Beastie Boys — Gratitude

JUL 01 1993 · 12:00

Beastie Boys — Gratitude (1993) Director: David Perez Shadi Era: Alternative Nation / Hip-Hop Rock Crossover (1992–1993) - Peak MTV alternative rotation era, post-grunge explosion; Beastie Boys' pivot from sample-driven rap to live-band funk-rock instruments repositioned them at the vanguard of genre crossover. High. This is a rare artifact in which a major hip-hop act produced a video functioning as an explicitly cinematic homage to a canonical rock art film, shot on location in a dramatic natural environment with no audience or narrative conceit beyond raw performance. The video's inclusion in a Criterion Collection anthology confirms institutional recognition of its aesthetic merit. Its cross-genre significance, documented intertextual relationship with Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii, and role in the Beastie Boys' artistic reinvention make it essential for archives focused on 1990s music video history, genre hybridity, and the cultural politics of MTV alternative programming. Context: Released in January 1993 as a companion to the fourth single from Check Your Head (October 1992), 'Gratitude' arrived at a pivotal crossroads moment when the Beastie Boys had decisively reinvented themselves from sample-heavy rap pranksters into a credible live-instrument funk-rock ensemble. The video's Pompeii homage signals a conscious alignment with psychedelic rock and art-film lineage, positioning the group alongside classic rock heritage rather than conventional hip-hop visual vocabularies. Shot in New Zealand's geothermal Rotorua region during their touring cycle, it reflects the band's growing interest in Buddhism, minimalism, and countercultural authenticity. The video's placement on MTV's 120 Minutes — the network's alternative programming block — embedded it in early-1990s college rock and alternative culture, broadening the group's crossover appeal. Its inclusion in a 2000 Criterion Collection video anthology cemented its status as a work of lasting aesthetic and archival significance. Director notes: Filmed in January 1993 in Rotorua, New Zealand. The video is a deliberate homage to Adrian Maben's 1972 concert film Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii, replicating its documentary-style shooting grammar, caldera/volcanic landscape setting, crew-only 'audience,' and lack of lip-syncing. The production utilized Rotorua's active geothermal sites — including geysers and hot springs — to evoke the volcanic ruins aesthetic of the Pompeii film. Speaker cabinets on set were stenciled with 'Pink Floyd, London,' functioning as an explicit intertextual prop. The band performs with vintage analog gear, consistent with their public statements at the time about sourcing 1970s instruments and equipment. The video aired on MTV and was featured on Beavis and Butt-Head, amplifying its cultural visibility. It was later included in the Beastie Boys Video Anthology (Criterion Collection, November 2000) and a remastered HD version was uploaded to the official YouTube channel on September 14, 2009.