but I was drawn in by the personalities, and so in 2012, I mourned Adam Yauch the way most people mourned Michael Jackson. But really, all of them did a fantastic job and a lot of times they were laughing right along with the stories or Mike D would cut in on Ad-Rock's story and vice versa. There were multiple narrators including John C Reilly, Rosie Perez, and Spike Jonze to name just a few. Now – with a style as distinctive and eclectic as their music - the Beastie Boys Book upends the typical music memoir. So many voices and stories tell the rich and moving tale of the journey of the NYC punks from rappers to musical mischief makers.

star listen and I would recommend this to anyone who's a fan of the Beasties (obvs) but anyone who's a fan of music as this is an insightful account of the genesis of hip hop and rap music.

I LOVED making mix tapes for my friends and it was such a treat to read about someone else's experience with the importance of it as well: choosing just the right songs, finding just the right cover to put inside the cassette, either cutting something out of a magazine, or drawing something myself. My initial thought was that it was artificially high because most of the first readers were fans - and maybe a little biased. I gotta tell you, though, I legit lost my shit when I heard Wanda Sykes' voice come through my speakers. I happen to be a fan and grew up watching their escapades on MTV, attending the Tibetan Freedom Concert and lamenting the loss of bandmate Adam Yauch.

This book may not be for everyone, as it's not the most organized autobiography you'll get your hands on, but the Beastie Boys were always trying to break the mold with their music, so it only makes sense they closed this chapter of their lives in the same way. As an avid music lover I really liked the details of the club scenes and of interactions with several bands at the time at the time may have been obscure, but were destined to become mainstream in the years to come.

Sadly Adam Yauch is not here to tell his own stories, and the book often touches on the grief of his absence, as well as his particular presence in the band.

Horovitz comes on like a borscht belt comedian, but beneath that he is urgent, incredulous, kind of vulnerable.This is an absolute gem and insight into their lives and how they became the biggest hip hop group in the world.