Adam Keefe Horovitz (born October 31, 1966), known professionally as Ad-Rock, is an American rapper, guitarist, and actor. He was a member of the hip-hop group the Beastie Boys. While the Beastie Boys were active, Horovitz performed with a side project, BS 2000. Since the group disbanded in 2012 following the death of Adam Yauch, Horovitz has participated in several Beastie Boys projects, worked as a remixer, producer, and guest musician for other artists, and acted in a number of films.
Early life and education
Horovitz was born on October 31, 1966, and raised on Park Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, the son of Doris ( Keefe) and playwright Israel Horovitz. His sister is film producer Rachael Horovitz. His father was Jewish, whereas his mother, who was of Irish descent, was Catholic. He had a secular upbringing.
Career
thumb|left|175px|Ad-Rock in 2007
thumb|Horovitz with the Beastie Boys in [[Barcelona, Spain, on September 5, 2007]]
Horovitz began his music career with a stint in the punk rock band The Young and the Useless, who often performed with the Beastie Boys. In 1982, the guitarist John Berry quit and Horovitz replaced him. He was 16 at the time. After Horovitz joined, the Beastie Boys changed their sound, evolving from a hardcore punk band to a more of a hip-hop group. The band was signed to Def Jam, and released its debut album, Licensed to Ill, in 1986. The album was a huge commercial success and spawned six singles, of which one, "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)", reached the top 20 of the US Hot 100 (US #7). The album was certified diamond several years later. Several albums followed, with some attaining platinum or multi-platinum status, and by 2010, the Beastie Boys had sold 40 million albums worldwide, including 22 in the U.S. In 2012, the Beastie Boys were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
In addition to his work with the Beastie Boys, Horovitz remixes numerous tracks for other artists under the alias 41 Small Stars. He plays bass in the Tender Moments, the backing band of New York-based cabaret performer Bridget Everett.
Horovitz has acted in several motion pictures and television shows. His roles include Tim "Chino" Doolan in Lost Angels (1989), Sam in Roadside Prophets (1992), Repulski in Godspeed (2007), Fletcher in While We're Young (2014), and Nick in Golden Exits (2017). In 2020, he appeared in the documentary Have a Good Trip.
Personal life
In the late 1980s, Horovitz was in a relationship with the American actress Molly Ringwald. They met on the set of The Pick-up Artist. Horovitz was married to actress Ione Skye from 1992 to 1999. She is mentioned in the song "Get It Together". They separated in 1995, got back together in 1996, and separated again that year. They divorced in 2000.
After his separation in 1996, he began a relationship with the riot grrrl musician Kathleen Hanna; they married in 2006. Horovitz and Hanna adopted a son in 2013.
Horovitz began to wear a medical alert bracelet after having a tonic–clonic seizure in 2003. Horovitz has been close friends with the actress Nadia Dajani since childhood; the two attended elementary school together.
Discography
with the Beastie Boys
- Licensed to Ill (1986)
- Paul's Boutique (1989)
- Check Your Head (1992)
- Ill Communication (1994)
- Hello Nasty (1998)
- To the 5 Boroughs (2004)
- The Mix-Up (2007)
- Hot Sauce Committee Part Two (2011)
with BS 2000
- BS 2000 (1997)
- Simply Mortified (2000)
Filmography
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Film and Television credits<!-- WP:ACCESSIBILITY & MOS:TABLECAPTION -->
|-
! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
|-
| 1982 || Beastie || Himself || Documentary Film
|-
| 1985 || Krush Groove || Himself || Film
|-
| 1985
| The Equalizer
| Ronald Baines
| Episode: "Mama's Boy"
|-
| 1988 || Tougher Than Leather || Himself || Film
|-
| 1989 || Lost Angels || Tim "Chino" Doolan || Film
|-
| 1991 || A Kiss Before Dying || Jay Faraday || Film
|-
| 1992 || Roadside Prophets || Sam || Film
|-
| 1999
| Futurama
| Himself
| Episode: "Hell Is Other Robots"
|-
| 2007 || Godspeed || Repulski || Short Film
|-
| 2011 || Fight For Your Right Revisited || Cop Number One || Short Film
|-
| 2013 || The Punk Singer || Himself || Documentary Film
|-
| 2014 || While We're Young || Fletcher || Film
|-
| 2015 || 808 || Himself || Documentary Film
|-
| 2017 || Golden Exits || Nick || Film
|-
| 2018 || Bad Reputation|| Himself || Documentary Film
|-
| 2020 || Beastie Boys Story || Himself || Documentary Film
|-
| 2027 || Time Out || || Film; filming
|}