ROCK HALL INDUCTIONS: THE BEASTIE BOYS

I started writing a post "reviewing" The Beastie Boys' induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last week, and planned to finish it either Friday or Saturday.  Obviously, it's a much different post now.

I've heard that Adam Yauch was admitted into the hospital on the same day that the induction took place.  I can only imagine the bittersweet feelings Adam Horovitz and Mike Diamond, and Yauch's parents, must have had, being at the ceremony that night.

I remember predicting that Chuck D would be the guy they'd call to induct The B-Boys and I'm glad I was right. Public Enemy had a long history with the Beasties, and he was so passionate about their importance.  I was glad that LL Cool J was also part of the induction. Chuck and LL deserve to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame themselves, hopefully sooner rather than later.  (Rick Rubin was in the audience as a guest of The Red Hot Chili Peppers: it's interesting that he'd produced the Chilis, the Beasties and Donovan, as well as presenters Chuck, LL, and also Kid Rock who performed.  He should also be in the Hall of Fame soon!)

Chuck's speech was predictably longer.  But he made great points about how they always stuck together as a team, they were a TEAM of MCs, how they defied expectations and carved their own path. LL's speech was good too: besides pointing out that it was the Beasties who played his demo for Rick Rubin, he also noted that they really brought hip-hop to the suburbs.

Mike and Adam kept it pretty short.  I don't know how Adam H. kept it together while reading Yauch's speech for him.

Watching the performance a second time on TV, I liked it a bit better.  The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame wisely asked The Roots to perform at that segment (instead of Paul Shaffer's group, the house band for the rest of the night, and for nearly every ceremony). They were joined by the Beasties' longtime DJ Mixmaster Mike.  Black Thought was on the mic, along with Kid Rock and Travie McCoy from the band Gym Class Heroes.  Black Thought was a given, he's one of the best MCs in the game and has been since he started. Kid Rock is obviously influenced by the group.  I would have gone with someone like Q-Tip, Nas or Mos Def for the third spot though. They pretty much stuck to the hip-hop and rock/rap hybrids.  I guess they had limited time, but I thought they should have addressed their instrumental funk prowess (which would be easy for The Roots) and their hardcore punk background (which Mos Def or someone like Henry Rollins could have done). Still, they put together a cool performance and they probably didn't have a lot of time to rehearse it.

If you have a chance to check out this year's Hall of Fame induction ceremony, you should do so, especially if you are a Beastie Boys fan.

NAMASTE, ADAM YAUCH

Like everyone else, I was so sad to hear about the passing of Adam Yauch, aka MCA of The Beastie Boys. I wrote an obit on the man for work, but it didn't cover the way I felt at all, it was a professional duty. Let me share my history of The Beasties through my eyes, and tell you the effect Adam had on me.

When I first heard The Beastie Boys in 1986 or 1987, Licensed To Ill was hitting, I was in high school.  The song, of course, was "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)."  I got the Ill album (on cassette). I liked it.  I didn't love it, and I wasn't sure this band would be around for long. I thought they were kind of a novelty.

By 1989, I was in college. When they released Paul's Boutique, I was surprised they were still around. I remember thinking it was a lot funkier than the Ill stuff. I picked up the album (on CD!), it kind of blew my mind.  I hadn't heard anything like it before.  It was so dense and thick, but fun, and funny, and clever. Songs like "Johnny Ryall" and even "Egg Man" had maturity, depth and empathy. I listened to the CD over and over and eventually had to replace it, more than once. I wasn't around when Dylan went electric, but this felt like almost as drastic of a progression. The album tanked (at the time), they didn't tour, and again, I kind of thought that this time, the band really was over. Still, it was the first time in my experience that a band I really liked made such a dramatic change.

1992's Check Your Head came out just as I was finishing college.  I saw the video for "Gratitude," and was kind of shocked.  Wow! It was like "Fight For Your Right" or "Brooklyn," except they were playing their own instruments, and it was a lot cooler. Check Your Head really captured the time: punk-influenced alternative rock and hip-hop were moving ever closer, but The Beastie Boys seemed like the only group who could actually play both sides of the line. They added in hardcore punk on "Time For Livin'" (although the lyrics were taken from a Sly & The Family Stone song), and the funky instrumental jam "Pow." And it ends with "Namaste," the first time I'd ever seen or heard that word. The lyrics were a bit deeper than what you'd expect. It's Adam Yauch doing a kind of spoken word thing over a mellow, funky groove.  "A voice spoke in my head, and she said, 'Dark is not the opposite of light, it's the absence of light.'" I didn't know if Yauch was just smoking too much pot or getting into a more spiritual area. Looking back, probably both.

