28 Rare + Vintage Photos of the Beastie Boys

By Wyatt May 4, 2012 3:16 pm Posted in culture, Music, Pics Wyatt g+ page

The first rap album I ever listened to was courtesy of my older cousin – a tape of Licensed to Ill. I’m not old enough to pretend that I was a fan of theirs when the album was first released, but that’s why these vintage and rare photos are so cool. They show what the Beastie Boys were up to when they first blew up: getting drunk and acting a fool. We know them now as the more adult, responsible rappers with a fun/responsible message but don’t be surprised when you see what they used to get up to. In light of the unfortunate death of Adam Yauch aka MCA, I thought we should take a look back into some of the original kings of Brooklyn and (New York City as a whole).

The first photos you’re going to absolutely love come to you via photographer Sunny Bak. Sunny was the man responsible for taking photos of their Licensed to Ill album artwork. Check out the 3 MCs back in their heyday below. [Lead image via Sunny Bak]