The Skills to Pay the Bills: The Story of the Beastie Boys

From Publishers Weekly
New York rock-rappers the Beastie Boys have seized a remarkable place in music history, as world-famous pop stars, as white MCs and as one of the influential first wave of groups that broke hip-hop, albeit their own special brand of it, into the mainstream charts in the early 1980s. Unfortunately, the group's importance is what makes this shallow, topical effort from former Rolling Stone writer Light so disappointing. For all the great music and groundbreaking pop culture history made by these three Jewish kids (Adam Yauch, Adam Horovitz and Mike Diamond), Light's oral history, supposedly based on many years of the author's own interviews, frustratingly boils down more than two decades' worth of innovation and originality into less than 200 pages of quotations. That's not to say that the book doesn't have some decent information. Light manages to squeeze in both major and minor players in the Beasties' empire, from mega-producer Rick Rubin to Madonna, and he hits all the major beats of the Beasties' careers, as rappers, recording artists and budding impresarios. Still, this is little more than an expanded magazine article. Although at times entertaining, given Light's insider perch, the book is regrettably an unworthy history. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
White Jewish kids from secure backgrounds who conquered the rap and pop charts (their album License to Ill was the first hip-hop album to top the pop charts) and purveyors of vulgar, often hilarious lyrics who actively support liberal political and social causes, the Beastie Boys are now rap and rock elder statesmen. In such anthems as "Fightfor Your Right (to Party)," they incorporated heavy-metal riffs and samples in the format pioneered by Run-DMC to reach the vast suburban-white-kid audience in previously unimaginable ways. They are as responsible for hip-hop's hold on the pop charts and pop culture as Run-DMC. Light's notably well written presentation of their story explores the Beasties phenomenon with wit and purpose far too rarely manifested in the rock-bio genre. In incidents ranging from their almost accidental introduction to the recording industry to collaborating with reggae god Lee "Scratch" Perry to support for the Dalai Lama (they were instrumental in organizing a benefit concert for Tibet), the Beasties' story is an engrossing, important chapter of pop-music history. Mike Tribby
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"Light’s notably well written presentation of their story explores the Beasties phenomenon with wit and purpose far too rarely manifested in the rock-bio genre. In incidents ranging from their almost accidental introduction to the recording industry to collaborating with reggae god Lee “Scratch” Perry to support for the Dalai Lama (they were instrumental in organizing a benefit concert for Tibet), the Beasties’ story is an engrossing, important chapter of pop-music history." —Booklist


From the Trade Paperback edition. --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Review
"Light’s notably well written presentation of their story explores the Beasties phenomenon with wit and purpose far too rarely manifested in the rock-bio genre. In incidents ranging from their almost accidental introduction to the recording industry to collaborating with reggae god Lee “Scratch” Perry to support for the Dalai Lama (they were instrumental in organizing a benefit concert for Tibet), the Beasties’ story is an engrossing, important chapter of pop-music history." —Booklist

Product Description
In 1987, three white Jewish boys from New York City were the most fascinating phenomenon in the burgeoning rap music scene. No, really. The Beastie Boys, barely out of their teens, had just released Licensed to Ill, which quickly became the first hip-hop album to reach number one on the charts. Pairing vulgar and hilarious lyrics with heavy-metal-derived musical backing and a punk DIY attitude, the Beasties—MCA (Adam Yauch), King Ad-Rock (Adam Horovitz), and Mike D (Michael Diamond)—changed the face of rap forever by bringing it into the mainstream. In the years that followed, they would change it again and again—musically, culturally, and politically.

To create The Skills to Pay the Bills, Alan Light spent years taping conversations with the group, their friends, roommates, producers, engineers, collaborators, and other artists from Madonna to Chuck D. Here, as told from the inside, is the fascinating tale of three rump-shaking, innovative rappers whose albums still go platinum and whose tours continue to fill arenas after more than two decades of making music. The Skills to Pay the Bills chronicles the Beasties’ unique journey from the hardcore New York underground to the top of the Billboard charts. It is a story of larger-than-life personalities, noble causes, funky beats, and truly one of the most influential and ambitious groups of all time.

I said, Where’d you get your information from, huh?



“The first time I met them, I thought I was on Candid Camera.” —D.M.C.

“I think I made out with Adam Yauch once in their dressing room.” —Madonna

“One of my favorite groups is the Beastie Boys.” —Bono