So who are the actual Beastie Boys now? Danny McBride, Seth Rogen and Elijah Wood? Or Will Ferrel, John C. Reilly and Jack Black? The first thing to be heard of the ‘dignified enfant terribles’ of Hip Hop in 2011, is not a song but a short film, in which they come up with the story of the never-before-told 30 minutes after the end of the Fight For Your Right video. To do so, they invited half of Hollywood: including Susan Sarandon, Kirsten Dunst, Steve Buscemi, Orlando Bloom and the ones already mentioned. The Beastie Boys do stuff like this on the side during their lunch break. They have nothing to prove anymore, which is why, in their carefreeness, they keep proving themselves over and over to everyone who still stupidly doubts them whenever they publish something new. It has been four years since their instrumental album The Mix-Up was released, even seven years have gone by since their last Rap-album, the ode to New York To The 5 Boroughs. So it’s been enough time to yet again razzledazzle us – and yes, Hot Sauce Committee Pt.2 turns out to be one big mélange. Dancehall-Appeal meets Psychedelic and Funk. Oldskool embosoms Punk and Electronic. Woozy raps between lunacy and clever puns, it’s somehow »Trademark Beastie Boys« and yet again completely different for the eights time in 25 years. The Beastie Boys can still easily beat the pants off every HipHop-purist. And that’s exactly what we can be thankful for.
Makaya McCraven
Off The Record
XL Recordings