THE RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS AT THE PRUDENTIAL CENTER IN NEWARK 05/04/12

photo credit: Maria Ives 

There was nowhere I’d rather have been Friday night. It’s no exaggeration that Adam Yauch had a big impact on my life, and going to a Red Hot Chili Peppers show at the Prudential Center in Newark was just what I needed, after having written an obit for the man at my day job. I wrote about the show for work, but here's my more personal take. 

They were unbelievable.  Three weeks ago at their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Flea mentioned that he gets on his knees and prays before every show and is thankful that he gets to do it.  Cynics may not believe that… but I’m not a cynic.  And if you see him perform, you know that playing means everything to him.  It was 110% evident at the show. Most of the set was songs that he’s played hundreds of times, and yet he plays all of them as if the world depends on it. He's grateful for the opportunity to do what he does, and that point was most likely hammered home for him Friday following Yauch's passing. The man was everyone's mind, there was no way of getting around it. They were playing  Beastie Boys records over the P.A. during the night, and just one song into the set (they opened with the best song from I'm With You, "Monarchy of Roses"), Flea busted out Yauch's bassline for "Gratitude" (appropriately enough).  

After two more amazing songs ("Around The World" and "Otherside") Anthony Kiedis mentioned Yauch ("We lost a good man today, the world lost a lot of beauty!"). 

After a few more songs ("Charlie" and "Dani California") Flea asked Anthony, "What does it say on your shirt?" to which Anthony replied "'MCA!'" Later in the show, the band did an instrumental jam on the B-Boys' "So Whatcha Want"(you can see a bootleggy version of it on YouTube here - but by the way, you can buy legal downloads of every show on the Chili Peppers tour on their website and I will surely download this one, it's a show I'll never forget).

photo credit: Maria Ives 

The show would have been great no matter what was going on in the world.  So many songs shook the room, even some of the mellow ones, like "Dani California," "The Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie," "Californication," and "Under The Bridge."

I think it might have been the first time I've seen them play "Sir Psycho Sexy," which I thought was awesome.  It's like if Billy Preston joined The Beatles and they lasted a little longer, they might have done a song like that. It was so great live. The thing is, not many frontmen could deliver those lyrics way Kiedis does.  Is he the best singer in the world?  I don't know, but he is surely one of the best frontmen I've ever seen.  I'm pretty sure this show was also the first time I saw them do their jumpy cover of Robert Johnson's "They're Red Hot."  Even though it clocks in at under two minutes, I love it. It's a good reminder that you can be respectful of the blues without being too reverent, and that the blues was dance music at one point.

Of course, the building damn near exploded with energy when they did their cover of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground" and of course "Give It Away." During the latter, I tweeted that I felt that that song is so funky, it's on the level of George Clinton, Sly & The Family Stone and James Brown. I realize that kind of talk could get me killed in some places, but I really believe it.  I have lots of records by all three of those guys.  Flea is one of the funkiest bassists ever, but Chad Smith is the secret sauce that makes their songs arena anthems.  I think he's kind of underrated.

I was wondering how good they'd be live, post-John Frusciante. Although John wasn't a founding member, when he joined, he really brought the band to a new level (Flea mentioned at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame that "our musical bond changed my life forever").  How do you follow that up?  How do you replace someone like that? The first time John left, they ultimately filled the guitar spot with Dave Navarro - a great guitarist, but it didn't really work. The first few times I saw the Chili Peppers was with Dave: great shows, but when John returned, it was a totally different thing.  It wasn't a supergroup, it was a band.

