Professor Booty

Album: Check Your Head (1992)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Beastie Boys got booty-centric on their second album, Paul's Boutique, with the song "Shake Your Rump." On their next album, Check Your Head, they included the more didactic "Professor Booty."

    "There's nothing outrageously remarkable about this song," Ad-Rock wrote in the Beastie Boys Book. "We just looped a beat and wrote lyrics. We switched back and forth with our rhymes so often that we wanted to each take a verse for a change. It's dumb and funny and the music is funky. What else do you want?"
  • The line, "Well, I think it's booty, that's what it is," is a sample of a 1971 song called "Loose Booty" by Willie Henderson. Other samples include "Give It Up" by Kool & the Gang (1969) and "I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More, Babe" by Jimmy Smith (1974).
  • Beastie Boys' producer Mario Caldato got a writing credit on this song along with the three group members. Caldato was an engineer on Paul's Boutique but took the reins when they built their own studio in Los Angeles (G-Son) and made Check Your Head.
  • The opening dialogue ("Yo, I don't hang out with those guys...") comes from a 1983 movie called Wild Style.
  • The line, "I'm in the pocket, just like Grady Tate" is a reference to the drummer Grady Tate's appearance on the '70s animated educational vignettes Schoolhouse Rock. He appeared on one called "I Got Six" where he explained how to multiply by six, at one point saying, "You got six in your pocket."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

AC/DC

AC/DCFact or Fiction

Does Angus really drink himself silly? Did their name come from a sewing machine? See if you can spot the real stories about AC/DC.

Rickie Lee Jones

Rickie Lee JonesSongwriter Interviews

Rickie Lee Jones on songwriting, social media, and how she's handling Trump.

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many Songs

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many SongsSong Writing

For songwriters, Johnny represents the American man. He has been angry, cool, magic, a rebel and, of course, marching home.

Grunge Bands Quiz

Grunge Bands QuizMusic Quiz

If the name Citizen Dick means anything to you, there's a chance you'll get some of these right.

Kerry Livgren of Kansas

Kerry Livgren of KansasSongwriter Interviews

In this talk from the '80s, the Kansas frontman talks turning to God and writing "Dust In The Wind."

Songs Discussed in Movies

Songs Discussed in MoviesSong Writing

Bridesmaids, Reservoir Dogs, Willy Wonka - just a few of the flicks where characters discuss specific songs, sometimes as a prelude to murder.