Spike Jonze’s long collaboration and friendship with the Beastie Boys will be the focus of an upcoming photo book, the first from the Oscar-nominated director and music video visionary.
Beastie Boys, out March 17th, 2020 via Rizzoli, collects over 200 of Jonze’s personal photographs of the trailblazing trio. Surviving Beastie Boys Mike Diamond and Adam Horovitz both contribute new text to the photo book, with Jonze penning the afterword.
“When they met for the first time in Los Angeles in 1993, the Beastie Boys and Spike Jonze were rising stars of their respective fields – the golden ages of both east coast hip hop and MTV. Immediately a connection formed between the three MCs and the young filmmaker, which has lasted throughout their careers,” Rizzoli said of Beastie Boys, available to preorder now.
“this book shows the greatest act of the hip hop generation in their truest colors as only a close friend could see them–from going on stage at Lollapalooza to writing together at Mike D’s apartment; getting into character for a video to dressing up as old men to hit the basketball court; recording an album in the studio in Los Angeles to goofing around the streets of New York.”
Jonze directed and co-wrote the trio’s iconic “Sabotage” video and was behind the camera for their visuals for “Sure Shot,” “Root Down,” “Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win” and “Time for Livin’.” Earlier this year, Mike D and Ad-Rock reconnected with Jonze for the live show Beastie Boys Story, an offshoot of the group’s own massive history book Beastie Boys Book; Jonze also contributed photos to that 600-page book.