Beastie Boys [and friends]: "Hold It Now, Hit It," "Paul Revere," and "So What'cha Want"

In 2006, VH1 aired its third annual Hip Hop Honors, featuring an opening act from P Diddy, Fabolous and Q-Tip. They arrive in track suits, performing the Beastie Boys' "Hold It Now, Hit it" and "Paul Revere," to seemingly unanimous audience approval. After a short (but really freaking great) DJ set by Mix Master Mike, the Beastie Boys themselves -- Mike D, MCA, and Ad-Rock -- take the stage, performing "So What'cha Want."

The Beastie Boys are infectious. No matter how many times you listen, it still sounds like yelling, but they're just such good writers, rappers, performers that they're entrancing. Verses spill out, one after the other, not rushing but tumbling, in a specific and rehearsed order, until at the five-minute mark Ad-Rock stops so he can "clear his throat." The stage is theirs. When the beat comes back, the audience screams. It's a great moment, and it's the reason the live show will always be better than the studio recording.

Decades after their start in New York as a hardcore punk trio, the Beastie Boys have evolved, still recording music, still performing live, and still making an entire line of MC's -- from Ice Cube to Run himself -- bob their heads. That's staying power, and it's worth a Tuesday tip of the hat.