Ellington

My top-five favorite recording artists of all time are: Stevie Wonder, Wu Tang Clan, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock and Talking Heads. This never changes, as these are the five artists on which all of my music tastes are based. It does get a little iffy, however, when I try to make a top-10 list.

I have a rotating list of at least 10 artists for the five spots. How can I make A Tribe Called Quest No. 6 without putting De La Soul in the top 10? What about legends such as The Temptations, Bob Marley, Fela Kuti and Sonic Youth, not to mention under-appreciated groups like Cymande? And why did I spend thousands of dollars following The String Cheese Incident around the country if they aren't even in my top 10?

Even when I do expand the list to 10, I invariably leave off one group every time that has been with me my entire career as a music lover: Beastie Boys. I can't for the life of me figure out why I do this, as they have proved to be one of the most consistently good, and groundbreaking, acts during my lifetime. Every album is great and different in its own ways, yet comforting, like an old friend. "Paul's Boutique" is sampling genius; "Check Your Head" is still mind-blowing; and "Hello Nasty" is weird, schizophrenic madness that is the perfect reflection of the world mind. The instrumental albums show that the guys can be funk juggernauts when they need to be.

I bring this up because the Beasties just dropped a new record, "Hot Sauce Committee, Part Two" that continues the legacy. At this stage in their career, MCA, Ad-Rock and Mike D have nothing to prove, and that creative freedom has allowed them to make their best record since "Ill Communication."

The guys are certainly getting older and are now, in some ways, elder statesmen of hip-hop. Did you think you would ever hear this said, based off the songs on "Licensed to Ill?" I know I didn't, but it has been amazing to watch it happen. They've been in the game since the early '80s and have transitioned from bratty party punks to mature, socially conscious hip-hoppers.

MCA uses the opening track, "Make Some Noise," to stake the group's claim in 2011: "I burn the competition like a flamethrower/My rhymes age like wine as I get older/I'm getting bolder, competition is waning/I got the feeling and assume the lane and." There is nothing revolutionary or groundbreaking about these lyrics, but that is kind of the point. In this day and age, with rappers overly exerting themselves to be the next big thing or force the next big sound, the honest sentiments expressed in the lyrics on "Hot Sauce Committee" break ground by not trying to break ground.

In the end, that is what has always made Beastie Boys so important, and kept them relevant through the years. I think of someone like Kanye West, who trips over himself trying to develop his sound, alter his voice and implement different genres into each record. Then I think about the Beastie Boys, and how their fuzzed-out vocals, classic hip-hop bravado, and perfect blend of live instrumentation and samples come together so effortlessly and how they have been doing it for more than 25 years. Maybe it's time to solidify that top 10.