So, I wondered, when John quit again, would it be time for the band to hang it up?  I'm glad to report the answer is a big HELL NO. I guess it helps that new guitarist Josh Klinghoffer was brought into the fold by John in the first place.  They met when Josh's group, Bicycle Thief, opened on the Californication tour. Josh played on lots of John's solo albums, they had a band together called Ataxia, and then John brought Josh on as an extra guitarist/keyboardist on the Stadium Arcadium tour.

photo credit: Maria Ives 

So, anyway, he was incredible. I was bummed that John left the band, but that's not criticism of Josh at all, and they are as legit as ever with him onboard.  He's proud to be there, proud to play those songs.  Some people may question the fact that he's in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - at the age of 33 he's the youngest inductee ever, and he's only played on one album.  And yeah, he was probably included because of pressure from the band's very powerful management. But as I said, I'm not a cynic. Having seen this concert, I'll take it as a vote of confidence in the future of this band, which I think will last for years to come.  If I'm With You was their Mother's Milk (i.e. their first album with a new guitarist), then maybe the next one can be their Bloodsugarsexmagik (i.e. their second with that guitarist... and Bloodsugarsexmagik is, in my mind, their greatest work).

I do have one issue with the band's live performance.  Why no songs from the Hillel Slovak era?  It's the only thing I take issue with.  But that said, there's always next tour.  And as long as this band is touring, I'll be showing up and rocking out.

GUEST POST: KARA PAIN - "WHY DO THE BEASTIE BOYS DESERVE TO BE IN THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME?"

Kara Pain, or as I call her, K-POW, is a former colleague from my days at SiriusXM. I knew her first as a member of the Liquid Metal team, and although she's a badass metal gal, it turns out that she's a lot more than that. She moved from NY to Seattle, where she's done stand-up comedy, improv, and she's also been heard on the FM airwaves.  If this was the '80s or '90s and she was doing this guest post for a 'zine instead of a blog, I'd advise you to keep this issue, as it would be a collectors item once she "hits it big." A couple of years ago, she was telling me about an debate she had with a well known music critic over The Beastie Boys.  So I asked her to use that as the starting point for her guest post, about why they deserve to be Rock and Roll Hall of Famers.  Take it away, K-POW... 


"Here's a little story, I got to tell..." 

I have a friend who is “in the biz.” I’m not saying this to sound cool; it actually has something to do with this blog post, so chill out.  The reason it’s important is because this friend’s career is based on subjectively judging music, it pays his bills. Anyway, said friend and I were discussing the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame one day and I mentioned how funny it was that the Beastie Boys were snubbed in 2011. Well, imagine my surprise when Friend disagrees, vehemently!

As he is a professional music critic, I battled as best I could against his musical knowledge to defend my point (which was a lot like fighting Uma Thurman in Kill Bill). I threw Platinum Record sales and Grammy wins at him, and while I wasn’t brought to slaughter, I was beaten and bruised. I couldn’t quite convince him of why The Beastie Boys deserved to be honored. The discussion has still plagued me, even as the B-Boys were inducted this year. I don’t really have to prove it to him or anyone else, but I just can’t let it go. Why did the idea spark so much passion in me? Why did this band deserve honor for contributing to the landscape of music and culture?

On April 12, 2012 the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame held its annual induction ceremony. You know the deal: 25 years (or more) after the release of their first record artists are eligible to be voted in based on the influence they’ve had on music. It’s kind of the Super Bowl ring of the music industry.  The whole induction thing started in 1983, and the nominating committee and voting body consists of a group of “rock experts” who vote on particular artists and how they were, or are. influencing the music scene. I put said experts into quotations, because come on…I think I’M a rock expert. 

Included among this year inductees are artists my parents listened to, the Small Faces, Freddie King, The Miracles. This year the Hall has also included Guns N Roses, The Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Beastie Boys. These bands can’t be over the 25 year mark, can they? They can!

The Beastie Boys started out as punk rockers. In 1982 the band released Polly Wog Stew.  A decent thrash punk record that sounded like, well, everything else that was already on the scene. The band, including Michael Diamond on vocals, Adam Yauch on bass, drummer Kate Schellenbauch, and guitarist John Berry (before Adam Horovitz joined) were doing what they thought they should to make it. You’re white, so make Punk Rock Music. After the exit of John and Kate the boys began to play around with the idea of rhyming over beats and samples and the truth of who they were, who they ARE, began to emerge.

In 1984, the Beastie Boys’ current lineup released a quirky fun track honoring an ice cream cake, Carvel’s Cookie Puss.  It was basically a phony phone call over a hip-hop track.  After friend and NYU student Tim Sommer handed over that track to another NYU student, Rick Rubin, who also just happened to be head of Def Jam records, the Boys were ready to emerge. Rick became their DJ and produced their debut album.

