To The 5 Boroughs - Beastie Boys

When released in 2004, 'To the 5 Boroughs' was the first album in six years from the white-boy rap outfit. It's a bit more political and thoughtful than the New York based artists previous release 'Hello Nasty', and also more grounded in lyrics without the majority of electro experimentation which made a majority of that album somewhat difficult to listen to. In fact, this newest outing for the Beastie Boys feels more old-skool all round, and shares similarities with the sounds they were producing back in the mid 80's on 'License to ill'. According to Wikipedia, To the 5 Boroughs caused controversy when some people alleged that it ...  Read the complete review

At the tail end of 1986 three white boys from Staten Island, New York hooked up with the now-legendary producer Rick Rubin and recorded the first ever rap album by a white act: Licensed To Ill. It's mixture of big beats, rock samples and very clever lyrical interplay between the three band members (MCA, Mike D and Ad-Rock) ensured a winning, unique combination that would sell millions of records worldwide. The singles, released in 1987, from that album (Fight For Your Right To Party, No Sleep Til Brooklyn and She's Crafty) were catchy, heavy on the wit and guitar and made stealing VW badges from suburban Golfs the chav pastime of that year. In short, the Beastie Boys ...  Read the complete review