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Basically this whole song is about how dope Mike D is — interesting because only three years earlier, Horovitz and Yauch held him in much lower esteem. From Alan Light’s 9.4.1998 article in Spin, “The Story of Yo: The Oral History of the Beastie Boys”:

Adam Dubin: Just before Licensed to Ill came out, they were having conversations about whether or not to kick Mike D out, whether he was cool enough to be in the band. They’d ask different people whether he was “Beastie down.” It was only by a pretty slim margin that they kept him in…

source: Sunny Bak Studio via Rock Paper Photo

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Unclear if Ad is talking about himself or Mike, but whoever it is, he’s had a lot sex in a bunch of California towns, and your girlfriend was one of his partners.

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André Leon Talley (b. 10/16/1949) is the Contributing Editor of Vogue. Over the past quarter-century, Talley has in the front row at fashion shows in Paris, Milan, London, and New York. He is known for nurturing neophyte fashion designers and promoting young talent in other fields, investing his influence to develop raw talent. Below, with Anna Wintour.

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MC Serch is a hefty fellow.

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Guitar Virtuoso, Jimmy Page, of Led Zeppelin

reportedly had a year-and-a-half long affair with a teenager named Lori Maddox.

Lines like these should be considered in the context of the Beasties' more serious, later works. And based on the artists' commentary on the album, these lyrics were meant to satirize ignorant, frat boy, thuggish lifestyles.

Above: D performs at the NYC Family Festival Street Fair during the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival on 5.1.2010.
source: zimbio

The Jimmy Page/Beastie Boys connection is strong, as the group sampled Led Zeppelin several times throughout their career, including a sample of “When the Levee Breaks” on the preceding track “Rhymin & Stealin.” Further examples of Led Zeppelin samples on the album include sampling “The Ocean” on “She’s Crafty” and “Custard Pie” on “Time to Get Ill.” This link leads to an Ultimate Classic Rock article about said sampling and Zep’s influence on the Beastie Boys.

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Fatburger is fast food chain, using the slogan: The Last Great Hamburger Stand. Unlike most of its competitors, the food is cooked and made to order and Fatburger has a liquor license. Bonus! In 1952, Lovie Yancey opened the first Fatburger on Western Ave. in Los Angeles. Until the late 1990s, Fatburger remained predominantly a California chain. The brand became a touchstone in West Coast hip-hop, appearing in Ice Cube’s “It Was A Good Day.“ But East Coast rappers loved the Fatburger, too, with Notorious B.I.G. dedicating a line in ”Going back to Cali. Since the late 90s, Fatburger has been expanding throughout North America and beyond.

source: etsy.com

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“59 Chrystie Street" is the first ninth of “B-Boy Bouillabaisse,” the hodgepodge that concludes *Paul’s Boutique.“ It’s an address on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

After successfully suing British Airways for using part of “Beastie Revolution” in an ad, the Beastie Boys used that money to make music full time, renting a floor at 59 Christie Street reportedly located between a Chinese sweatshop and a brothel. This apartment fostered their transition from hardcore punk to hip-hop.

Samples include:

  • “Burundi Black (Pt. 2)” by Burundi Stephenson Black from the album, Burundi Black (1971)

  • “Here We Go (Live at the Funhouse)” by Run-DMC, from the single, “Here We Go (Live at the Funhouse)” (1985)

  • “Are You Experienced?” by The Jimi Hendrix Experience from the album, Are You Experienced (1967)

  • “Change the Beat” by Fab 5 Freddy from the single, “Change the Beat” (1982)

  • “My Philosophy” by Boogie Down Productions from the album, By Any Means Necessary (1988)

  • “Buffalo Gals” by Malcolm McLaren & the World’s Famous Supreme Team from the album, Duck Rock (1983)

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“A Year and a Day” is Section D of “B-Boy Bouillabaisse,“ the 15th cut on Paul’s Boutique. For the PB: 20th Anniversary Edition, it’s Track #18. EZ Mike handles the production, and lyrically, it’s all Yauch. The solo cut is considered by many — including Yauch, himself — the birth of MCA’s spirituality on wax.

Samples include:

  • Ebony Jam“ by Tower of Power from the album, In the Slot (1976)
  • Who’s That Lady?“ from the single by the Isley Brothers (1964)
  • When the Levee Breaks“ by Led Zeppelin from the album, Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
  • High Power Rap“ from the single by Disco Dave And The Force Of The 5 MCs (aka Crash Crew) (1980)

Gracias a Beastiemania por la información que “A Year and A Day” was performed in 6 known concerts.

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HAL 9000 is the primary antagonist in Arthur C. Clarke’s Space Odyssey saga. HAL stands for: Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic computer. HAL’s artificial intelligence controls the systems of the Discovery One spacecraft and interacts with the ship’s astronaut crew, David Bowman and Frank Poole. In the films 2001: A Space Odyssey & 2010: Odyssey Two, HAL’s voice Douglas Rain is soft and calm, whereas the crewmen speak tersely and with minimal inflection. HAL is represented visually as a red camera eye located on equipment panels throughout the ship. As HAL eventually kills most of its human masters, he is not trustworthy.

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The 43rd POTUS, George W. Bush, of whom the Beastie Boys weren’t big fans… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Be6tunbRcs8&feature=related The Patriot Act created unprecedented expansion of governmental authority to conduct surveillance, i.e., wiretapping, while simultaneously reducing the burden of probable cause, as a purportedly crucial facet of the so-called “War on Terror.” Regardless, Beastie Boys will never stop exercising their right to protest.

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