Album review: Beastie Boys, 'Hot Sauce Committee Part Two'
3 stars (out of 4)
The Beastie Boys were once unlikely innovators, whether taking the art of sampling to previously unimagined heights with the Dust Brothers on “Paul’s Boutique” (1989) or fusing punk and funk with rap on “Check Your Head” (1992).
Now they traffic in affable, danceable, self-deprecating ‘80s nostalgia. The notoriously bratty trio has hung on long enough to embrace what once would’ve been considered a contradiction: hip-hop elder statesmen. “Hot Sauce Committee Part Two” (Capitol) is the group’s first album in seven years, delayed in part by Adam “MCA” Yauch’s battle with cancer.
The Beasties do not try to keep up with current production trends. There are no Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne or T-Pain cameos. There is an unironic cowbell fill; dated phrases such as “be kind, rewind” abound; retro cultural references to Kenny Rogers, Bob Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” Ted Danson and the Lambada are everywhere. So are grimy keyboards, grimier vocals and sparse beats that sound like they belong on a demo rather than a major-label release. In contrast to the polish of much mainstream hip-hop, “Hot Sauce Committee Part Two” sounds like a crusty mix tape you might pick up from a hooded dealer on a Brooklyn street corner.
That’s not a bad thing. On the contrary, it’s a refreshingly understated return to long-ago form by one of hip-hop’s most venerated groups. Money Mark’s vintage keyboards spread grease over the hard-hitting if uncomplicated beats. The B-Boys focus on old-school hip-hop that wouldn’t have sounded out of place on a mid-‘80s single, and also touch on hard-core punk ("Lee Majors Come Again") and reggae ("Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win"). The Beasties fling boasts and nonsense with verve: MCA’s raspy brio, Mike D’s fine whine, Ad-Rock’s comical incisiveness. All heritage acts should age with this much humor.
“Oh my God, look at me/Grandpa been rappin since ’83,” Ad-Rock proclaims. Who could’ve predicted that?
greg@gregkot.com