This week Dad Bod Rap Pod hosts Demone Carter, David Ma, and Nate LeBlanc alongside Producer Cutso, are breaking down the Beastie Boys' fifth album, To The 5 Boroughs. Where their previous few records had been eclectic mixes of jammy, loungey instrumental songs, punk egergy, and hard-hitting leftfield hip-hop, for this album the Boys decided to approach early 2000s America with an old-school hip-hop sensibility. As you will hear, we are not fans of this choice.

Since we didn't really care for this record, we devote a lot of this episode to talking about Grand Royal, the Beastie Boys' magazine and record label. The magazine is an important and now quite rare document of the Boys' hipster sensibilities that shined a light on a lot of creative people. It's probably one of the coolest things that a major band could have done for their listeners in a pre-internet age. The record label was a bit more hit and miss but also a worthwhile endeavor that shut down just as it was starting to get interesting by signing some fascinating underground MCs.

Thanks to everyone who has joined us on the album-by-album look into the Beasties' fascinating career. Please consider joining our patreon at patreon.com/dadbodrappod for more bonus content, banter episodes, curated music, and playlists. Use promo code BEASTIE to get your first month for just $1

3 Bad Brothers, A Beasties Boys Breakdown is a production of

Dad Bod Rap Pod

Hosted By Demone Carter, David Ma, and Nate LeBlanc

Executive Produced by Nate LeBlanc

Produced by Demone Carter and Paolo “Cutso” Bello

Edited by Demone Carter and Nate LeBlanc

Engineering and Post-Production by Paolo “Cutso” Bello

Artwork by Rory Simms

Photography by Stephanie Barajas

Youtube version produced by Paolo “Cutso” Bello

Theme song written and recorded by Defcee and Produced by Cutso

Dad Bod Rap Pod is distributed by Open Mike Eagle’s Stony Island Audio