We Validate Your Existence,...sucka
On Friday night I saw for the first time, The Beastie Boys, live in concert.They fucking rocked.
I couldn't believe how great the show was.
I could go on and on about it but you might be going to "The Pageant Tour" in your town or you may have already seen it. The most important reason that I'm not going to describe it is because to me it was transcendent, it was ethereal, it was the culmination of my b-boy existence. I would like to tell ya'll a little about what the Beastie Boys mean to me.
I was listening to rap music from the very beginning. I had cassettes of The Fat Boys, UTFO, LL Cool J, and Run DMC way back in the day. In 1985 I was a nine year old kid in Lubbock Texas who just happened to LOVE hip-hop music. Ask me now what my favorite kind of music is and I will still say without hesitation "I listen mostly to Hip-hop." See what's bumpin' in my ride at any given time and you will most likely find hip-hop. Ask me what kind of music I want to do at krunkaoke and you will see the bouncing ball following the lyrics to a hip-hop track.
Now I just happen to be a white boy. I prefer to be called beige but we don't always get to choose things like that. It also just so happens that hip-hop music has its roots and soul in the black community. I never saw a problem with that but some other people did (like my dad). So when I got my hands on a cassette tape called "License to Ill" it totally validated my existence. I was all "holy shit, these dudes are white and they made a super successful hip hop album that bumps and rocks and everybody loves except teachers," I was blown away. I listened to that recording so much and I took it in and out of my jam-box to switch sides so often that I wore all the lettering off the thing so it became just this beige cassette. I remember it felt like donkey's ages before they released another album even though it was only two and a half years.
Then "Paul's Boutique" came out in '88. I was all, "what the fuck is this, what's with these disco samples." But like a year later all these fools were including disco samples in their tracks and I saw how not only were the Beastie Boys my favorite group of all time but also innovators who would effect the rest of the industry with their artistry. I didn't really "get" Paul's Boutique until later (like when I started smoking dope) but it was great to know that the Beastie's were gonna keep on keeping on.
Then in '91 "Check Your Head" came out and I was all "what's up with these tracks that sound like punk music." and then again my mind was expanded and I realized that hip-hop was bigger than I thought it was and I also realized that artists don't have to stick to their respective genre's at fucking all. Also around this time I learned about the B-Boys early stuff that was straight punk aka Cookie Puss. 'Check Your Head' was the soundtrack to my life for my early high school years.
My senior year of High School saw the release of "Ill Communication." By this time some people who had enjoyed the Beastie's first album and who no longer listened to hip-hop had left them in the past. I loved the way that Sabotage had such a funny video and I loved the instrumental and I loved MCA's new found spiritualism.
"I stopped smoking cheeba, that was part of the key"
-MCA Ill Communication
Once again I was in love with a New Beastie's album but I was sure that this would be their last.
Then "Hello Nasty" helped me through some tough times in college when my girlfriend was studying overseas. I was all "Hello Nasty where you been, Its time you brought the grimy beats out the dungeon." They came to San Antonio on that tour but because of financial problems I was unable to attend. I thought, well that's it, I missed my last chance to see them. I cursed myself for being such a fool.
Then earlier this very year I heard "To the 5 Boroughs" for the first time and once again I was totally blown the fuck away. I just couldn't believe that they sounded so fresh, again. And on top of that they returned to the roots and made a purely hip-hop album. When I found out they were coming to town I knew that I had to be there. It just so happened that a ticket agency that does things with my work needed some graphic help and I knew just the bribe that would get the job done. Free Tickets Fools.
I feel like I could die happy now. I have to set a new goal. I hope this short synopsis of how the Beastie Boys have validated my existence has given you an inkling of how much I love the Beastie Boys.
If not then
hey Fuck You.
to AD Rock, MCA, and Mike D
thank you
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