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Hand picked records important to the history of Soul Strut.

Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique

  • Beastie Boys

    Paul's Boutique LP (1989)

    Capitol Records

Ranked #52 in the Soul Strut 200

Aaah, the Sergeant Peppers of hip hop!  Much has been written about this album, so I will spare you a lot of the details... but... In 1988, the Beastie Boys were at a crossroads, ditching their home turf of NYC and the Rick Rubin/Def Jam camp for Hollywood (having inked a deal with Capitol Records).  They quickly linked up with local producers the Dust Brothers, who were known for their heavily layered funk beats used on Delicious Vinyl hits by acts like Tone Loc and Young MC. The Dust Brothers essentially had their own album in the can when the Beasties came along and hijacked the instrumentals for their sophomore album Paul's Boutique. At the time, the album did not live up to expectations.  It would later be rediscovered and deamed a bonified classic.  Its creative use of layered 70s funk / pop samples and clever tag-team deliveries heavy on the metaphors made this album a perennial favorite here on Soul Strut, appealing across the spectrum. It seemed that everyone on here had a Paul's Boutique moment. 


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