Legendary New York group the Beastie Boys have today released their long-awaited live documentary directed by Spike Jonze on Apple TV titled Beastie Boys Story.
The innovate near 2-hour stage performance of Mike D and Ad-Rock runs through the iconic groups’ pre-history from the early 1980s until today from their original Hardcore punk roots to their internationally renowned hip hop career as a trio with the late MCA. The group details their original insights on how they went from the highly original Cooky Puss 12”, their influence from and eventual friendship with Run-DMC and meeting Def-Jam Recordings co-founder and iconic producer Rick Rubin. These early interactions molded the Beastie Boys original Hardcore style with hip-2hop with additional rock influences.
Michael “Mike D” Diamond and Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz continue the story throughout the years of their early touring (including opening for Madonna on their very first tour instead of Run-DMC and The Fat Boys) and backstories around their 1986 debut Licensed To Ill album that would go on to sell over 10 million albums alone throughout America. The Beastie Boys went on to eventually create a further six classic platinum-selling albums from 1989 to 2004 that sold tens of millions of copies worldwide, as well as altering the musical landscape forever collaborating with the likes of Q-Tip, Nas, Biz Markie, Mix Master Mike plus more.
With the passing of Adam “MCA” Yaunch in 2012 at only 47 years of age from Cancer, the group naturally disbanded and never released new music again. The Beastie Boy Story live documentary was originally scheduled to have its own global premiere at South by Southwest on March 16 this year but was pulled from the SXSW festival due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. The documentary was also scheduled to be released via a limited release shortly thereafter on April 3 and then in select IMAX theatres but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Digital streaming of the documentary is now available on Apple TV+ – a must for Beastie Boys and hip-hop fans alike.
