Some changes are on the way here at TSRE, including some fly new graphics, a transition to WordPress, and some other goodies. One of said "Goodies" is a new contributing writer, who will be dropping knowledgable tidbits on a weekly basis. This man knows more about music than most and was wearing plaid before it was in style. Word to your moms, without further ado I give you Ben, the artist formerly known as Nomo. Kick It! As a way of introduction, I'd like to reflect back on the music that provided the soundtrack to my middle school years. While songs like "Truly Madly Deeply" and "The Boy Is Mine" dominated the pop airwaves, I was busy developing a pseudo-worshipful relationship with a certain all-white rap trio from NYC: the Beastie Boys. I still remember the first time I heard the simple yet sublime rhymes of Ad-Rock, MCA and Mike D on "Intergalactic", in a summer camp cabin in New Hampshire. I quickly learned all the lyrics, and the Beasties quickly became my idols. I doggedly chased down all of their albums, from their classic debut Licensed to Ill ("Brass Monkey", "Fight For Your Right") to Hello Nasty("Intergalactic", "Body Movin'"), and everything in between. I dutifully learned the lyrics to every hit, and would rap along whenever one came on the radio. The Beastie Boys gave me an ill-founded hope that an awkward 13-year old at an all-boys school like myself might someday bloom into something a little more badass. Sadly, I can't bear to listen to the Beasties anymore. I cringe every time I hear the whiny, high-pitched voices, and the posse-style rhyming where all three yell the last word of every line ("Coming from Uranus to check my STYLE!!!!"). But my years of Beastie-worship were not without value. For one thing, I bonded with my first girlfriend over the Beasties (we "dated" for about two weeks). And, more importantly, the BBoys introduced me to A Tribe Called Quest by featuring Q-Tip as a guest rapper on "Get it Together," from their 1994 album Ill Communication. I remember listening and realizing that, by golly, this Q-Tip character has more flow than Ad-Rock, MCA, and Mike D combined! And thus began a love for the Tribe that continues to this day—a topic for another week. Here are a couple Beastie Boys tracks that I can still bear to listen to, as well as a track from the Tribe. "Shadrach" is a funky, dance-y track off of the Beasties' most critically acclaimed album, Paul's Boutique (1989). Then there's "Get it Together", which I mentioned above, and, from the Tribe, "Check the Rhime," a jazzy track that demonstrates the characteristically playful rapport between rappers Q-Tip and Phife Dawg. - Ben Beastie Boys - Shadrach (YSI) (filesavr)
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