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Adam Keefe Horovitz (born October 31, 1966), popularly known as Ad-Rock, is an American rapper, guitarist and actor. He was a member of the
hip-hop group
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys were an American rap rock group from New York City, formed in 1978. The group was composed of Mike D, Michael "Mike D" Diamond (vocals, drums), Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (voca ...
. While Beastie Boys were active, Horovitz performed with a side project,
BS 2000
BS 2000 (also known as Beat Science 2000) was an American rock music, rock and hip hop music, hip hop group formed by Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (member of Beastie Boys) and Amery Smith, Amery "AWOL" Smith (drummer for Suicidal Tendencies a ...
. After the group disbanded in 2012 following the death of member
Adam Yauch
Adam Nathaniel Yauch ( ; August 5, 1964 – May 4, 2012), better known under the stage name MCA, was an American rapper, bass player, filmmaker and a founding member of the hip hop group Beastie Boys. Besides his musical work, he also directed ...
, Horovitz has participated in a number of Beastie Boys-related projects, worked as a
remix
A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...
er, producer, and guest musician for other artists, and has acted in a number of films.
Early life and education
Horovitz was born and raised on
Park Avenue
Park Avenue is a wide New York City boulevard which carries north and southbound traffic in the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx. For most of the road's length in Manhattan, it runs parallel to Madison Avenue to the west and Lexington Avenu ...
,
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
, New York, the son of Doris (''née'' Keefe) and playwright
Israel Horovitz
Israel Horovitz (March 31, 1939 – November 9, 2020) was an American playwright, director, actor and co-founder of the Gloucester Stage Company in 1979. He served as artistic director until 2006 and later served on the board, ex officio an ...
. His sister is film producer
Rachael Horovitz
Rachael Horovitz (born 1962) is an American film producer. She is known for producing the film '' Moneyball'', and the TV series ''Patrick Melrose''.
Early life
Horovitz is the daughter of playwright Israel Horovitz and the late painter Doris (n ...
. His father was
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
, whereas his mother, who was of Irish descent, was
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
. He had a secular upbringing.
Career
![Adrock](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/Adrock.png)
Horovitz began his music career with a stint in the
punk rock band
The Young and the Useless
The Young and the Useless were an American punk band, formed in the early 1980s that consisted of Adam Trese, Arthur Africano, David Scilken and future Beastie Boys member Adam Horovitz. They were managed by former Beastie Boys manager Nick ...
, who often performed with Beastie Boys. In 1982, Beastie Boys guitarist John Berry quit and Horovitz replaced him. He was only 16 at the time. After Horovitz joined the band, Beastie Boys changed their sound, evolving from a
hardcore punk
Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier punk ...
band to a more hip-hop oriented group. The band was signed to
Def Jam
Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop.
The ...
, and released their debut album ''
Licensed to Ill
''Licensed to Ill'' is the debut studio album by American rap rock group Beastie Boys. It was released on November 15, 1986, by Def Jam and Columbia Records, and became the first rap LP to top the '' Billboard'' album chart. It is one of Columbi ...
'' in 1986. The album was a huge commercial success, and spawned six hit singles. Seven albums followed, and by 2010 Beastie Boys had sold 22 million records in the United States alone, and 40 million worldwide. In 2012, Beastie Boys were inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...
.
In addition to his work with Beastie Boys, Horovitz also remixes numerous tracks for other artists under the alias 41 Small Stars. He plays bass in The Tender Moments, the backing band of New York-based
cabaret
Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or d ...
performer
Bridget Everett
Bridget Everett (born April 21, 1972) is an American comedian, actress, singer, writer, and cabaret performer. She has starred in the semi-autobiographical 2022 HBO series '' Somebody Somewhere'', the movie ''Fun Mom Dinner'', and in a one-hour ...
.
Horovitz has acted in several motion pictures and television shows. Some of his roles include Tim 'Chino' Doolan in ''
Lost Angels
''Lost Angels'' (also known as ''The Road Home'') is a 1989 independent film directed by Hugh Hudson and written by Michael Weller. It stars Donald Sutherland and Adam Horovitz. It was filmed in and around San Antonio, Texas. The film was enter ...
