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POP
REVIEWS @ Canada's Media and Pop Culture Magazine |
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| Beastie
Boys, To the 5 Boroughs |
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| The Beastie
Boys last record, 1998’s Hello Nasty, was complete mayhem
– but in a good way, though. That album tested the listener's
devotion, as it experimented with pop hooks and jazz-laced numbers
layered with samples. During their six-year hiatus, the Boys created
To the 5 Boroughs, their most stripped-down record to date. The
single "Ch-Check it Out" flows on a blasting break beat,
and "That's it That's All" is made up of blippy, minimalist
electronica. But what makes To the 5 Boroughs a classic are they
rhymes of Mike D, Ad Rock, and MCA. On "It Takes Time to Build,"
MCA bluntly raps "Is the U.S. gonna keep breaking necks? /
Maybe it's time that we impeach Tex / And the military muscle that
he wants to flex." However, the most poignant song is the homage
"An Open Letter to NYC," which looks at how New York has
overcome the 9/11 attacks. To the 5 Boroughs demonstrates the Beastie
Boys skills as political and social lyricists. (Capitol) |
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