Beastie Boys Co-Founder Announces Major Career First After Decades in Music
Fans of hip-hop legend Michael "Mike D" Diamond, one of the founding members of the legendary '80s music group the Beastie Boys, are hyped up after he finally announced that his first-ever solo album is on its way.
The record, titled Thank You, is set to be released on August 28. It will be the first musical release from a member of the Beastie Boys in about 15 years, since the group's final studio album, Hot Sauce Committee Part Two, in 2011. The group became inactive after fellow member Adam "MCA" Yauch died from cancer in 2012.
While Mike D did some producing in the years after the band's last album, this is the first time he's ever released his own music. He came out with the first single, "Switch Up," in late May. The new music comes from Mike D's collaboration with his sons, Davis and Skyler, who also play in his backing band.
Mike D commented on his new music in a statement alongside the announcement, saying, via Louder, "It's been so much fun making this music with people I love and I have grown to really appreciate in our collaboration. And I just hope it's fun for others and not overly serious."
"Because let's be real, I'm releasing this music into a very strange and dark and power-fixated world that really devalues art and feelings and compassion and empathy and equality," he went on.
After "Switch Up," Mike D also shared the new song "What We Got," while the latest single, "True Colors," dropped on June 8.
The new album will have 13 tracks total, with some other titles including "Secrets Pt. I," "Secrets Pt. II," "Make It Stop," "Back To Start," and "Thank You."
Mike D also teased his new album during a recent conversation with NME. He declared, "The way I describe the record is that musically it's still pretty immature, and lyrically it's a little bit more mature. I just feel like there's more of the things I had to tap into. I had to learn how to feel all over again."
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This story was originally published June 8, 2026 at 10:26 PM.