By 1988 the Beastie Boys became a mainstay of MTV. Licensed to Ill had already hit Number 1 on the Billboard 100, and was the first rap album to do so. They had managed to sneak into the Top 40 club and throw an all out hip-hop party. They weren’t gonna sleep and they would fight for the right to be there. Okay, I’m over-using lyrics to make my point here, but in the dawning of our multi-media culture, three white boys form Brooklyn were helping to change its face.

As I researched this article I found an underlying thread that seemed to follow the Beastie Boys story. When I YouTubed “Cookie Puss,” I read some of the comments and it surprised me that most of the conversation revolved around the color of the Beastie Boys skin.

I think The Beastie Boys just don’t worry about their skin color. Like many other people, they LOVE Hip-Hop and they wanted to honor it with their own style. They weren’t trying to be cool, or act like something they’re not. It was real, and that’s why it worked.

Racism exists, no doubt, and if you pretend its untrue then you’re only lying to yourself. However, I do think that the Beastie Boys have helped us to erase some of those lines, and assist in ushering in a generation that accepts differences far more readily. I mean, we’re the generation that helped finally elect the first black president. I know I’m probably pissing some people off by saying this, and I’m not crediting the Beastie Boys with all civil progression, OR with President Obama's election into office, definitely not. What I am saying is that they made their contribution, they made an impact. Where would we be, as a society, without habitual line crossers Jimi Hendrix, Duke Ellington, Elvis…you get what I’m saying? 

I grew up in a super eclectic area of New York and had friends of all shapes and sizes, and they were my friends because they were cool and fun, and that was all. We would sit on our stoops (front porches for those of you not from NY) and listen to music. Connecting through styles and tastes via lyrics and melodies. Beautiful.

Later on, The Boys grew up from fighting for their right to party, and communicated different messages.  Their music matured, and they matured as people.  In 1996 they organized the Tibetan Freedom Concert, bringing attention to the plight of Tibetans living in a country now occupied by China. They headlined four of these concerts over four years, and Adam Yauch was a tireless advocate for the Tibetan people. They put on the New Yorkers Against Violence Event, raising money for victims of 9/11. Also, they’ve actively participated in Habitat for Humanity, the ASPCA and the Lunchbox Fund which helps provide food for hungry school children. I’d say they are actively doing their part as being decent humans.  Top that off with phat rhymes and skills to pay the bills?!  Holla!

While they DO fool around, and sing about what seems like the immature babbling of a generation known for its excess, they said a lot to the younger ears behind them, who were listening and absorbing the cultural world around them.

“The true key is a trust in self
For when I trust myself, I fear no one else
I took control of my life, just as anyone can
I want everyone to see it's in the palm of your hand
The past is gone, the future yet unborn
But right here and now is where it all goes on.” – The Update

So I’ll ask the question again as I did in the beginning, only this time I’m going to answer it. Why do the Beastie Boys deserve to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?  Because they remind us to be true to ourselves, to ignore the boundaries people create to feel safe, to Fight for our Right. Isn’t that what Rock music is all about? Makes me think how exciting it'll be in another couple of years, when Rage against the Machine is inducted. Just a thought.

“I once was lost but now I'm found
The music washes over and you're one with the sound” - Shadrach 

BACK IN THE DAY: THE BEASTIE BOYS "PAUL'S BOUTIQUE"

Well, there's nothing like it.  The Beastie Boys' Paul's Boutique didn't sound like any record that came before it, or anything since.

I remember buying it when it first came out, but I don't remember why I bought it.  I liked a bunch of songs on their debut album, Licensed To Ill. But it seemed like a novelty album, and it's appeal was... I'd describe it as douche-y.  Also their style was very derivative of Run-D.M.C.'s (understandable as they were a big influence and both groups were produced by Rick Rubin).

I think I may have heard "Hey Ladies" and thought that they didn't sound like they'd progressed too much. But the music was so much... thicker. I was intrigued.  So I picked it up.  When I first listened to the record, I was puzzled.  What the hell?  I know a lot of other people had the same experience.

