Grant JonesLL Cool J recently caught some flak when he shared his “Mount Rushmore” of Def Jam Records. This had no reason to be news, it just illustrated two things that have become increasingly common on social media platforms: people don’t understand what Mount Rushmore is, and nobody seems to respect the Beastie Boys. The first point is born out of plain stupidity, and is something LL has addressed himself – the four figures on a Mount Rushmore list are foundational figures. It’s not the best, it’s not the greatest, it’s not the most popular. The second point feels like a way of rewriting history, with the Beastie Boys’ style never really duplicated outside of their peers like Run-DMC, and latterly by M.O.P. who took it to new extremes. You don’t really see rappers rhyming in that style any more – in a parallel universe, rappers are still exchanging verses and finishing each other’s lines.
Many might consider Run-DMC and Beastie Boys albums to be dated, if not in the rhyme style, at least in the production department. The earlier efforts like “Run-DMC”, “King of Rock” and “Licensed to Ill”, sure, I can see why a new listener might be put off by the minimalist aesthetic, but their later projects still sound like the certified Hip-Hop classics they are. Utilising this back-and-forth approach to rap harks back to the time where an emphasis was placed on interactivity and the live performance, facets key to a great emcee. It’s about rocking a crowd and having a good time. You see, there was a time when Hip-Hop was allowed to be fun, with originality celebrated and encouraged.
The raps may hark back to the 1980s, but the spiked-up hair and videogame aesthetics of Pennsylvania rappers Joey Valence and Brae immediately remind me of the late 1990s, when games like Crazy Taxi and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater were all the rage. Hip-Hop had infiltrated skater culture and was just as much associated with this fun, alternative lifestyle, as much as it was about looking fly, dancing with “bitches”. I feel like the Beastie Boys missed an opportunity during that time, when The Offspring, Blink 182 and shows like Jackass were all the rage. We got 1999’s “Sounds of Science”, a double-disc greatest hits collection with a handful of new songs, but their side-projects and Mike D’s injury delayed their return to the top of the charts until 2004. At the turn of the millennium, we saw Gang Starr and Naughty by Nature, who both released greatest hits compilations in 1999, introduced to a new generation. Run-DMC re-appeared in 1998 with the Jason Nevins remix of “It’s Like That”, while Fatman Scoop was tearing up clubs with his Crooklyn Clan mixes encouraging a back-and-forth relationship with crowds (Joey and Brae’s “The Baddest” sounds JUST like Fatman Scoop). This was also when M.O.P. were at the peak of their powers. This is now long enough to feel like a throwback, and I think people appreciate just how enjoyable it is to listen to.
It’s impossible to ignore the obvious influence of the Beastie Boys. It’s like Ad-Rock, MCA and Mike D, forty years later, but instead of being raised on a diet of punk rock, they spent their weekends pulling all-nighters on their Xboxes. For a self-produced record from two youngsters, “No Hands” is remarkably refined. It possesses a healthy variety you’d also get from the Beasties – not every song is two lunatics shouting in your face. “Pack a Punch” with Danny Brown certainly IS though, and it’s a standout single. The jazzier “No Hands” song features Z-Trip (who was ironically LL Cool J’s tour DJ):
Lyrically, both Joey and Brae aren’t the most technically gifted, but populate their verses with references to Ben 10, John Cena and Call of Duty that will undoubtedly connect with anyone that grew up in the late 2000s. Older listeners will still enjoy their antics, and I can see why they have crossed over quickly when you’ve got Drum and Bass, House, Rock, Punk and Dance all present, without compromising their core Hip-Hop style.
“OK” owes a lot to Lil’ Jon, as well as the underappreciated “Greenhouse Effect” and I could keep naming artists that have influenced this duo (Run the Jewels is another obvious one) but it doesn’t take away from the fact this album is just a load of fun, front-to-back. Joey and Brae may be two dorks that, on paper, shouldn’t feel cool, yet they succeed by making cool music. “No Hands” manages to still sound fresh, with an old-fashioned recipe, and it has proven popular, with sold-out tours across the globe in 2024. References to Roblox and deriding people for using hashtags, will inevitably make you feel old, but don’t fret, Leroy Jenkins and Pokemon cards are mentioned too. If that’s still too young for you, then you can always close your eyes and imagine these are the Beastie Boys’ sons (Beastie Babies?). This record made me smile too much to care about a grey hair. If we can now get a Public Enemy for Generation Z, I can die a happy man.