Alan Light The skills to pay the bills - the story of the Beastie Boys

White Jewish kids from secure backgrounds who conquered the rap and pop charts (their album License to Ill was the first hip-hop album to top the pop charts) and purveyors of vulgar, often hilarious lyrics who actively support liberal political and social causes, the Beastie Boys are now rap and rock elder statesmen. In such anthems as "Fightfor Your Right (to Party)," they incorporated heavy-metal riffs and samples in the format pioneered by Run-DMC to reach the vast suburban-white-kid audience in previously unimaginable ways. They are as responsible for hip-hop's hold on the pop charts and pop culture as Run-DMC. Light's notably well written presentation of their story explores the Beasties phenomenon with wit and purpose far too rarely manifested in the rock-bio genre. In incidents ranging from their almost accidental introduction to the recording industry to collaborating with reggae god Lee Perry to support for the Dalai Lama (they were instrumental in organizing a benefit concert for Tibet), the Beasties' story is an engrossing, important chapter of pop-music history.