According to an article in Spin, the Beastie Boys’ debut album, Licensed To Ill, will soon be play appearing on London’s Camden People’s Theater stage. The play, presented by Simon Maeder and Adam El Hagar, will tell the story of the Beastie Boys life and career. The band, made up of Michael “Mike D” Diamond, Adam “MCA” Yauch and Adam “AdRock” Horovitz, began their career in 1981 and only disbanded in 2012 following MCA’s death. It’s worth noting that the album, Licensed To Ill, was the first rap album to ever top the Billboard charts.
The full description of the play reads:
Join Mike D, MCA and AdRock — the Beastie Boys — as they go from teenage punk rockers to international rapping legends.
Using a mix of live music and DJ-ing, we travel through time from the hiphoppers of late ’80s New York to the early ’90s gangsters of LA – all the way to the total globalisation of hiphop. This loud, crazy show — a hiphop history tour and a playful exploration of the rules of cultural appropriation — will have you laughing and gasping in equal measure. Whether you know your Ghostface Killas from your Ice Cubes or if you’ve never heard anyone rhyme to a beat in your life, you’re guaranteed a good time. Join us this Christmas and be a part of hiphop history. Not for the easily offended.
The play will be running from November 23-December 12. The musical is said to be made up of a mix of live music and DJ-ing, and will take its audience through time from hip hop’s big debut in the late 80’s to its present day globalization. Apparently, the production is not for the easily offended. According to co-producer, Maeder, the Beastie Boys are fully aware of the production, but do not have any involvement. When Pitchfork reached out to Maeder for a comment on the lack of involvement from the band, he wrote: “Whilst we have ensured the Beastie Boys are fully appraised of our plans for the show, this is an unauthorised production based on the Beastie Boys story.”
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