Continuing his conversation with Vanity Fair and following his thoughts on the Tupac and Biggie Smalls feud, Mike D of the Beastie Boys dives into the evolution of Hip-Hop from the 80’s into the 90’s including the influence of The Arsenio Hall Show, Grunge music, and marijuana culture.

He later delves into the creation of the music video for their single, “Sabotage,” inspired by the police drama Streets Of San Francisco and directed by their close friend, Spike Jonze.

Mike D also discusses how unprepared fans of The Beastie Boys were for their second studio album, Paul’s Boutique, which was released after their relationship with Russell Simmons, Def Jam, and producer Rick Rubin disintegrated. According to Mike D, it took some time, but eventually the people realized it’s greatness and turned around saying “Oh, well, that was always my favorite record that was made.”

Related: Salute to Adam Yauch aka MCA of The Beastie Boys (Video Playlist)