MICHAEL DIAMOND

'Michael Diamond', also known as 'Mike D' (born November 201965), is a founding member of New York hip hop trio the Beastie Boys. Mike D raps, sings, and plays drums alongside fellow members Adrock, MCA and Mix Master Mike.

Contents

Biography

Collaborations

Trivia

Quotes

External links

References

Biography

Mike D was born in the New York City borough of Manhattan. He attended Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York for six months. It is rumored that he was expelled after throwing a beer keg from the ninth floor of a residence hall. In 1979, he co-founded the band The Young Aborigines. In 1981, Adam Yauch, aka MCA, a friend and follower of the band became their bass player, and from the suggestion of their then-guitar player, John Barry, the band changed their name to the Beastie Boys. By 1983, Adam Horovitz (Ad-Rock)joined to form the lasting Beastie Boys trio, and their sound began to shift away from punk to hip-hop. In 1992, Mike D founded the Beastie Boys new record label Grand Royal Records. Mike D is married to Tamra Davis. They have two sons, Davis and Skylar.

Collaborations

★ "The Knock (Drums Of Death Part 2)" - from UNKLE's album ''Psyence Fiction''

★ "Squat!" - from De La Soul's album ''

Trivia

★ Contrary to the persistent rumors, Mike D. is not the son of singer Neil Diamond, he is also not the elder brother of Dustin Diamond, better known to most as Screech from ''Saved By The Bell''. Nor does he bear any relation to Dominik Diamond, the Arbroathian former-presenter of ill-fated videogame TV show, GamesMaster.

★ Mike D wore a large, gold Volkswagen emblem/log on a chain around his neck during their ''Licensed to Ill'' era. Volkswagen references can be seen in the video for "Pass the Mic". In the 1980s, a rise in car symbol theft in Britain was attributed in part to Mike D.

★ Shortly after the release of Licensed to Ill, a rumor circulated that Mike D had died somehow. This led to his line "I'm Mike D, and I'm back from the dead" in Shake Your Rump.

★ Released a vinyl album, ''Country Mike's Greatest Hits'', to friends and family in the early 2000s, under the name "Country Mike."

★ Mike D has an obsession for roaches and toast.

★ Mike D is a playable character in the video game NBA Jam Tournament Edition on the Sega Genesis

Quotes

★ Regarding the cost to sample Bob Dylan's Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues for the Beastie Boys song Finger Lickin' Good:

"Seven hundred bucks, but he asked for two thousand dollars. I thought it was kind of fly that he asked for $2000.00, and I bartered Bob Dylan down. That's my proudest sampling deal."^[1]

★ Regarding his failed attempt to get clearance from AC/DC member Malcolm Young to sample Back in Black on the Beastie Boys song Rock Hard:

"He goes, 'I'd love to do it for you guys, but it's 'Back In Black' - one of the top three songs we've ever written!' Whatever. AC/DC could not get with the sample concept. They were just like, 'Nothing against you guys, but we just don't endorse sampling.'" ^[2]

External links

★ Mike D. at NNDB

★ Beastie Boys Website

References

1. BeastieMania.com - Song Spotlight: Finger Lickin' Good This site has cited ''Boston Rock'', June 1992, Issue 123 as the original source.
2.