Michael “Mike D” Diamond, a member of The Beastie Boys, is set to tour Canada, marking the first solo tour by a member of the renowned New York rap group since Adam “MCA” Yauch’s passing in 2012. The tour, named Mike D 5D, will commence with a fully booked show in Boston on August 30, just two days after the release of his debut solo album titled “Thank You.”
The Canadian leg of the tour will start in Vancouver at the Vogue Theatre on September 30 before moving on to Toronto for the North American finale on October 20. After the North American shows, Diamond will head to the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Belgium for additional tour stops.
Diamond’s touring ensemble, 5D, includes his sons Skyler and Davis Diamond, who are part of the dance-pop duo Very Nice Person. The Beastie Boys broke ground with their debut album “Licensed to Ill” in 1986, which was the first rap album to reach the top of the Billboard 200 chart. Hits like “Fight For Your Right” and “No Sleep Till Brooklyn” propelled their success.
Their subsequent tracks such as “Sabotage” and “Intergalactic,” along with the highly acclaimed album “Paul’s Boutique,” solidified their reputation as pioneers in the realm of sampling. The trio was honored with induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012, shortly before Yauch’s passing due to parotid cancer after a three-year battle.
In 2018, Diamond and surviving member Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz published the memoir “Beastie Boys Book.” A documentary directed by Spike Jonze, titled “Beastie Boys Story,” was released in April 2020.