Beastie Boys on the "Ricky's Theme" video shoot. Photo by Spike Jonze.

In the special 100th issue of Juxtapoz magazine, filmmaker and Beastie Boys friend Spike Jonze is interviewed about the people who have influenced and shaped his aesthetic. Speaking of the Beastie Boys, Jonze credits them for influencing how he operates Girl, his skateboard company:

When Girl started I was doing a lot of stuff with the Beastie Boys. We'd begun to make videos and we started Grand Royal magazine, and Mike Diamond was definitely an influence. His whole thing is to do it yourself, own it yourself, control it, don't listen to anybody from anywhere else other than what you want to do. After their first record, they never let anybody get involved in anything they did. No one from outside the three of them had any control whatsoever on the music, art, video, or tour, and when the records came out, they did it all themselves. They bought their own studio and took as long as it would take to make the records and put them out when they were ready. I think that was a big influence for Girl.

Also in the special issue are interviews with photographer Glen E. Friedman and artist Raymond Pettibon (interviewed by Mike Watt), whom Money Mark is currently working with on a musical project.

Figuring out a Beastie Boys lyric requires knowing a thing or two about the band. There are rules. The first rule is they never rap outside their field of knowledge or area of interest (e.g., arcade and video games, television shows, movies, animals, food). The second rule is they follow the traditional rules of hip-hop music-making (e.g., acknowledge the old school, boast about themselves, voice their beefs). The third rule is no rhyme is too ridiculous or stupid for them to use. So, with those rules in mind, the Beastiemania.com team have been deciphering the lyrics to the two new songs, "B Boys in the Cut" and "Lee Majors Come Around." We're still debating "Lee Majors Come Around" (in particular, Yauch's first verse and Mike's third verse), but we feel fairly confident about our transcription of "B Boys in the Cut." View the lyrics HERE. If you have any corrections or suggested changes to the lyrics, email them to staff @ beastiemania.com or post them in the comments.

A number of fans who ordered the >Check Your Head collector's vinyl set have discovered a surprise bonus 7-inch record containing two NEW, unreleased songs in the set. The bonus album has not been found in every copy of the collector's set.

The first track, titled "Lee Majors Come Again," is rap over hardcore instrumentation. Listen HERE.

The second track, titled "B Boys in the Cut," is an a cappella. Beastie heads will recognize the end of the track as the "My New Name Is Larry" routine that the Beastie Boys have been throwing into their live show for the last few years. Listen HERE.