New York, prank calls, and ice cream: How Beastie Boys switched their hardcore punk beginnings for hip-hop stardom

The Beastie Boys began in New York’s hardcore punk scene in 1981, sharing stages with bands such as Bad Brains and Reagan Youth. Their shift towards hip-hop began with the 1983 single ‘Cooky Puss’, whose unexpected success in New York dance and hip-hop circles helped set them on a path to mainstream stardom.

The track grew out of a recording session at a friend of Adam Yauch’s parents’ studio and combined rudimentary rapping with a prank call. Its name referred to Carvel’s alien-shaped ice cream cake, introduced in 1972. The Beastie Boys later released their debut album, *Licensed to Ill*, in 1986; the article suggests that without ‘Cooky Puss’, they might have remained a local punk band.