BEASTIE BOYS - Ricky's Theme

What this video is

Released in 1994 alongside Ill Communication — the Beastie Boys' fourth studio album and their second number-one on the Billboard 200 — Ricky's Theme represents the group's furthest excursion into ambient instrumental territory during their commercial peak. The album drew from hip-hop, punk rock, jazz, and funk, reflecting the band's maturation and their immersion in Miles Davis-influenced jazz-rock. The video,…

Why it matters

Ricky's Theme occupies a rare niche as a hip-hop instrumental music video produced at major-label scale during a moment when the genre was commercially dominant. Its black-and-white visual treatment and ambient-jazz musical character place it at the intersection of acid jazz, lo-fi hip-hop, and…

The director

Born Adam Spiegel on October 22, 1969, in Rockville, Maryland. Began career photographing BMX and skateboarding for Freestylin' Magazine and Transworld Skateboarding. Co-founded Girl Skateboards (1993) and youth culture magazine Dirt. Rose to prominence as a…