The Beastie Boys

Updated June 26, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

Hello Nasty

• Grand Royal/Capitol

There's not much nasty here and — gasp! — there's even some weighty messages, such as nods to the Tibetan cause (“Flowin' Prose”) and digs at mega-corporate sponsorship (“Putting Shame in Your Game”). Still, the Boys — Adam Yauch, Adam Horovitz and Mike Diamond — don't drop their wise-ass, screeching old-school-rap past in hard-core tracks such as “Super Disco Breakin'” and “Just a Test”. As always, the Boys keep their sound in-your-face fresh: “The Negotiation Limerick File” mixes samplings from classic R&B, and “Picture This” strikes a bossa nova feel (though less naturally). With this — dare we say it? — mature effort, the Boys are back in town.