Hey there, it's Steve Levit. I'm an economist at the University of Chicago,

a co-author of the book Freakonomics, and also the host of the podcast,

people I mostly admire from the Freakonomics Radio Network.

I interviewed guests that range from Nobel laureates to magicians,

from bestselling authors to NBA referees. People who are smart,

reflective, and sometimes a little bit weird.

My guests include bestselling author John Green,

conservationist Jane Goodall, psychologist Danny Coniman,

and Jennifer Daoudna, the scientist behind the gene editing technology,

CRISPR. I even interviewed my own daughters. Listen and follow people I

mostly admire wherever you get your podcasts.

Pushkin.

It's been almost 35 years since the Beastie Boys released the all-time classic

licensed to ill. And while some of the records lyrics and antics sound as

dated as a porcupine's movies, the album is still exceptional.

For Beastie Boys fans, licensed to ill is a glimpse into the lives of MCA,

Ad Rock, Mike D, and their first DJ and producer, Rick Rubin.

Their debut album is a pastiche of inside jokes and musical inspiration

pulled from the classic rock and hip hop records they listened to and Rick's

college dorm room. Rick recently connected with Mike D,

Ad Rock, and Spike Jones, who directed the new Beastie's documentary.

With Spike playing moderator, they teleport back to the early 80s and talk about

...