But every time I came back to the album, I liked it a little bit more. I was always catching new references in the lyrics and in the music.  In fact, there is an entire website that explains every reference and lists every sample.  And there's a great book about the album that tells you just about everything about how it was made - it's part of the excellent 33 1/3 series.  You couldn't make an album like this today without a multi-million dollar sample-clearance budget and probably an army of lawyers.  I mean, they sampled The Beatles! You just couldn't do that today, but back then, there were no rules about it.  It was a cool era: other hip-hop LPs like Public Enemy's It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back and de la soul's 3 Feet High and Rising were similarly dense with samples, but no one can (legally) release albums like those today.  It's interesting to note, though, that this album was about the time where hip-hop's mainstream started losing interest in the Beasties.  On Licensed, they were signed to Def Jam and were managed by RUSH (both owned by Russell Simmons).  On this album, they left New York for L.A., ditched Def Jam and signed to Capitol (who didn't really have a hip-hop team in place), left RUSH management, and moved on from producer Rubin to The Dust Brothers.

Today, it's one of my favorite albums, and unlike Licensed To Ill, it's aged really well, and still sounds ahead of its time.

TIE FOR #11 - THE BEASTIE BOYS "HOT SAUCE COMMITTEE PART TWO"

I was so happy to hear that The Beastie Boys will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year. What makes that more amazing is the fact that they are still putting out great records, as evidenced by Hot Sauce Committee Part Two.  Unfortunately, the album didn't get much attention. A lot of that is because they couldn't do too much promotion, since Adam Yauch is still battling cancer. But you really wouldn't have guessed that by listening to the album.

It's a straight up hip-hop record. There's no instrumental funk jams (which they probably got out of their system last time, on the instrumental album The Mix-Up). There's no hardcore punk, or hard rock jams.

That's a risky move for a bunch of guys in their mid to late 40s.  The current commercial hip-hop community probably aren't paying attention to them (although they get respect from the people who have a sense of history... and the fact that Nas guests on "Too Many Rappers" doesn't hurt either).  The production doesn't sound like it has an ear to 2011, or even 2001.  It's kind of timeless: on one hand, it sounds like old-school electro hip-hop.  On the other hand, it's very futuristic, but not in the Black Eyed Peas Euro-rave-Blade Runner way. They don't work with outside producers - they produce the tracks themselves.  Not many other hip-hop acts produce their own albums.

One thing that hasn't changed is that they still make great videos.  There's a half hour video "Fight For Your Right Revisited" (which is based on the banger "Make Some Noise") and also a Spike Jonze directed clip starring action figures for "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win." You can catch them here.   But as for the album itself, it's a great one.  I'm sure some people will say that they aren't "relevant to the hip-hop community" anymore.  But shit, I'm 40+, I don't care about "relevant" I care about "great," and this is a great album.

THE BEASTIE BOYS - A BEGINNER'S GUIDE

How did The Beastie Boys react to the news that they're being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? They haven't really said much. On one hand, they don't seem to take this kind of thing seriously. On the other, it has to feel pretty good to be acknowledged. Along with the Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five and Run-D.M.C., they are the only hip-hop artist to be inducted thus far.  And they are the only band with roots in hardcore punk to be inducted.  Add to that, the fact that Adam Yauch has been battling cancer... well, that has to add some weight to this. I hope he's doing well, and I hope they show up and perform. I'd guess they'd do a hardcore tune, at least one hip-hop tune, one of their hard rockers and an instrumental funk jam. How many other bands have so many modes? So there's a lot of great stuff in the long line of LPs.

The Compilation: the 2 CD set Sounds Of Science has almost all of their modes: hardcore punk, their days as a Run-D.M.C. style Def Jam group, the Paul's Boutique era, their hard rock stuff, instrumental funk and even their country phase (which was very brief).  It has hits, album tracks and rare stuff too. And great liner notes by the band. If that's too much for you, go for the single CD Solid Gold Hits.

The Classic Album(s): They had a lot of game changers.  First, their debut full length, 1986's Licensed To Ill on Def Jam. It has lots of douchey anthems like "Fight For Your Right" and "Brass Monkey," but on the other hand, it was pretty groundbreaking and has lots of amazing tracks.  They completely flipped the script and risked everything by leaving Def Jam, Rush Management and producer Rick Rubin for L.A., Capitol Records and The Dust Brothers for 1989's Paul's Boutique. At the album tanked at the time. Now: it is considered a classic.   After that, they picked up their instruments again for another classic, 1992's Check Your Head. This sort of mapped out the rest of their career, which they'd split between straight up hip-hop, hard rock tunes with Adam Horowitz on the mic, hard core punk tunes with Mike D shouting, and instrumental funk jams.

