Mike D

Mike D is a rapper, drummer, vocalist, and producer best known for his role as a founding member of the Beastie Boys. During the entirety of the Beastie Boys’ more than 30-year-long run, Mike D was an integral part of their shifts from punk to snotty old-school hip-hop to loungy, jazz-inspired instrumentalism and more. His live drumming ushered in a seismic shift from sample-based rap songs to more organic musicality on 1992’s Check Your Head, and the interplay between his rhyme style and the other two Beasties was one of the main elements of their worldwide appeal. The Beastie Boys ended with the 2012 death of member Adam “MCA” Yauch, and since then Mike D has worked mainly as a producer, though he occasionally performs live with his sons’ band Very Nice Person. Outside of music, his creative pursuits have included home design, podcasting, online content creation, and co-authoring the 2018 bestselling book Beastie Boys Book.