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BeastieBoysbook
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BeastieBoysbook
BeastieBoysbook
2018
572 pages
Nonfiction
Biography & Memoir
Music
Memoir
Autobiography
Biography
Collective Biography
Celebrity Memoir
Music History
Artist Biography

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A panoramic experience that tells the story of Beastie Boys, a book as unique as the band itself—by band members ADROCK and Mike D, with contributions from Amy Poehler, Colson Whitehead, Wes Anderson, Luc Sante, and more.The inspiration for the Emmy-nominated Apple TV+ “live documentary” Beastie Boys Story, directed by Spike Jonze NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Rolling Stone • The Guardian • Paste Formed as a New York City hardcore band in 1981, Beastie Boys struck an unlikely path to global hip hop superstardom. Here is their story, told for the first time in the words of the band. Adam “ADROCK” Horovitz and Michael “Mike D” Diamond offer revealing and very funny accounts of their transition from teenage punks to budding rappers; their early collaboration with Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin; the debut album that became the first hip hop record ever to hit #1, Licensed to Ill—and the album’s messy fallout as the band broke with Def Jam; their move to Los Angeles and rebirth with the genre-defying masterpiece Paul’s Boutique; their evolution as musicians and social activists over the course of the classic albums Check Your Head, Ill Communication, and Hello Nasty and the Tibetan Freedom Concert benefits conceived by the late Adam “MCA” Yauch; and more. For more than thirty years, this band has had an inescapable and indelible influence on popular culture.With a style as distinctive and eclectic as a Beastie Boys album, Beastie Boys Book upends the typical music memoir. Alongside the band narrative you will find rare photos, original illustrations, a cookbook by chef Roy Choi, a graphic novel, a map of Beastie Boys’ New York, mixtape playlists, pieces by guest contributors, and many more surprises.Praise for Beastie Boys Book “A fascinating, generous book with portraits and detail that float by in bursts of color . . . As with [the band’s] records, the book’s structure is a lyrical three-man weave. . . . Diamond’s voice is lapidary, droll. Horovitz comes on like a borscht belt comedian, but beneath that he is urgent, incredulous, kind of vulnerable. . . . Friendship is the book’s subject as much as music, fame and New York.”—The New York Times Book Review “Wild, moving . . . resembles a Beastie Boys LP in its wild variety of styles.”—Rolling Stone

Top Reviews
Michael Shotter
November 1st, 2025

As a big fan of the band members and their music, I'd wanted to read this book for a while and it did not disappoint. "Beastie Boys Book" contains lots of fun and interesting stories and bits of information from Ad-Rock and Mike D, and others, and many touching tributes to MCA that made him feel just as present in the effort in spite of his passing. I opted to go with the audiobook, which I feel is a really solid choice given that many of the most impactful passages are read by Ad-Rock and Mike D themselves but it is worth noting that the book also includes several images, so having a physical or digital copy handy would be very useful for getting the full experience.

I honestly don't have much more to say about "Beastie Boys Book" as I feel that most people likely already have a good sense of whether or not it's something they'd enjoy, so I'll simply reiterate that it was just as good and satisfying a read as I'd hoped it would be. Nicely done!

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