2012
Chuck D (Public Enemy) and LL Cool J
Fusing punk energy and attitude with in-your-face rapping, hip-hop innovators Beastie Boys defied genre barriers. As the first white rap group to break big, they challenged cultural perceptions and expectations. Rising from lower Manhattan’s hardcore punk scene, the DIY trio never lost its authentic edge, infusing its work with sly humor and potent, socially conscious lyrics. Pioneers of artful sampling, they remain one of the most sonically experimental hip-hop acts.
Induction
Impact
Signature Sound
Wild-Spirited Rap-Rock Pioneers
Originally an ‘80s hardcore band, Beastie Boys morphed first into brash, funny rappers with heavy-metal overtones, then pioneered layered sampling over socially conscious messages, returning to live instruments in the ‘90s. In the new millennium, they incorporated elements of electronic music and Eastern influences, all the while maintaining both critical and popular success.
Conceived as a goofy throwaway, this raucous rock song became the band’s only Top 10 hit, and perhaps their best known, even as they later disavowed it.
From the Museum
Mike D’s HandwrittenLines
This set of lyrics for the Beastie Boys’ “No Sleep Till Brooklyn” was handwritten by Michael “Mike D” Diamond. Credited to the Beastie Boys and their producer Rick Rubin,
the song was the 6th single from the band’s debut studio album, Licensed to Ill. Slayer guitarist Kerry King played the guitar riffs and solo on the track.
From the Museum
Mike D’s HandwrittenLines
This set of lyrics for the Beastie Boys’ “No Sleep Till Brooklyn” was handwritten by Michael “Mike D” Diamond. Credited to the Beastie Boys and their producer Rick Rubin,
the song was the 6th single from the band’s debut studio album, Licensed to Ill. Slayer guitarist Kerry King played the guitar riffs and solo on the track.
There’s no adequate measure for the impact Beastie Boys had on rap music, and onPublic Enemy. They are our role models.
Chuck D
Public Enemy
2012 hall of fame essay
"The Beastie Boys altered the direction of popular music at least three times, and lived to tell the tale."
– Alan Light
Influence
Treacherous Three
Bad Brains
Spoonie Gee
Crash Crew
Afrika Bambaataa
Beastie Boys
sealed with a signature
This is the signature that appears on the inductee’s plaque at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to officially commemorate their induction.
more from
the hall
