Being the first white act to make it big in rap, these New York Jewish kids made sweet sounds of science and proved rap and its appeal weren't just limited to one specific demographic. The boys also had a knack for taking a rhyme and beating it into the ground. Though not as successful as their full-length debut Licensed to Ill, Paul's Boutique was certainly The Beastie Boys' most influential entry in their catalog. Cuts like "Shake Your Rump" and "What Comes Around" boasted smooth flows that indeed made you jiggle your derrière. And probably the most famous track, the uproarious, '70s-inflected "Hey Ladies" worked a funky cowbell over a decade before "more cowbell" became a household catchphrase. Wielding a wide array of creative and clever samples, these 'Boys Entering Anarchic States Towards Internal Excellence' were closer than ever to the goal of their namesake.
Michael Perone has written for The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore City Paper, The Island Ear (now titled Long Island Press), and The Long Island Voice, a short-lived spinoff of The Village Voice. He currently works as an Editor in Manhattan. And he still thinks Michael Keaton was the best Batman.
