I loved the Beastie Boys years before I listened to any other rap music. I loved all of the hits they came out with when I was kid. I have a distinct memory of playing the music video for “Body Moving” so loud that a vase of pot-potpourri my parents had on top of the TV would fall off. Their music was youthful, fun, noisy and just the right amount of crazy. Everything I loved about them then is what I love about “Hot Sauce Committee Part Two”.
As always, the Beastie Boys sound like a group of best friends having a great time doing what they love most, making music together. One of the album's few missteps is their attempt to add fellow New York rap veteran Nas to this tight chemistry on “Too Many Rappers”. With a typical Beastie Boys beat consisting of fuzzy bass riffs and metallic sounding record scratches, Nas sounds like he just doesn't know how to keep up with the insanity. Santi Gold's featuring on “"Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" however, is a perfect match for the song's heavy reggae sound.
To me, the most interesting thing about the Beastie Boys is their hardcore punk roots. They were originally a punk band but when they met legendary produce Rick Rubin he convinced them to make rap music instead and changed the genre forever. The punk influence has always been obvious in their sound and “Hot Sauce Committee Part Two” is no exception. Each member of the Beastie Boys plays live instruments on this album. The drums are pounding and the guitars and bass are heavily distorted. Despite each member of the band being in their mid-forties, (one of whom recently battled throat cancer) they still have the same angry delivery and youthfully humorous lyrics that made them famous over two decades ago.
The Beastie Boys are one of the few artists I listen to that I can say have a formula that I will never get tired of and I'm more than satisfied with how it played out for them this time. I hope they never lose their passion for the music they play and look forward to the next time they decide to dish out another serving of their loud and heavy hip-hop.