'' (1989), Sam in ''
Roadside Prophets
''Roadside Prophets'' is a 1992 American comedy film written and directed by Abbe Wool, featuring musicians John Doe of the L.A. punk band X, and Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys with cameo appearances by, amongst others, Timothy Leary, Arlo ...
'' (1992), Repulski in ''Godspeed'' (2007), Fletcher in ''
While We're Young'' (2014), and Nick in ''
Golden Exits
''Golden Exits'' is a 2017 drama film written, co-produced and directed by Alex Ross Perry. Starring Emily Browning, Adam Horovitz, Mary Louise Parker, Jason Schwartzman, Chloë Sevigny and Analeigh Tipton, it explores relationships and social c ...
'' (2017).
In 2020, he was featured in the documentary ''Have a Good Trip''.
Personal life
In the late 1980s, Horovitz was in a relationship with American actress
Molly Ringwald
Molly Kathleen Ringwald (born February 18, 1968) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and author. She was cast in her first major role as Molly in the NBC sitcom '' The Facts of Life'' (1979–80) after a casting director saw her playing an or ...
. They met on the set of ''
The Pick-up Artist''.
Horovitz was married to actress
Ione Skye from 1992 to 1995. They separated in 1995 and divorced in 1999.
Since 1996, he has been involved with
riot grrrl
Riot grrrl is an underground feminist punk movement that began during the early 1990s within the United States in Olympia, Washington and the greater Pacific Northwest and has expanded to at least 26 other countries. Riot grrrl is a subcultur ...
artist
Kathleen Hanna
Kathleen Hanna (born November 12, 1968) is an American singer, musician, artist, feminist activist, pioneer of the feminist punk riot grrrl movement, and punk zine writer. In the early-to-mid-1990s she was the lead singer of feminist punk band B ...
; they married in 2006.
Horovitz is featured prominently in ''
The Punk Singer
''The Punk Singer'' is a 2013 documentary film about feminist singer Kathleen Hanna who fronted the bands Bikini Kill and Le Tigre, and who was a central figure in the riot grrrl movement. Directed by filmmaker Sini Anderson and produced by An ...
'', a 2013 documentary film about Hanna's life and career, even shooting some scenes.
Horovitz began to wear a
medical alert bracelet
A medical identification tag is a small emblem or tag worn on a bracelet, neck chain, or on the clothing bearing a message that the wearer has an important medical condition that might require immediate attention. For emergency medical providers ...
following the
tonic–clonic seizure he experienced in 2003.
Discography
;with Beastie Boys
* ''
Licensed to Ill
''Licensed to Ill'' is the debut studio album by American rap rock group Beastie Boys. It was released on November 15, 1986, by Def Jam and Columbia Records, and became the first rap LP to top the '' Billboard'' album chart. It is one of Columbi ...
'' (1986)
* ''
Paul's Boutique
''Paul's Boutique'' is the second studio album by American hip hop group Beastie Boys, released on July 25, 1989, by Capitol Records. Produced by the Dust Brothers, the album is composed almost entirely from samples, and was recorded over two y ...
'' (1989)
* ''
Check Your Head
''Check Your Head'' is the third studio album by American rap rock group Beastie Boys, released by Grand Royal and Capitol Records on April 21, 1992. Three years elapsed between the releases of the band's second studio album ''Paul's Boutique'' ...
'' (1992)
* ''
Ill Communication
''Ill Communication'' is the fourth studio album by American hip-hop group Beastie Boys, released by Grand Royal Records on May 31, 1994. Co-produced by Beastie Boys and Mario Caldato, Jr., it is among the band's most varied releases, drawing from ...
'' (1994)
* ''
Hello Nasty
''Hello Nasty'' is the fifth studio album by American rap rock group Beastie Boys, released by Capitol Records and Grand Royal Records on July 14, 1998. It sold 681,000 copies in its first week, debuting at number 1 on the ''Billboard'' 200 albu ...
'' (1998)
* ''
To the 5 Boroughs
''To the 5 Boroughs'' is the sixth studio album by the American hip-hop group, Beastie Boys. The album was released on June 14, 2004 internationally, and a day later in the United States. The album debuted #1 on the ''Billboard'' 200, becoming ...
