If there was one band that defined my teen years it was these three guys from New York City -- Adrock, Mike D, and M.C.A. I found the Beastie Boys in 1986, the precise moment I was undergoing a testosterone-fueled transformation from the nerdiest of the nerds to a guy who might actually be able to get a date with a girl.
The first song I heard was the 12” single record, Hold It Now, Hit It. This was before their huge crossover album, Licensed To Ill, was even released. Paul, a friend from the neighborhood, introduced me to this guy named Mike Kidwell who was new to Eastmoor high school. We went to Mike’s apartment one night after school and what I witnessed there changed my young life forever.
Mike led us down a narrow hallway and into his room. I turned the corner and saw two Technics turntables and a Radio Shack mixer on the table. Mike turned on all of the equipment and started mixing and scratching like a pro dj, right there in front of us. If I remember correctly he was playing the Mantronix song Needle to the Groove, while scratching parts of the Beastie Boys, Hold It Now, Hit It at just the right moments. To say I was in awe would be putting it lightly. I knew I had to do whatever it took to buy an audio set up like this and learn how to mix.
I immediately began to save all my money from my paper route and odd jobs and bought everything I needed. I even eventually got an Alesis drum machine, this was like a budget version of the classic Roland TR-808 which was the staple of most early hip hop tracks. One thing led to another and I actually became an okay DJ.
For a year or so between ninth and tenth grades, two of my best friends and I thought we were Beastie Boys. We were from “the wrong side of the tracks”, the eastside of Columbus, Ohio and would descend on the dances of some of the private schools in better parts of town. On Friday and Saturday nights, we could be found hanging around in various states of intoxication, dressed in tracksuits, shell-toe Adidas, and gold herringbone chains. We became quite good at making a spectacle of ourselves. In retrospect, we were about as shiftless and annoying as we could be.
What our girl-crazed, pubescent brains didn’t realize at the time is the Beastie Boys weren’t real people, they were actually caricatures of Adam Horovitz, Michael Diamond, and Adam Yauch. These guys didn’t go around acting this way all the time. It took us about a year to figure this out. I’m so glad that mobile phones and social media were still decades away. Oddly (and thankfully) zero photos of me from this time exist.
Fast forward... gulp ...over thirty years. When I saw the announcement of Beastie Boys Book release I knew I had to have it. I ordered the book through Audible.com and began listening to it at the gym every day. The book was like a time machine, each chapter transported me directly back to the 1980’s. It was as though I was reliving my teen years only it was being filtered through my forty-seven year old lens.
The Beastie Boys Book gives an in depth look at not only every phase of these guys lives, it also paints a very accurate picture of the melting pot of culture that comprised the 1980's NYC music scene and the early days of Hip Hop (which was the glue that held our merry band of misfits together.) It reminded me of what a great time the mid-eighties were to be a teenager. The world was a little larger, less polished, and way more fun. I couldn't wipe the grin off my face while listening to most of the ninety-eight chapters of this book.
After getting to know the real people behind the Beastie Boys cartoonish stage-personas I came away with the realization that my friends and I had more in common with them than we thought. Although our trajectories were different, we had lots of subtle and small things in common. After reliving these nostalgic glimpses of my teen years again, I somehow feel a lot older. Not the have to eat dinner at 4pm kind of old but in old in a good way, a comforting way.
I'm happy that I had the joy of experiencing exactly what I did during my teen years. I wouldn't change a thing. Today's world would make these experiences nearly impossible to duplicate...and maybe that's a good thing.
Even if you have a remote interest in these guys and their music, I highly recommend you read this book.
RIP MCA
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Great review, my friend, and I need to read this book, as I also grew up on music and the eighties and will plunge into this atmosphere with pleasure! Thanks Eric
Thanks! What was your favorite band?
This was one of the most enjoyable posts I've ever read on steemit! First I think Rick Rubin is a legend and he always leads back to the Beasties. My Senior trip in high school was in Daytona Beach of course and NOTHING makes me think more of the Beastie Boys than that time. Fight For Your Right was blaring out of every speaker on the strip. Brass Monkey was huge any my personal favorite, she's CRAFTY, she gets around she's craftyyyyyyyyyyyy. Heading for a BB fest on Youtube now.
Thank you @vgc5000! I can't even imagine how wild Daytona Beach was during that time! Isn't it great to have these memories?
