Originally formed the Beastie Boys as a hardcore punk group with Adam Yauch (AKA MCA)
Switched the Beasties' sound from punk to rap once Adam Horovitz (AKA Ad-Rock) joined the group
Appeared as himself, alongside a number of other rappers and singers, in the hip-hop movie Krush Groove (1985)
The Beasties' 1986 debut album, Licensed to Ill, sold several million copies and featured the smash single "Fight for Your Right
" In the early '90s, cofounded the Grand Royal record label, which released the Beasties' Check Your Head (1992), as well as albums by Luscious Jackson and Atari Teenage Riot
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (as a member of the Beastie Boys) in 2012