Mike D on Beastie Boys’ wild days and a wiser solo chapter
TL;DR
Beastie Boys co-founder Mike D (Michael Diamond) looks back on the group’s raucous early years, the clashes with label head Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin, and how Adam Yauch’s influence helped push their evolution beyond their debauched image. He discusses his first solo album Thank You, created with a mature, reflective lens after four decades in music, influenced by a Vipassana retreat and even his sons’ input, signaling a calmer, more family‑anchored chapter.
Topics:entertainmentarts-entertainmentmusic#arts-entertainmentmusic#beastie-boys#def-jam#mike-d#rick-rubin#russell-simmons
- Beastie Boys’ Mike D on his party days of yore: ‘We were young and full of testosterone’ The Independent
- Mike D: Thank You Album Review Pitchfork
- Mike D thought making music was behind him. Then came 'Thank You' NPR
- Mike D Switches It Up in a Post-Beasties World Consequence of Sound
- Reviews: Mike D, Billy Strings, Dinosaur Jr, Alabama Shakes, Pulp Live! Stephen Thomas Erlewine | Substack
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Read on The Independent