Michael Diamond

Michael Diamond, widely known as Mike D, was born in New York City into a comfortable Jewish family. He briefly attended Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York, before diving into the music scene. In 1979, he co-founded a band called The Young Aborigines. By 1981, Adam Yauch, also known as MCA, joined the group as their bassist, following a recommendation from guitarist John Berry, leading to the band's name change to the Beastie Boys. The lineup expanded in 1983 when Adam Horovitz, known as Ad-Rock, came on board, marking a transition in their sound from punk rock to hip-hop.

In 1992, Mike D established Grand Royal Records, the Beastie Boys' now-defunct record label. Beyond music, he has shown a keen interest in interior design, creating Brooklyn-themed toile wallpaper that was featured in the renovation of Chelsea’s Marquee nightclub, which reopened in January 2013.

After the passing of MCA in 2012, Mike D expressed his enthusiasm for new creative ventures. In July 2013, he released the track "Humberto Vs the New Reactionaries (Christine and the Queens Remix)." Additionally, in August 2013, he and Ad-Rock collaborated on a remix of Yoko Ono's "Bad Dancer," contributing their unique touch with additional beats and programming.