The Beastie Boys made a huge splash nearly 36 years ago with their breakthrough album, Licensed to Ill. It was a moment in time that served as something of a dividing point in music history; they showed the world what could be done with drive, creativity, levity, and a skilled DJ.

At the time, they were wild, loud, rude, and obnoxious. Had I been told that one day I would think of the trio as an empathic and philosophically profound crew of men, I would have laughed.

But not now.

Recently I watched the Apple TV special, Beastie Boys Story, directed by the great Spike Jonze. It was so good, I watched it three times! I have taken notice of, truly, how deep their thinking has been, and how they have evolved as musicians and people.

There are at least three virtues that these men rock in life at least as hard as they rock their music: authenticity, flexibility, and interpersonal intelligence. And they serve as teachers, demonstrating how to step more fully into those virtues.

Listen in to this short solo to hear more!