After that, they still released great albums but nothing as groundbreaking. Still, 1994's Ill Communication is amazing, 1998's Hello Nasty is great. I think 2004's To The 5 Boroughs is totally underrated, and ditto for this year's Hot Sauce Committee Part 2. I also dig their instrumental album, 2007's The Mix-Up. And, although they weren't at their best as a hardcore band, the 1994 compilation Some Old Bullshit is still solid, plus it has their legendary prank call "Cookie Puss."

MEDITATE FOR ADAM YAUCH

Adam Yauch just sent out an email to Beastie Boys fans informing them that he and a group of friends are meditating twice a day, and as they meditate, they are picturing smashing all of the cancer cells in the world.  You can read the whole email here. He also says there are variations on meditating: you don't just have to sit quietly. I hope he's OK, and just meditating to wish cancer away because he is over his cancer.

THE BEASTIE BOYS ALBUM MAY COME OUT IN SEPTEMBER

In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Adam Yauch says that The Beastie Boys are planning on releasing their next album, Hot Sauce Committee Part 1 in September, a year after it was supposed to come out. He said he is feeling much better after his surgery to have a salivary gland tumor removed, and depending on his health, the album should come out in the fall. He also said that they may do a bit more work on the album before then. Here's hoping everything works out and the B-Boys return in '10.

BAD BRAINS DOC: WATCH THE TRAILER

I wrote about the Bad Brains documentary last year, I just saw this trailer today, which features Ian MacKaye, Henry Rollins , Don Letts and Adam Yauch, among others. I won't claim that I was down since day one, but I started checking them out in the late '80s/early '90s. I can't say I loved them immeadiately, but they were a great band, and way more deserving of induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame than many Hall of Famers. Anyway, I am sure the film will be great, it was directed by Mandy Stein, the same woman who did the Johnny Ramone concert film/doc Too Tough To Die.

YAUCH SAYS BEASTIE BOYS "HOT SAUCE COMMITTEE" OUT IN EARLY '10

In an interview with The Gothamist (mainly about the Oscilloscope Circle Of Trust) Adam Yauch says that the new Beastie Boys album, Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 1 will be out in early 2010 and that he is feeling well. Good to hear! I like the first song, "Too Many Rappers" featuring Nas, even though when I played it on Larry Flick's OutQ show, people hated on it.

THE ADAM YAUCH DVD CLUB

I've written before about Beastie Boy Adam Yauch's film company, Oscilloscope. Now they're offering a subscription service. For $150, you get the next ten Oscilloscope releases on DVD a week before the street date, and you get to buy prior releases at 50% off. One of their recent films is The Messenger, starring Woody Harrelson, whose character works for the Army's Causality Notification Service: in other words, the guys who have to go to the homes of the families of the soldiers who die in combat.

Anyway, I'm glad that Adam is feeling better, and hopefully the new Beastie Boys record, Hot Sauce Committee, will be out early in 2010.

ON iTUNES: THE DEAD WEATHER LIVE

I've been iTunes-less for over a month due to hard drive issues on my computer, but my "ordeal" is nearly over. So, I spend some time on the iTunes store today, and was psyched to see that The Dead Weather (Jack White's latest band for those of you who are new to No Expiration) have a live EP, Live At Third Man Records West.

Third Man is the record label that Jack started, and Third Man West was a temporary "pop-up store" in Los Angeles.

Speaking of Third Man, their recent 45" by the Dex Ronweber Duo featuring Jack White, which I thought was going to be vinyl only, is now available on iTunes. I'm not mad.

Finally, Third Man has announced that their next 45" will be a one-sided release by Carl Sagan. Yes, Carl Sagan. Not his first hipster band reference: in The Beastie Boys song "Hey Fuck You," Adam Yauch raps "I got more rhymes than Carl Sagan's got turtlenecks."

TOMORROW ON OUTQ: HIP-HOP

OutQ listeners know I like to flip the script. Last week, I discussed "outlaw" country music. Tomorrow,I'll talk about hip-hop.


