Beastie Boys Still Fighting For Their Right to Party

After over 20 years in the music industry, The Beastie Boys have not yet gained their right to party. The band started in 1981 but did not begin their campaign for the right to party until the 1986 release of their hit song, "Fight For Your Right" which was hailed as one of the songs on the first rap album to ever reach #1, Licensed to Ill.

Guitarist John Berry said in a recent interview with Music We Still Love magazine that, "...it's been a hard road. Some days we feel that we'll never win the right to party because people won't stand up for it. I'll feel strongly about this issue even when or if The Beasties ever breakup."

Some people, now in their early thirties who were in their early teens when "Fight For Your Right" was released say that they now feel that other issues have overshadowed the fight for the right to party. Patricia Bowers, age 32 says that she feels that, "the Beastie Boys' later work with the Tibetan freedom concerts seems like a much worthier cause. They also raised money for 9-11 victims and later booed the war in Iraq. But, all along, they've never lost sight of what they believe in, partying."

Others wonder if they should ditch the fight for the Party Amendment which would state that, "all people are born with the right to party". "When did people ever lose the right to party anyway?" says Carl Lord, a stockbroker in New York, "For crying out loud, go party if you want...".

The real question is whether our government will ever acknowledge that people have this right. It's a good thing that people haven't forgotten about this 19 year battle, especially in lieu of other humanitarian issues taking over, like the right to vote.