OMG so how we got our parents to let 12, 17 year old girls go to Daytona for 14 DAYS?? First we are lucky to be alive, second what the HELL where they thinking? Of course no cell phones no internet to see the wildness going on there so they said OK. BAHAAAHAA Apparently I had a :"smoking robe" I wandered around the pool in.
I didn't make it to Daytona Beach for Spring Break until I was 19 or so but it was so much fun. It was really the first time I was that far away from my parents by myself. Funny thing is by 19 I had gotten most of the partying out of my system. We still had a lot of fun though. I remember driving back to Columbus, non-stop, for 18 hours after being up for over 24 hours already. There's no way I could do that now.
Oh Gawd NO. There's also no way I'd let my 17 year old daughter to go to Daytona today with a bunch of girls. I can barely stay awake past 10pm now lol. Yeah Daytona is done, maybe Boca. LMAO.
The 2018 version...
Now I HODL real tight when the markets chill
When I fill my ledger with Bitcoins it's the real deals
Cooling my mining gear out the window sill
When I get my fill I'm Bitty Bitty rich.
That is hilarious, @opheliafu!
I tried giving you a 100% upvote but it still come out to 2 cents. LOL
Great post Eric. I am older than you but enjoyed hearing about your experience. The Beastie Boys I remember but never go into them.
Fun to hear about your teenage years.
Thanks, @rebeccabe! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I can't believe how much the world has changed since then.
I know, imagine how different it is now compared to just 10 years ago. Think of it in 2 years it will be the year 2020 .. omg
I hope we see real change in 2020. : ) I think we'll see more change in the next decade than we have in the previous 50 years. This next wave of tech innovation will be transformative.
Oh you made me chuckle all the way through Eric! I'd never heard of the Beasties Boys, perhaps too engrossed in rearing babies or perhaps too far away, but I can just imagine the garb you wore, all in the name of being cool hey ;) We all go through those phases in life and like you say, thank goodness their were no cell phones around to record how we looked, oh boy, my sons would be mortified! Such a cool story, thank you for sharing :):)
I'm glad it made you laugh and you enjoyed it, @lizelle! The world really was so much different. People actually concentrated on living instead of worrying so much about the appearances of living.
This could have been us! Lol
Hilarious watching that they look like they are 12 lmao
really fun post! I've always had a healthy respect for the groundbreaking Beastie Boys even though I didn't listen to them much back then.
However, I have a fun fact for you - I'm one degree away from Mike D...my stepsister knows him. Her father was his guru (before he died 2 years ago) and has had several meetings with him.. Doubt that I'll ever be invited lol, but it's a fun name-dropping opportunity ;-)
Thanks my friend! It’s incredible that you’re one degree away from MCA (Adam Yauch), he was the one that passed a few years back. He was always my favorite Beastie. After listening to the book he sounded like a very interesting person too. I hope you and the family have a great Thanksgiving!
Thanks for broadening my horizons with your post about Beastie Boys. In 1984 we were deep inside Soviets thick wall and couldn't hear a thing that was happening outside in the free world. 6 full years were left until the restoration of Independece of Lithuania in 1990.
Thanks for reading! I can't imagine what that was like to grow up inside the Soviet system. I also can't imagine the elation you felt in 1990 when independence was regained. I've spoken with a few people who grew up within the USSR and it sounds like it was a tough life for almost everyone.
Yes! One had to lead a very boring and grey life to not be bothered and persecuted by the authorities back then. But on August 23, 1988 we had a Baltic way, a singing line of millions of people holding hands and connecting Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn. This was one of the peaceful events that led to the restoration of Independence. A singing revolution.
Although we had January 13, 1990 when 14 people died defending TV tower in Vilnius against Soviet tanks.
I'm going to have to research and learn more about that singing revolution! I'm sorry to hear about the lost lives. What's life like in your country now?
Just like any post-soviet country we are trying to build different values in our society. Less corruption, openness, freedom. Estonia leads the way. They are a small country but very very brave with their reforms.
Amazing article on your teenage days . We want to keep the memories of these days in our whole age. You are a writer and know very well how to save memories.
I have no knowledge about this band. Becoz I am from india . I only like punjabi and hindi music . Enjoy your music cd . Thanks
Good post from your teenage memory . It is looking that this band is very close to your memory and heart .
wow look at this. right on !
Looks like i need to read that as soon as possible now interesting post :D
Good story and books of boys.
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