Zack: In high school, I took a drawing class where we were allowed to listen to the radio while we worked. One day, a Beastie Boys song came on and a kid who sat in front of me that described himself as "really into rap music" said that he hated stuff like this and that this "shit" was killing rap music. After picking my jaw up off the floor, I promptly remained absolutely silent because he was probably about 100 lbs. heavier than me and I could not confirm how much of that weight was muscle and how much was just useless fat. Still, had I had the balls to tell him off, I would have told him just how wrong he was. First off, as you can read by the handy dandy years we include with each entry, this album well precedes the emergence of popular hip-hop as we know it. In fact, this is the foundations of rap music, although it seems that about half of rap fans don't want to admit it. So it's impossible for it to be killing rap music when it is the very womb that gave birth to rap music. For those of you who are still sticking with me despite the image of Mike D sprawled out on a hospital bed with a doctor staring at his crotch, let me continue. The Beastie Boys are just plain chill. They write rhymes about partying and girls and just hanging out with their friends. They use very simple beats to complement this subject matter. Furthermore, they never take themselves too seriously, leading to a fun and pleasant listening experience overall.
Favorite Tracks: Fight for Your Right; Girls; No Sleep Till Brooklyn
Emily: I was so surprised when I found out that this album is from 1986. The Beastie Boys' sound is so innovative and different that I thought it was at least 10 years newer than it actually is. The Beasties don't take themselves too seriously, and that's what makes them great. Mix some laid-back, relateable lyrics with bouncy music and more than a bit of snark, and these three Jewish boys came up with a hip-hop classic. Put this on during any party, and I guarantee that everyone will start rapping and dancing along.
Favorite Tracks: Fight for Your Right; Girls; Brass Monkey
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