Pass the Mic: Beastie Boys 1991-1996 (Hardcover)

~ (Photographer), Carlo McCormick (Author), Paul D. Miller (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Hip-hop stars Adam Yauch, Adam Horovitz and Michael Diamond the Beastie Boys sing, clown around, play video games, shoot baskets, mug for the camera and seemingly never stop moving in Pass the Mic: Beastie Boys 1991-1996, a collection of intimate photographs by Ari Marcopoulos (Transitions and Exits). A product of the five years Marcopoulos followed the artists, the grainy, mostly black-and-white candids show the musicians on their Check Your Head tour, at Lollapalooza, in the recording studio and just hanging out. The collection now seems a poignant testament to youth culture just before dot-com mania swallowed up the young'uns.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Spanning the years 1991-96, Marcopoulos's intimate black-and-white photographs capture the ongoing relevance and increasing musicianship of the Beastie Boys. The trio once gay- and woman-bashing brats, now respected members of popular music's social activist club shine through as melders of hip-hop, funk, rock, and rap. What one thinks of their music is irrelevant, however, because the selections are so resonant and captivating that one cannot help but feel the pulse of Mike D, Ad-Rock, and MCA's creativity. Readers get glimpses from the stage as well as impromptu shots of backstage life; all communicate the passion that the Beasties deliver to their audience. An Amsterdam-born photographer and video artist, Marcopoulos will be represented at the Whitney 2002 Biennial Exhibition March 7 through May 26 in New York City. Michael Heatley's Beastie Boys: In Their Own Words provides more biographical information, but this oversize book is an outstanding photographic record of a longstanding group. With a prolog by Paul Miller (a.k.a. DJ Spooky). Highly recommended for music collections. Caroline Dadas, Hickory Hills, IL
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: powerHouse Books; 1 edition (December 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576871088
• ISBN-13: 978-1576871089
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 9.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,026,587 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An appreciated piece of work depicting true hip hop artists!, February 5, 2002

By A Customer

Oh my goodness.....What a tasteful collection of candid Beastie black and whites in the peak of their "still evolving Bboy career" This book defines what the Beasties are all about: Truth, Friendship, art, creativity, style, attitude, and of course, what goes without saying....Hip Hop. ARi Marcopoulos (the man responsible for these dope-[...] shots) is comin off on the friendship tip, not from some buster Rolling Stone outsider style. These pix are raw, the texture and style are timeless. I can't wait for the day I pull this book out 20 years from now and look through it with my kids, utilizing it as a pure description of what I was about at their age and what a true band should be about.

Beastie Boys are one of few artists who have earned the rights and respect to have such a book published, and if you don't know this, these pix will prove it, no words or reviews, just the black and whites. This collection defines "keepin' it real". Mad props to Ari, Adam;Mike:Adam for impacting my life; and any true Bboy who has this layin on their coffee table. Bboys, Bgirls, and true hip hoppers PICK THIS BOOK UP! All I gotta do now is meet these cats! Matt; age 23 [...]

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the best beastie boys book ever, July 12, 2004

By	victor diab (mississauga, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

this is a must have for any beastie boys fan, this book shows all and has amazing photo's of the band and ofcourse it's a photo album of the greatest band of all time. i give this book a ten out of ten

5 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars NOT ART - NO GOOD PHOTOGRAPHY, May 18, 2002

By A Customer

This book was not good. Less than a few good shots out 144 pages makes it the biggest waste of paper I've seen in a while.
I would never reccomend this to even the biggest beastie boys fan (and I am one myself.) It's just plain whack photos of the band from their least influential period made me return the book.