Hip-hop, hardcore punk, and everything in between are the lifeblood that perpetuates the musical myth of the Beastie Boys—brilliantly recounted in Beastie Boys Story, the documentary directed by Spike Jonez available on Apple TV. Part of this story can also be told through their taste for style choices influenced by diverse and opposing influences. Even today, Mike D, MCA, and Ad-Rock are true style icons. Let’s see why.
The History of the Beastie Boys
The story of the Beastie Boys began in 1981 when Michael “Mike D” Diamond, Adam “MCA” Yauch, John Berry, and Kate Schellenbach formed a hardcore punk band they named Beastie Boys in New York City. The following year, they released their first EP, “Polly Wog Stew,” and in 1983 they began experimenting with the hip-hop genre, adding Adam Horovitz, also known as Ad-Rock, to the lineup. Before the 1990s, which marked the band’s golden era, they released “Licensed to Ill”—the first rap album to top the Billboard 200—and “Paul’s Boutique.” Before the 2000s, “Check Your Head,” “Ill Communication,” and “Hello Nasty” highlighted not only their musical versatility but also their now-established status in the music scene. The Beastie Boys’ active career ended with the death of MCA Yauch in 2012 following a cancer diagnosis in 2009.
The Evolution of Style
According to GQ, the beginning of the Beastie Boys’ style evolution can be traced back to a specific photo: trench coats with applied buttons, skinny jeans, and combat boots, just like any other punk. With the advent of hip-hop in their music, the group’s style began incorporating elements of the genre, such as basketball sneakers and quilted jackets. Accessories have always been important for the Beastie Boys, including fur hats, snowboard goggles, and racing glasses. The relaxed New York style (with heavy hip-hop influences) continued throughout the rest of the 1980s, adding gold chains and black fedoras inspired by one of their idols, Run DMC.
The 1990s
The 1990s marked a musical shift and introduced a more elaborate style, specifically a grunge look inspired by the punk world. Despite this, their fashion sense maintained a strong connection to their roots, showing significant stylistic evolution while keeping the essence of their ever-evolving style. Adidas sneakers and oversized work jackets remained East Coast hip-hop hallmarks.
The Maturation of the 2000s
The 2000s brought even more mature looks, moving away from excessively eccentric pieces. This period saw Oxford shirts, work pants, simple denim, and hoodies. Nevertheless, as GQ notes, the trio could still appear as their old selves, as seen at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards: eccentric but just to the right extent.
BAPE, Carhartt, and accessories that are now at the forefront of various trends make the Beastie Boys pioneers of an effortlessly cool style that hadn’t yet been codified. «Rappers were supposed to look like rappers and rock stars were supposed to look like rock stars,» Tyler Watamanuk from GQ says, commenting on the documentary about the trio. The harmony and cohesion of three such different personalities highlight the impact of a legacy that won’t be forgotten anytime soon and remind us how important fashion was in the 1980s and 1990s, as it is today.
