COMPLETED: Ask Beastie Boys Adam Yauch anything...

I'm a fan of your earlier punk stuff, what prompted the switch to hip-hop, and do you think you'll ever return to your punk roots?

wassss up ? i hear your a relative of mine. My grand father is bob yauch of davison,michigan. get a hold of me @atozhomerepair@comcast.net

Can I post a question for Steve-Onpoint? Dude is seriously rad.

Steve, is Adrock the only Beastie Boy who has your shirt? How can I get one? Keep rapping, dude! (Somebody has to do it in 2008.)

Btw, I tried to film myself asking this question but I don't know how to operate a video camera.

This one has been swimming in my brain for MANY years:

It seemed in the days immediately following the 1999 Woodstock riot and rapes, every band and musician made it a point to comment on corporate aspect of the atrocities (water bottles?$?) rather than the human side of the problems leading to the events that took place. Soon after, I sat as a young girl plastered to my T.V. set watching the 1999 MTV-VMA's. Finally, it seemed, the three of you made your way to the podium to accept an award, and I sat captivated as Ad Rock began to say what I desperately wanted to hear from one of my idols. Then, in the corner of my eye, I watched as the presenter-a clearly irritated Diana Ross- made her way back to the podium and attempted to cut him off. This WOMAN--this ICON for generations of female musicians everywhere--didn't seem to care what he had to say to the millions of young girls like myself watching that night. Nine years have passed, and this question still lingers: Have you, as a rock musician/ hip-hop artist, found it difficult to venture into new territories like politics and film and be taken seriously by others in the business? If so, what advice do you have for the underdogs that hope to evolve in a similar direction?

--Jillian Holguin, 24, El Paso,Texas

What up Yauch!

Is the next Beastie Boys album going to have any political drive?

What is your take on the NBA finals? Being from MN I’m hoping to see Garnett win his ring.

Aaron, 30 St. Paul

-Are you going to release a concert video from the "Gala Event" concerts?

-This is more of a request: I assume you have footage from most of your shows. Have you ever considered putting together a concert video which has footage from over the years all on one DVD. I saw you guys at MSG in 95 and would love to catch a glimpse of that show again! I would just like to point out that every show I have been to has been stellar!

HELLO YAUCH!

What are some of the main changes you want to see if Barack Obama becomes president?

Hey Yauch. Great work on the last tour, and the last 20 odd years.

Creativity is your thing; do you ever worry about running out of ideas?

Do you think the internet has made the band/fan relationship a little too intimate at times? Has it made everybody (yourself included) just a little more jaded?

Are you going to watch the Olympics this year?

It would seem 'The Beastie Boys' in a live setting are sometimes caricatures of how you really are, or loose homages to how you were back in the day. Was the Gala Event tour a way for you to be more true to yourselves personally while mining the bands catalogue? Comparing playing 'Futtermans Rule' to say 'Brass Monkey'?

What's changed about the way you guys make music or conceptualize since you stopped working with Mario? Do you enjoy the musical process being just you 3, or do you sometimes miss that wider collaborative relationship?

Is there such a thing as too many questions?

Re your working with the Bad Brains; would you guys be entirely comfortable with another musician overseeing one of your projects?

Any plans to enter politics post-music and film? Do you think there's room in that game for genuine people, or would it involve too much compromise?

I get a feeling you watched a lot of skate flicks back in the day, but aside from that are you inspired by any film-makers (Hornblower aside)?

Have you guys ever rapped over Rihanna's 'Umbrella' instrumental, because I know I have and shit's bangin?

Thanks.

Hey Yauch,

First of all, congratulations on the new film distribution company. I am eager to see what films Oscilloscope releases in the future, and I can't wait to see Gunnin'.

I've got a few questions for you:

The artwork used on the Gunnin' poster really captures the gritty essence of streetball...who designed it?

I know you're big into the Bad Brains, and I'm really diggin' Build A Nation...What was it like working so closely with a band that has had such a huge influence on you?

A Day In The Life Of Nathanial Hornblower is one of the most entertaining short films I have ever seen, and I think David Cross did a fantastic job. What made you choose him to portray Mr. Hornblower?

It's about time the Knicks fired Isiah...do you think that it will affect their upcoming season(s), or do you think that their problems run deeper than his coaching?

Thanks a lot, and hope all is well with you, your family & the boys.

Shelby/15/Ontario, Canada
P.S. Thanks for putting me in AWESOME, that was a huge honor.

Hi, Yauch! I got these questions for ya.

-Do you still wear those pink bunny slippers from the "Body Movin'" video sometimes? :D

-Why don't you perform songs like "I Don't Know" live? Will you, pleeeease?

-What gets your creative juices flowing? Who/what inspires you?

-Are there any songs from your previous albums that you'd still be interested in making into a video?

-Have you heard from anybody else about "The Mix-Up" vocal album? Why don't you lay some vocals down yourself? (I think you sing beautifully!)

-How was it shooting "The Mix-Up" videos?

-Can you give us a lil sample of a rhyme from the new album y'all are working on? Anything? :)

-Is there another Beastie Boys Radio show coming up?

-What's your favorite thing to cook?

Love ya! *blows kisses*
Dana / 17 / Augusta, GA

I have several questions for Adam Yauch:

1. When discussing GUNNIN' FOR THAT #1 SPOT, you've credited another person for coming up with the idea for the film. In every interview, you've generically credited the person as "a friend" and not mentioned a name, which has me wondering if it's someone well-known. Who is this friend?

2. How many camera operators were involved with GUNNIN'? Did you shoot any of the footage yourself?

3. You reviewed and edited massive amounts of film for AWESOME; I FUCKIN' SHOT THAT! Was editing GUNNIN' easier or just as difficult as editing AWESOME? Describe the challenges of editing GUNNIN'.

4. When you're working on a film or video project, is it a "holiday" from your musical job or a second hard job?

5. Is working on film projects more exciting than working on music because you have not yet had the major success in film that you have had in music? Do you hope to achieve the level of success in film as you have with music, or are you really just having fun and not thinking about success? Is there a thrill or satisfaction in film-making that's missing in music-making?

6. While promoting GUNNIN', you've minimized your usual silliness when talking to the press. Is it important to you to being taken seriously as a film maker?

7. Beastie Boys fans were surprised to learn that a new Beastie Boys song ("Bass Line Is Nice") can be heard in GUNNIN'. Why didn't you announce the song to the fans? Were you concerned about the Beastie Boys' music in the film getting more attention than the film's story? Is the only way to hear the song is to see the film?

8. Can you balance two careers successfully? Are you concerned about short-changing the fans and the projects because you're dividing your time and attention?

9. As you get older, do you feel a pressure to create both music and film projects more quickly than you have in the past?

10. Will there ever be another Nathanial Hörnblowér film? Has he retired?

11. Hörnblowér took offense to the New York Times review of the CHECK IT OUT video. Are you as sensitive to reviews as Hörnblowér? Do you remember all the reviews? What has been the oddest or funniest thing written about GUNNIN' so far?

12. What is the status of the Detroit/Chicago Gala Event dvd? Will it include the videos from THE MIX-UP? Will the videos compiled together form a story? How long will fans have to wait for the dvd? Do you recognize that there is a danger in making fans wait too long?

13. Stereo Man Magazine reported that Oscilloscope Laboratories has a new screening room with a sound system that has "enough bass to shatter your one frozen testicle." Is the report true? Describe the screening room and how you're using it. What else is going on at Oscilloscope Laboratories?

Thanks,

Bill Swensen, 42, USA