or their albums are deeply obscure, accessible to only those who are cool enough to discover them. No, “License to Ill” and “Paul’s Boutique” have sold scores of copies, so it’s anybody’s guess what took them so long to put this puzzle together.

    What do you think about the situation? Have the Beastie Boys utilized uncleared samples, or is Tuf America just looking to line their pockets with money made from established, legitimate artists? Feel free to fill our comments section with your thoughts and feelings.

  • MCA’s Opening Lines From Every Beastie Boys Song

    Adam “MCA” Yauch was taken from us entirely too early after losing his battle with cancer. In the aftermath of the Yauch’s death, there have been a ton of heartfelt tributes and memorials for the fallen MC. Rightfully so. One of the best examples comes from Questlove of the Roots, who’s heartfelt post gives us great insight into the life of a hip hop artist while they are on tour.

    It also gives us some great insight into the Beastie Boys, on and off-stage:

    i was expecting the most hedonistic party all night sleep all day experience that spring of 95. all the stuff i heard? the “trim coordinators” the making out with madonna backstage madness, the switching places when the bell is rung? i mean I’m straight up….i was ready for some rowdy assholes to give me a gazillion stories id tell my kids for days. instead i got….

    nice guys?

    …you really don’t see many audiences willing to go where their leaders take them once said audience gets comfortable with a position—i mean even the beatles imploded 5 years post spiritual enlightenment. i mean did we really expect the most thoughtful mature considerate act in music to be the same brats who gave us Licensed To Ill?

    With those heartfelt words in mind, the following video is an incredible supercut, giving us just about every opening line MCA uttered as a Beastie Boy:


    While some on YouTube point out some potential exclusions, the fact remains, the video is a fantastic compilation that gives people a great idea of the kind of talent we’ll be missing out on.

    [Via Boing Boing and Andy Baio]

  • Viacom Stomps on Adam Yauch’s Grave

    After the recent death of Beastie Boy Adam Yauch, Chappelle Show co-creator Neil Brennen (he’s the one taking notes when Chappelle and his friends were hanging out) posted a video from an unaired episode of The Beastie Boys performing “The New Style”.

    Just a few minutes after it gained some media coverage from UpRoxx and IFC, Viacom inexplicably took the video down, citing copyright infringement.

    (image)

    This is where I would have posted the video, allowing you to reminisce on all the great contributions Yauch has made to the music world and to reflect on how he changed your youth for the better.

    Like most, I thought this was a nice remembrance for a musician that helped bring hip-hop into the mainstream, and influenced so many of my generation. Viacom, on the other hand, is worried about sales of its “Lost Episodes” DVD, which sells for $9.49 on Amazon. Accounting for all the people that immediately thought they needed to buy that DVD, to see one of Yauch’s on air performances, Viacom would have made about $20. Instead, anyone who sees this article or notices the video was removed from other sites that tried to cover it, should make a conscience effort to never purchase it.

    The episodes were “lost” when Chappelle decided not to return for a 3rd season of the show, citing creative differences and feeling that his show was becoming too commercial. Chappelle has said that he never wanted the episodes to be released, saying he felt like he was being laugh at instead of with. Another instance where Viacom ignored the wishes of the artist for commercial gain.

    Rest in Peace, MCA. Hopefully Viacom will be alone in trying to capitalize on your death.

  • Adam Yauch, Beastie Boys Co-Founder, Dead at 47

    Adam Yauch, MCA to those who followed the influential and ground-breaking hip-hop group the Beastie Boys, has passed away. Yauch had been battling cancer since 2009, which ultimately prevented the group from doing any sort of promotion for their last album, 2011’s “Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 2”. His illness also forced the talented musician to skip the group’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last April.

    Yauch was diagnosed with cancer in 2009 after finding a tumor in his salivary gland.

    In addition to his duties as a member of the Beastie Boys, Yauch also helped organize the Tibetan Freedom Concerts. Additionally, he was also instrumental in founding Oscilloscope Laboratories, the film production/distribution company behind such titles as “We Need to Talk About Kevin”, “The Messenger”, and “Exit Through the Gift Shop”.

    Fans have taken to Twitter to celebrate Yauch’s life and career.

