Rating: NNNN
Beastie Boys’ eighth album is a rap record without sonic equal in 2011. It arrives like a time capsule of the squelching funk, hardcore distortion and furious lyrical one-upmanship heard in the early 90s. Like their best albums, it’s bursting with energy and self-confidence but utterly devoid of self-importance.
Though the Brooklyn trio may look like the geriatric characters they used to play in their videos, they certainly don’t sound like them. As the mic is passed, rapid-fire pop culture references pile up: Crocs, the Lambada, André Leon Talley, Troll 2, sheep-shearing. The production has an equally deranged energy, combining grimy drum loops, funky synths and noisy reverb into a non-stop party. It’s that classic Beastie Boys sound, and a reminder why they’ve set the gold standard for posse rap.
Top track: Lee Majors Come Again