I never bought into Jay-Z like most everyone else have. I have no great objection to him, I just have not often felt the need to pay to hear his music. That said, he has some great songs: I like "Can I Get A...," "Money Ain't A Thing" and his cover of Ice-T's "99 Problems." He was also great on "Swagga Like Us." But his new song, "Run This Town," featuring Rihanna and Kanye West, is great. Rihanna's cool, it's nice to hear her return with such power. And hopefully this will be the last we hear from Kanye for a while. I'm a fan of his music, but I think he needs a break from the limelight, and the world needs a break from him.


Kid Cudi is a protegee of Kanye, I don't know too much about him, but he seems to sort of come from the Native Tongues tradition. This song features Kanye and Common, and prominently samples Lady Gaga.


Lady Gaga is also featured on Wale 's "Chillin'." He's a protegee of the great UK producer Mark Ronson. Pretty cool song. It's interesting to hear so many hip-hop dudes into Lady Gaga.


T.I. was being hailed as "The Jay-Z of the South" at one point. I felt the same about him as I did about Jay: no objection, but I wouldn't go out of my way to listen. After a while, I started to enjoy some of his songs. "Dead and Gone" with Justin Timberlake is great, and he killed it on "Swagga Like Us." This new song, "When I'm Gone," featuring Mary J. Blige, has a lot of weight. He's currently serving a year in prison.


Michael Franti has never gotten much attention in hip-hop, but just as I like "outlaw" country, I also like "outlaw" hip-hop. Not gansta, but guys who don't follow the same rules (or hire the same management companies or marketing companies) as the hip-hop stars. Franti got his start in a punk/hip-hop band called The Beatnigs who were on Jello Biafra 's Alternative Tentacles label. Then he had a sort of industrial/hip-hop hybrid group The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphopracy. Then he formed the more rootsy Spearhead, and they're sort of in the jam band scene. They're really political, but this is just a fun summer jam. I can't believe the guy has a hit single, like 20 years into his career! But good for him.


The Beastie Boys "Too Many Rappers" featuring Nas is the lead single from the Beasties' Hot Sauce Committee, which should have come out by now, but was delayed because of Adam Yauch's recent health scare. This song also gets some extra weight from Yauch's first lines: "I been in the game since before you was born, I'll still be MCing after you're gone." I'm glad that that's still true. No one takes the old-school hip-hop feel and makes it modern like the Beasties.

ADAM YAUCH UPDATE

I'm a little behind on blogging, but earlier this week, Adam Yauch sent out an email to Beastie Boys fans saying that he is "hopeful" that he's beaten his cancer. He went to India to see some Tibetan doctors, went to a teaching by The Dalai Lama, and is on a vegan diet. Read the whole letter here. He also says that The Beastie Boys album Hot Sauce Committee will probably be out in the first half of 2010. The first single came out right before the diagnosis - "Too Many Rappers," featuring Nas, which is probably the best hip-hop single of the year.

ADAM YAUCH: FEELING BETTER

Adam Yauch sent fans an email saying that he's making a quick recovery from the surgery he had to remove a cancerous tumor in his neck. He also thanked Coldplay and Jay-Z for covering Beastie Boys songs at the recent All Points West Festival in New Jersey, which the B-Boys were scheduled to headline (they cancelled at the last minute, and Jay-Z replaced them on the bill). Here's hoping that he and the Beasties return to active service soon.

GET WELL SOON, ADAM YAUCH

Like many other people, I was sorry to hear that Adam "MCA" Yauch of The Beastie Boys has a cancerous tumor in his salivary gland. Thankfully, it's "very operable." He talks about it in this video.

ADAM YAUCH: FIGHTING FOR HIS RIGHT

I'm a big fan of Adam Yauch of The Beastie Boys. I mostly like the sense of humor he's shown as a video director, and I give him tons of credit for his activism, particularly his work with Milarepa.

I'm glad to see him moving into film. I look forward to seeing Gunnin For That Number 1 Spot, his Hoop Dreams-like documentary. His production company, Oscilloscope, will also be distributing Flow, a documentary about how corporations like Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Nestle try to privatize the world's dwindling fresh water supply. The film debuted at a film festival that was co-sponsored by Nestle, which wasn't psyched when they found out. Fight The Power indeed.