Russell Simmons Speaks On Why The Beastie Boys Didn't Get Along, Rick Rubin Being A Genius & Lyor Cohen (Video)

In 1988, the Beastie Boys parted ways with Def Jam after releasing their debut album, Licensed to Ill, and Russell Simmons revealed to VladTV that the parting was due to the Beastie Boys not getting along. He explained that they were young at the time, and he added that Rick Rubin thought the rappers were being placated and not being made to work properly.


During the conversation Russell also revealed that "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)" wasn't the label's choice for the Beastie Boys' first single, as he explained that the radio took it and made it a huge hit.

To hear more about what Russell had to say on the situation, hit the video below.