Former punk rockers yet never quite true rappers, the Beastie Boys have solidified their position as the Merry Pranksters of the hip-hop world with the release of their fifth and latest album, "Hello Nasty." From the opening line -- "50 cups of coffee and you know it's on, I move the crowd like the break of break of dawn" -- it becomes apparent that these are the same Beastie Boys we grew up listening to. At the same time, there is a certain maturity or musical diversification that comes out in the album.
One criticism many people have of the Beastie Boys is that their lyrics are unoriginal and uninspired. "Hello Nasty" does little to discredit this belief with songs like "Unite," which asks the question, "So tell me party people what's your zodiac sign," or the first track, "Super Disco Breakin'," which chimes, "Money makin' money money makin' / super disco disco breakin'."
On the plus side, "Hello Nasty," like other Beastie albums, marks a return to a time when hip-hop was all about having fun. In this way, the Beastie Boys are still fighting for their right to Par-tay, only these days they don't have to fight so hard. Underneath the Beasties' smart aleck lyrics is a cornucopia of sound brought to stage by the Boys themselves, who all play their own instruments, as well as several guest stars. The real kicker, however, is the Beasties' diverse assortment of samples and beats.
"Hello Nasty" lacks the explicit funk instrumentals that can be found on the Beasties' previous two albums, "Check Your Head" and "Ill Communication," but it does have a lot of the quirky samples and beats that made "Paul's Boutique" one of their best albums. The new album's samples range from Run DMC to Tito Puente to Rachmaninoff and then all the way to a physical fitness education tape.
Highlights of "Hello Nasty" are somewhat spotty, though dope beats pervade the entire album. Listen closely to the first track, "Super Disco Breakin'" to catch a taste of "Sucka MC's," an all time hip-hop classic performed by Run DMC. On the second track, disregard their claim to put shame in your game, and proceed to the end of the song which contains a cool outro marked by peppy Spanish lyrics on top of a heavy beat and light scratching in the background. This outro, which only lasts about 30 seconds, is possibly the freshest beat on the album.
The third and fourth tracks, "Remote Control" and "Song for the Man," are marginal, new pollution tunes with some kind of "message," yet they may be worth a listen for the pure audio experience. The next tune of note is "Intergalactic," their smash radio hit. If you can get past the chorus in which a computer voice repeatedly spits out, "Intergalactic Planetary Planetary Intergalactic," and if you can forgive dry ice chemical beats, there is plenty of cool mixing going on in the background.
The next joint very well could be the best all around track on the album. "Sneakin' Out The Hospital" is one of the few instrumental tunes and shows that, if the Beastie Boys would put down their mics, they might reach another dimension much unlike the one they talk around in "Intergalactic." "Sneakin' Out The Hospital" is a mellow groove marked by a thick bass line, a haunting piano melody and some really dark work on the turntables.
"Sneakin' Out The Hospital" leads nicely into the next tune, which, despite its title, "Putting Shame In Your Game," is actually a good song. "Shame" is marked by two features, the first being the haunting piano melody we hear in the beginning of "Sneakin' Out The Hospital" and the second being the fact that this is where the Beasties mix the album's title into one of the songs with typically boastful lyrics: "I'm the Benihana chef on the SP12 / I chop the f*** out the beats left on the shelf / You be like hello nasty where you been / It's time you brought the grimy beats out the dungeon."
Both "Sneakin'" and "Shame In Your Game" feature mixing by Mix Master Mike, who makes an additional appearance in "Three MC's and One DJ" where he is featured at the beginning playing his turn tables through a wah pedal. Additional guest appearances can be found on "The Grasshopper Unit (Keep Movin')" which features Biz Markie beat boxing as the song fades away.