    (image)@QtipTheAbstract
    QTip    RIP yauch and thank u mike and adam n adam 4 all of your help, the tours, the bball games, n great times. a humanitarian a tru friend(image) 2 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@BettyBeguiles
    Hallie Lord    And now I know what I’ll be listening to for the rest of the afternoon. You’ll be missed, Adam Yauch. http://t.co/QsqHefK4(image) 27 seconds ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@Grindrod
    John Grindrod    Can’t believe Adam Yauch has died. As the man said, ‘I want to offer my love and respect to the end’.(image) 59 seconds ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@jason_knights
    Jason    RIP MCA. Thanks for the decades of groundbreaking music. http://t.co/1ad0cuNB(image) 43 seconds ago via TweetDeck ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@Druidis4fite
    Narci    All progressives should bow their heads in memory for Adam Yauch. I party upon the shoulders of partying giants.(image) 1 minute ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@angiefrissore
    Angie Frissore    “Everything we do affects other people. One doesn’t have to be doing something that has some huge sweeping change.” – Adam Yauch(image) 1 minute ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@horrorgeek
    Mike Bracken    I love hip hop but was never a Beastie Boys fan. That being said, losing Adam Yauch is incredibly sad. Another MC gone way too soon.(image) 4 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@unabwenja
    Una Aurea Buendia    Adam Yauch died of cancer. And at such a young age, too. 🙁 And because of that, I shall listen to “Make Some Noise”. #RIPAdam(image) 45 seconds ago via Twitter for Mac ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@IamMattDiehl
    Matt Diehl    R.I.P. Adam Yauch. I knew him a little bit; one of the greats. His music changed us; his quest for peace, inner & otherwise, so admirable.(image) 41 seconds ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@FarmSanctuary
    FarmSanctuary    Among many talents and wonderful attributes, we were touched by Adam Yauch’s compassion for animals.(image) 6 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

  • Mike D of the Beastie Boy to Rock the AT&T Net Neutrality Vote

    Mike D of the Beastie Boy to Rock the AT&T Net Neutrality Vote

    When AT&T holds their next annual shareholder voting process, the SEC is commanding that net neutrality be included in the list of items to be voted on. This means shareholders will be allowed to at least influence AT&T’s postion on providing a truly neutral wireless Internet to their mobile subscribers.

    Naturally, AT&T resisted such a stipulation, which was spearheaded, in part, at least, by Beastie Boy Mike D, who’s legal name is Michael Diamond. According to BusinessWeek.com, Diamond, his wife, movie director Tamara Davis, and John P. Silva of Silva Artist Management are represented by Trillium, an asset management collective, which was one of the chief movers in relation to getting such topics including on the shareholders ballot.

    In a letter from the SEC, the idea of denying shareholders the right to vote on these issues is not in the plans:

    “In view of the sustained public debate over the last several years concerning net neutrality and the Internet and the increasing recognition that the issue raises significant policy considerations, we do not believe that AT&T may omit the proposal from its proxy materials,” the SEC said in the Feb. 10 letter.

    The position of the shareholders, at least the group represented by Trillium, is that net neutrality is something these wireless providers should adhere to:

    The shareholder resolution would recommend each company “publicly commit to operate its wireless broadband network consistent with network neutrality principles,” the letter said. The companies should not discriminate based on the “source, ownership or destination” of data sent over their wireless infrastructure.

    Naturally, AT&T opposes net neutrality because it would “directly interfere with its network management practices and seriously impair its ability to provide wireless broadband service to its customers.” Apparently, the nice about speaking in such general terms is that no one will demand that AT&T quantify these statements with some tangible evidence. In light of that, the pressure applied by the Trillium group was much-needed.

    The question going forward is, how will AT&T respond if the majority of their shareholders support a neutral net? Will they continue to toe the party line with more nonsense about net neutrality impeding their ability to provide wireless broadband service or will they miraculously see the light and change their tune?

  • Beastie Boys Debut New Video on Funny or Die

    Although the Beastie Boys previously used MTV’s online arm to promote their return, they’ve turned to another, perhaps more popular outlet to promote their new music video for the song “Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win.” Instead of using YouTube’s Vevo or MTV, the Beastie Boys turned to Funny or Die to debut the video. What does this say about modern marketing, even if you’re with an incredibly popular group that sells out arenas all over the world?

    From this perspective, it means you cast you’re lure where the fish are. It’s really that simple and it’s that same mentality that explains why so many companies and businesses are comfortable sending potential traffic to Facebook. Go where the people are, and it’s pretty obvious Funny or Die has a substantial following. Their original content says as much. The question is, can they be an effective music marketer?

    Considering there are over 4000 Facebook likes on the page, and already over 75,000 views of the video, which launched yesterday, that answer sounds like a “yes.” Granted, those aren’t Rebecca Black numbers, who’s new video/song already has over 1 million views, but over 100,000 dislikes. It, too, was launched yesterday. Of course, the Beasties don’t have quite the Twitter reach Young Miss Black does, and it’s highly doubtful people aren’t watching Beastie Boys videos just to hate on them.

    Speaking of videos, the Funny or Die release of the video attached to the “Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win” song is a little over three minutes long, and it’s an absolute gem, thanks in large part to the direction of Spike Jonze, the same person who directed previous Beastie Boys videos like “Sabotage” and “Sure Shot.” Jonze is once again on-point as he uses action figures to tell the story:


    There’s also an extended version of the video — over 11 minutes long — and it was debuted today:


    I don’t know about you, but I’d love it if a Yeti had my back like that.

    Oddly enough, the YouTube/Vevo extended version only has a little over 300 views, although, that could simply be a case of slow updating on YouTube’s part. Nevertheless, when compared to the popularity of the aforementioned Rebecca Black, it’s a little dejecting; but then again, you can probably count the number of tweens with the necessary attention span to last 11-plus minutes of a music video on one hand. It could also be a case of these same youngsters being completely oblivious to the likes of the Beastie Boys.

