The Beastie Boys

Rap Group  

The Beastie Boys solidified their place in hip hop history as the first big white rap act. The trio—Mike D (Michael Diamond), MCA(Adam Yauch) and Ad-Rock (Adam Horovitz) all hailed from wealthy families and began as a punk group before switching to hip hop. Their 1986 album License to Ill, the first rap album to reach number one, contained the hit singles “No Sleep ‘til Brooklyn” and“Fight For Your Right to Party.” The Beastie Boys also got involved with politics and activism work, including organizing and performing in both a post 9/11 benefit concert and the Tibetan Freedom Concert. Yauch, who announced his battle with cancer in 2009, died on May 4, 2012. He was 47-years-old.