A prominent figure in the histories of rap, metal, country, rock and more, Rick Rubin is the premier music producer of our time.

Twenty years ago, we got a more complete look at the punk-thrash beginnings of the Beastie Boys — and a hint as to what would come next.

The Punk Singer, Sini Anderson’s briskly paced, 80-minute film examines Kathleen Hanna’s ascension as unofficial spokeswoman of the riot grrl movement. You May Also Like: ‘Danny Says: A Documentary on the Life and Times of Danny Fields’ (2016): Movies

They say you never get a second chance to make a first impression, and that seemed to be the case when I first heard the Beastie Boys: Michael “Mike D” Diamond, Adam “MCA” Yauch, and Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz. You May Also Like: Tom Petty, Johnny Cash + Beastie Boys: RickRead More

You know, I just get so damned tired of people trippin’ all over themselves to pay tribute to these guys when they die. Besides, it’s just friggin’ rap “music.” That’s right, “music.” You May Also Like: Tom Petty, Johnny Cash + Beastie Boys: Rick Rubin’s Most Important Albums

I’m not going to tell you, in the wake of Adam “MCA” Yauch’s death on Friday, that I was a huge Beastie Boys fan. The truth is, I haven’t thought about them in years. You May Also Like: Tom Petty, Johnny Cash + Beastie Boys: Rick Rubin’s Most Important Albums

I am not a fan of rap, per se, but these newly crowned Rock and Roll Hall of Famers have managed to keep their music so varied that it’s hard to identify them purely as rap. The Beastie Boys also kept a good deal of humor in their music, makingRead More

Guns N’ Roses, the metal amalgam best known for hits like “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” tops the 2012 class of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees You May Also Like: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Open Letter: Stop Being the Old Boys’ ClubRead More

The new nominations for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 elicited the usual wailing and gnashing of teeth — even amongst us. You May Also Like: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Open Letter: Stop Being the Old Boys’ Club When John Frusciante Returned toRead More

While the all-girl Luscious Jackson made all kinds of concessions by including then-hip back beats and low-key rhymes, Manny still aspires to a groovy article of faith. (It’s something they shared with the Beastie Boys, who ran the label this album appeared on.) Even now, there’s an involving adventurousness hereRead More