    Nevertheless, the new video has at least one fan, and he’ll be enjoying this video long after the initial hype has died down.

    As for this new era in marketing, how viable is releasing unrelated content to a site in order to promote your work? Or is this a case of the Beastie Boys resonating with the Funny or Die crowd, and because of that, it’s more of a natural partnership than it first appears?

  • Happy Fathers Day From The Beastie Boys

    The Beastie Boys have sure embraced viral marketing in past few months. They made a splash back in April when their star studded “Fight For Your Right Revisited Trailer” blew up the interwebs. The video, which served as a promotion for their then upcoming album Hot Sauce Committee Part Two, featured the likes of Seth Rogen, Jack Black, Will Ferrell and Danny McBride.

    “Just in time” for Father’s Day The Beastie Beastie Boys have released a new video to promote their new album. This time, they are promoting the June 21st release of Hot Sauce Committee Part Two on vinyl. Yes, I am aware that Father’s day is this Sunday, June 19th. I’m sure the Beastie Boys are as well. Let’s not let math get in the way of this.

    @beastieboys
    Beastie Boys    Your Dad puts up with enough of your shenanigans, why not aggravate him some more on Father’s Day? http://t.co/9Kl3Xxf 1 day ago via web · powered by @socialditto

    This one isn’t star studded, but it is so awesomely strange that it quickly makes up for that. A happy family sits down for a nice cookout, but things get interesting when dad starts to grill his vinyl collection. Check it out below –

    So forget the coupons for a free car wash. Forget the ties, #1 Dad shirts and executive pen sets. Your father really wants some Beastie Boys. The album, released May 3rd in the U.S., has received pretty universal acclaim. This writer has regrettably failed to find the opportunity to give it a thorough listen, but I might have to remedy that this weekend.

    This classic gem has put me in a great mood, enjoy – ALI BABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES!

  • Beasties Boys Go Viral

    Beasties Boys Go Viral

    We all know the Internet has fundamentally changed the way people are marketed to. Whether it’s a barrage of promotional tweets, online coupons, Facebook product pages, or the J.J. Abrams method of promoting a movie, without the Internet being such a strong conduit, these methods would have a hard time being feasible. Sure, the studio responsible for Cloverfield could set up mysterious billboards all over Los Angeles, but how effective would that marketing campaign be in Fresno? The Internet, of course, shrinks the world.

    In regards to viral marketing, while the concept has been around before the Internet became popular — see the first Star Wars movie and how word of mouth assisted in its uptake — the connectivity of the Internet, not to mention the speed with which messages travel, has completely changed how viral marketing is conducted nowadays. Naturally, online videos play a big role in this marketing approach, which brings us to the Beastie Boys and their upcoming new album, Hot Sauce Committee Part Two.

    Recently, to help promote their new release, the Beasties released a trailer that featured a list of cameos that served as a who’s who in the comedy section of Hollywood. Notable faces like Seth Rogen, Will Ferrell, Danny McBride, John C. Reilly, Will Arnett, and Jack Black appeared and once word about the video hit the blogs, it spread like wildfire. In two weeks, the video has amassed over 2 million views, and while that’s not Rebecca Black numbers — I guess the tweens aren’t too familiar with the Beastie Boys — it’s quite a bit for video that serves as a trailer for an upcoming song/new album.


    Like any good trailer does, the one released by the Beasties promises excitement and adventure, and, of course, a new song, which was released earlier this week.


    It’s hard not wonder if the video’s release date — April 20 — was related to the same thing that day’s Twitter trends were celebrating?

    Another area of surprise concerning this viral marketing effort comes from the Beastie Boys’ use of MTV’s video service instead of, say, YouTube. Granted, the “M” in MTV used to stand for music, but in today’s society, it might as well stand for “My God, What Happened To This Channel?”

    To put it mildly, MTV is to music what drunk drivers are to safe roads. Furthermore, and while this is only a hunch, it’s a safe bet that more people equate YouTube with music videos than they do MTV’s video service. I’d even hazard a guess that says YouTube has more music videos in its index than MTV does.

    Nevertheless, MTV was the initial conduit of choice for B-E-A-S-T-I-E (What up, Mike-D? Aw yeah, that’s me…); although, once the video hit the blogs, it didn’t matter what video service they used. Another item of note is the Beastie Boys’ official site is powered by Tumblr’s service. For some reason, I find that rather interesting because it means artists aren’t relying on the expensive design houses to construct their sites. Clearly, ease and usability is the goal instead of a pretty Flash-based site that limits visitor interaction.

    One last aside: The Internet also deserves credit for the rise of video trailers for upcoming music releases like the following offer from underground rapper, Murs:


    Without the proliferation of YouTube and other online video sites, would artists even attempt such creations? Would they even be feasible? Without the Internet, it’s doubtful.