'' (2004)
* ''
The Mix-Up
''The Mix-Up'' is the seventh studio album by Beastie Boys, released on June 26, 2007. The album consists entirely of instrumental performances and won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album.
Background
On May 1, 2007, an e-mail sent to ...
'' (2007)
* ''
Hot Sauce Committee Part Two
''Hot Sauce Committee Part Two'' is the eighth and final studio album by American Hip hop music, hip hop band Beastie Boys, released on May 3, 2011, through Capitol Records. The project was originally planned to be released in two parts, with ''H ...
'' (2011)
;with
BS 2000
BS 2000 (also known as Beat Science 2000) was an American rock music, rock and hip hop music, hip hop group formed by Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (member of Beastie Boys) and Amery Smith, Amery "AWOL" Smith (drummer for Suicidal Tendencies a ...
* ''BS 2000'' (1997)
* ''
Simply Mortified
''Simply Mortified'' is the second album by BS 2000, released on February 6, 2001.
Track listing
All songs written and composed by BS 2000, except where noted.
# "N.Y. Is Good" – 2:28
# "Sick For A Reason" – 1:44
# "It Feels Like" – 2:18
...
'' (2000)
Filmography
* ''
Krush Groove
''Krush Groove'' is a 1985 American musical comedy-drama film distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures that was written by Ralph Farquhar and directed by Michael Schultz (who also produced the movie, along with George Jackson and Doug McHenry). This ...
'' (1985) as himself
* ''
Tougher Than Leather
''Tougher Than Leather'' is the fourth studio album by American hip hop group Run-D.M.C., released on May 17, 1988, by Profile Records. The album was produced by the group members themselves, Davy D. and Rick Rubin.
While the new record did ...
'' (1988) as himself
* ''
Lost Angels
''Lost Angels'' (also known as ''The Road Home'') is a 1989 independent film directed by Hugh Hudson and written by Michael Weller. It stars Donald Sutherland and Adam Horovitz. It was filmed in and around San Antonio, Texas. The film was enter ...
'' (1989) as Tim 'Chino' Doolan
* ''
A Kiss Before Dying'' (1991) as Jay Faraday
* ''
Roadside Prophets
''Roadside Prophets'' is a 1992 American comedy film written and directed by Abbe Wool, featuring musicians John Doe of the L.A. punk band X, and Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys with cameo appearances by, amongst others, Timothy Leary, Arlo ...
'' (1992) as Sam
* ''
Godspeed'' (2007) as Repulski
* ''
While We're Young'' (2014) as Fletcher
* ''
808 808 may refer to:
Music
* Roland-808, Roland TR-808, a drum machine
* 808 (film), ''808'' (film), a documentary about the Roland TR-808
* 808 State, British electronic group
* ''808s & Heartbreak'', the fourth studio album by American Hip hop artis ...
'' (2015) as himself
* ''
Golden Exits
''Golden Exits'' is a 2017 drama film written, co-produced and directed by Alex Ross Perry. Starring Emily Browning, Adam Horovitz, Mary Louise Parker, Jason Schwartzman, Chloë Sevigny and Analeigh Tipton, it explores relationships and social c ...
'' (2017) as Nick
* ''
Bad Reputation'' (2018) as himself
* ''
Beastie Boys Story
''Beastie Boys Story'' is a 2020 American live documentary film, directed, produced, and written by Spike Jonze, alongside Michael Diamond and Adam Horovitz. It was filmed at Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, New York and adapted from ''Beastie Boys ...
'' (2020) as himself
References
External links
*
*
*
{{Authority control
1966 births
Living people
Male actors from New York City
Rappers from Manhattan
American people of Irish descent
Alternative hip hop musicians
American male film actors
American male rappers
Jewish American musicians
Jewish rappers
Jews in punk rock
American rock guitarists
American male guitarists
Beastie Boys members
Grammy Award winners
People with epilepsy
Rap rock musicians
21st-century American male actors
20th-century American musicians
20th-century American male actors
Guitarists from New York City
20th-century American guitarists
21st-century American rappers
21st-century American guitarists