I am one of the millions who can verify that the Beastie Boys were one of the first rap acts to reach the white suburbs. Beyond that even. I grew up in very rural upstate NY and was weened on a musical diet of crossover country and light FM. Love Eddie Rabbit and Anne Murray, but I had a distinct appetite for rock all along starting with Joan Jett and Blondie and eventually morphing into the heyday of hair rock in the late 80's. My favorite album in 1986 was Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet, I played the tape so much on my walkman that it gave out and I had to buy another. A close second though was Beastie's debut License to Ill. I loved that album to pieces too. Always had a penchant for smart-asses and all three Beastie Boys fit that description. Plus they were funny. I'd never even been to Brooklyn let alone a White Castle, but that album hooked me. I even spent hours playing and rewinding the songs to write down what I interpreted as the lyrics. I remember having to look up Davy Jones' locker because at eleven I didn't get the reference. Love to find that notebook because my "translation" must be hilarious. The Beastie Boys were my first and my favorite rappers - when I saw Ad Rock at a Rangers game last year I involuntarily lost my shit. I never saw them live or followed them with the ferocity I had in the 7th grade, but I will miss Adam 'MCA" Yauch just as much now. Rest in peace.
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