Mike D is good to go solo. The Beastie Boys co-founder does just that on Thank You (via Capitol Records), his long-awaited debut solo LP which arrived last month — almost 40 years after his legendary hip-hop trio dropped their groundbreaking first album, Licensed to Ill.
On Tuesday night (Sept. 8), the New York native stopped by NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon for a chat about how his Mike D 5D album came to light, and for a brisk stroll down memory lane.
In the last few years, Mike (real name: Michael Diamond) caught the music bug once again by watching his sons in the studio, Skyler and Davis. “Watching them work, I was like ‘what am I doing here,’” he tells Fallon. “I really wanted to start making music and gradually we just got some amazing stuff…much like I did with Adam (“Ad-Rock” Horovitz) and Adam (“MCA” Yauch) we’d just pick up vintage synthesizers, weird old equipment that I don’t know how to use. And I start using it. I know it sounds like a very bad idea.”
There’s no school like the old school.
Mike also recounted how he and his Beastie Boys bandmates met the late Dolly Parton at her birthday party some time ago in Los Angeles, and name-checked the impressive collection of music legends who came to wish her a happy one. Burt Bacharach was on the piano, Dionne Warwick was there, too. Bob Dylan was just hanging out, apparently happy to chat with the rapper, despite Mike’s unfortunate choice to wear a garish green outfit.
As guests left, Dolly was at the door saying goodbye to each and everyone one. “She wasn’t like get the F out,” he quips. “She was like, so nice to meet you. Thank-you for coming. The consummate professional. Very classy.”
Mike paid tribute to Dolly, who passed Aug. 25, at the age of 80. “The one and only, RIP, one of the greatest songwriters of all time, without a doubt,” he tells the host. “Beautiful person, beautiful humanitarian.” Watch below.
Mike D 5D stuck around the NBC studios to perform a medley of songs from Thank You – “Make It Stop” and “That’s Right.”
It’s his first major release since the Beasties put out their final group album, Hot Sauce Committee Part Two, in 2011. The following year, his bandmate Adam “MCA” Yauch died at the age of 47, following a years-long battle with cancer. The new 13-track effort features the singles “Make It Stop,” “Switch Up,” “What We Got,” “True Colors,” and “Crypto.”
Watch Mike D 5D’s late-night performance below.
