Mike D


Michael Louis Diamond, better known as Mike D, is an American rapper and founding member of the hip hop group the Beastie Boys. Diamond raps, sings, and plays drums. He has provided remixes for Moby and Björk.

Early life

A product of the arts-oriented Saint Ann's School and Walden School, Diamond was born in New York City to a Jewish household. His father Harold Diamond, was an art dealer, and his mother Hester Diamond was an interior designer.

Career

In 1979, Diamond co-founded the band The Young Aborigines. In 1981, Adam Yauch, aka MCA, a friend and follower of the band, became their bass player, and on the suggestion of their then-guitar player, John Berry, the band changed their name to the Beastie Boys. By 1983, Adam Horovitz joined, and their sound began to shift away from punk to hip hop.
In 1992, Diamond founded the Beastie Boys' now-defunct record label Grand Royal Records. He is also interested in interior decoration, and designed Brooklyn-themed toile wallpaper; it was used in the renovation of the Marquee nightclub in Chelsea, which reopened in January 2013.
A year after the death of Yauch in 2012, Diamond told Rolling Stone he was "excited about making new stuff again" and released "Humberto Vs the New Reactionaries " in July 2013. A remix of Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band's "Bad Dancer" by Diamond and Adam Horovitz was streamed online in August 2013. The pair is credited with "additional beats, programming and other curve balls". In October 2014, Diamond stated that he had been working in the studio with American rock band Portugal. The Man as a producer. He has also produced English punk outfit Slaves' second studio album, Take Control, which was released on September 30, 2016.
In 2017, Diamond did a remix of Jack Johnson's song "Big Sur".

Personal life

In 1993, Diamond married film, television and music video director Tamra Davis; they have two children, Davis Diamond and Skyler Diamond. They have since legally separated. They lived in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn.
He grew up on the Upper West Side and before he moved to Brooklyn, he lived with his family in Tribeca.

Discography

with Beastie Boys