1989 - Beastie Boys’ ‘Paul’s Boutique’ Remembered
It’s no coincidence that the two albums that appear in positions 1 and 2 in Ego Trip’s Top 25 albums of 1989 (De La Soul’s ‘3 Feet High And Rising’ and Beastie Boys’ ‘Paul’s Boutique’) are renowned for their unique take on the use of samples - both in terms of quantity and variety. It’s perhaps for that reason that both albums have been so heavily celebrated over the years. Unlike De La Soul’s much celebrated debut however ‘Paul’s Boutique’ was very much the Beastie Boys’ ‘difficult second album’. It’s a testament to the album’s unique feel that it subsequently rose above it’s comparatively poor sales figures and lack of mainstream media attention at the time of release to take it’s place in hip hop history as one of the genre’s unsung classics.Following the untimely passing of Beastie Boys’ MCA last year after a lengthy battle with cancer, tributes were understandably numerous and varied but many focused on Paul’s Boutique and its famously quirky sample material. Our ‘Boutique Beats’ mix blends a selection of Beastie Boys favourites, acapellas and more with original sample material, largely (but not exclusively) from the Paul’s Boutique LP.
Listen to the mix on Mixcloud here or grab yourself a download here.