Russell Simmons addresses Beastie Boys‘ departure from Def Jam Records.
According to Russell Simmons, had the Beastie Boys not left Def Jam, and released their second album through the label, they could have been greater than Eminem. The Def Jam co-founder was asked about the Hip Hop trio’s departure from the label, during an interview with Vlad TV.
Simmons revealed that the Beastie Boys left Def Jam because of differences they had with both Lyor Cohen and Rick Rubin. He also touched on the potential the group had had they toughed it out with the label.
“They left because they couldn’t get along,” Russell Simmons said. “They were young. They couldn’t get along with Lyor and Rick. Lyor wanted to manage ’em and make them a big movie at a big movie studio. Rick wanted to produce and direct their movie…Rick thought that the Beasties were kinda being placated to. And they weren’t being made to work properly…Rick being the genius he was, I’m sure their next album would have been greater. I’m sure that had Rick stayed with the Beastie Boys they would have been Eminem or greater.”
During his interview, Simmons also shed some light on the Beastie Boys’ classic record, “Fight For Your Right To Party.” He says the song wasn’t meant to be the group’s first single, and served as a “bad intro” for the Beastie Boys.
“He [Rick Rubin] didn’t make ‘Fight For Your Right To Party,'” Simmons said. “That wasn’t his shit. They made that…We didn’t plan to make it the first single. Radio snatched it [and] made it huge. It was kind of a bad intro to their careers. It was kind of pop. They had to save themselves. They didn’t even do ‘Fight For Your Right To Party’ live after that…Really wasn’t what they were about.”
Video of Russell Simmons comparing the Beastie Boys to Eminem, can be found below.
Sorry Russ ain’t nobody on the planet will ever be as big as EM or better !! That Pilates shit got u all messed up …
Beastie Boys had multiple classics : check your head, pauls boutique, ill communication. love eminem but beasties to me are legendary.
The Beastie Boys are legendary and they did it their way,….. Russ crying bout spilled milk… apparently Def Jam wasn’t everything as we now know…These dudes went on to create their own lane WITHOUT Def Jam mind you… smh
This is funny as hell nobody f***** with Marshall the GOAT
Hey don’t you know how 2b lion in zion?
Beasties are greater than eminem and Paul’s boutique is one of the greatest rap joints ever.
But they are bigger than Eminem and Eminem is a Rap god. They all are Rap god’s
fuck this washed up has been
We are all so happy to have you on our website. Your comments are the best for someone who only finished one year of school. You suck.
We are all so happy to have you on our website. Your comments are the best for someone who only finished one year of school. You suck.
GOT FAT BASE LINES LIKE RUSSEL SIMMONS STEALS $$$$$$$$$
Sigh, it’s ‘bass’ – not ‘base’.
Sigh, it’s ‘bass’ – not ‘base’.
sight when my balls are on ur chin and my killsnock is in your mouf …
Ur mouf sights, cool. God damn, don’t make it any worse than what it already is.
GTFOH Russel. The Beastie Boys influenced the world with complete control of their brand.
The fact of the matter is both Em and the Beastie Boys made it by showing nothing but
complete integrity and selling out to nobody. Em would have left Def Jam too at that point.
#RIPMCA
True talk. The two are really incomparable, and yes, the Beastie’s stayed true to their music from front to finish. They’re legends who had a world-wide fanbase – what more can you ask…
Russell Simmons was at my trap house last night!!! fuck up some commas!!!
So you say that y’all could’ve made Beastie Boys even bigger but admit to bungling their debut single in the same interview? #cmonson
dam eminem seems to have fans older than 12
Russell never understood what the Beastie Boys were really about. Never speaks on the punk roots.
I doubt they would’ve had the creative control to make their classic album, Paul’s boutique, had they stayed on def jam.
Beastie boys are one of the worst groups in history. Yell, yell, yell
boutique is much better than liscensed
Pfft. I’ll assume he meant “sell more units”. The Beastie Boys transcended genre and made unique music that holds up far better than most of their contemporaries.
Could be? They are an thousand times better
and have more classic records!
Hahahahaahaha yea that’s why they are nobody’s today and eminems one of the biggest artist in the world…, fucking gronk
LOL.. could have been. Lol. I can’t stop laughing.
Bitter much? LOL!
And this right here must be a Trump supporter. Only an ignorant asshat would say a musician is better because of his ethnicity, or religious ties.
Russell’s impersonation of a WAMBULANCE.
Eminem wins lyracally
Da boys wins musically
Both are incomparable in their artistic works so russell get the fuck out of this world cause anyone would left def jam and still be big
Why even say that, smh
That’s mentality is WHY they left you soulless, corporate, faceless entity.