Beastie bests: In 1986, the Beastie Boys’ Licensed to Ill became the first rap record to top the Billboard chart, and the trio from New York City went on to sell over 20 million albums. Filmmaker Spike Jonze shot the Beasties to new heights with his video for Ill Communication’s “Sabotage,” an homage to 1970s crime dramas that dominated MTV’s airwaves and its awards show in 1994. Still a friend and a collaborator, Jonze’s latest, Beastie Boys Story, is a reflection on the band’s formation and propulsive musical journey that features narration by Michael “Mike D” Diamond and Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz. Virginia Film Festival adds to the discussion with Beyond the Screen: A Virtual Conversation between Cullen Wade, director of the Nine Pillars Hip Hop Cultural Fest, A.D. Carson, assistant professor of hip hop and the global South, and Jack Hamilton, assistant professor of American studies and media studies and the pop critic for Slate.
Related stories
Soul of Cville Festival
The fourth annual Soul of Cville Festival is a celebration of Black excellence across disciplines. Dance? You know it. Fashion show? For sure. DJ sets? Yup. Live music? Hell yeah. Beyond the performances, dozens of vendors and community partners will be on site. There’s awesome apparel, creative arts and crafts, meaningful mentorship, and a wide […]
“Pink Floyd—The Wall”
Whether you love it, hate it, or have never heard of it, here’s your chance to see it on the big screen. It’s Pink Floyd—The Wall. Watch a whacked-out superstar musician spiral into an isolated state of paranoia as he relives his childhood traumas. Watch him lapse into episodes of anxious and fantastical thinking as […]
Nathaniel Star
With enough soul-beat samples to make any crate-digger swoon, Nathaniel Star brings heady lyricism with heart to every track he touches. The C’ville local alternates gravel-voiced verses with honey-sweet hooks, moving seamlessly between driving hip-hop and smooth R&B. Writing with verve and witticism, Star celebrates Blackness and sonic expression through rich storytelling and riveting concept […]
