Beastie Week: "Too Many Rappers"

The Beastie Boys are famous for shining a light on rising hip-hop talents. They've taken The Roots and Talib Kweli on tour, rhymed with Q-Tip and Pharcyde and even let Kanye West appear in their "Triple Trouble" video in 2004. Less appreciated is the Beasties' tendency to enlist rap veterans and bring out the best in them, as they did with Nas on the Hot Sauce Committee Part Two.



Nas is a Queens-based rapper who gets great reviews for his street poet lyrics. Less commendable are his usually rhythmless, unimaginative beats. With the Beasties in tow, he's served with the kind of track his lyrics deserve, a bouncy Mix Master Mike beat with percussion that sounds like Stomp with trash can lids. The Beasties selflessly give Nas the chorus, although they're all included in the rejoinder, "One, two three/Too many rappers and there's still not enough MCs/It goes three, two, one/MCA, Ad-Rock, Mike D that's how we get it done."

The Beastie Boys were right, there are not enough MCs. And now there are even fewer.

Beastie Week: "Super Disco Breakin'"

Only a band as great as the Beastie Boys could release dozens of singles, two best-ofs and an extensive video collection without ever including "Super Disco Breakin'."

And your weekend starts in 5, 4, 3...



Reliving all the Beastie Boys records this week, I can say that Hello Nasty is my favorite. It's a culmination of the first four albums, building on elements of Licensed to Ill, Paul's Boutique, Check Your Head and Ill Communication while tying them together in a 22-song masterpiece that keeps on giving. How did I miss out on "Unite" over the first thousand listens?

The best part of "Super Disco Breakin'" and Hello Nasty is the chemistry. The Boys always flowed well together, but fifteen years into their adventure the Beastie Men are sharing punchlines, finishing each others' verses and cutting in and out of rhymes with professional deftness. On "Super Disco Breakin'," Mix Master Mike drives the beat, taking the wheel and letting the Beasties go nuts riding shotgun. Ever hear anyone try late '90s Beasties karaoke? It's hard enough for one guy, let alone three bouncing off each other.