Just outside the doors of Mike D’s coastal home, I’m greeted by Skylar Diamond, the Beastie Boy’s youngest son, and am instantly struck by his good manners. Kind, talkative and charismatic, Skylar looks like any other Malibu surf kid—except he’s a spitting image of his dad’s younger self. As we chat about soccer (I mean, fútbol), his brother Davis Diamond strolls up, sun-kissed with dirty blonde locks, and casually joins in the conversation as if he’s used to mingling with adults twice his age. There’s no doubt these boys have been raised right. They’re curious about the world, inquisitive about how to make it better and intent on contributing their genetic gifts in a way that sets them apart. Not long ago, the two brothers embarked on a musical journey of their own called Very Nice Person (VNP), which could theoretically describe their personalities.
When I mention my first impression of their music reminds me of Sean Lennon’s days at Grand Royal, a label founded by their father and fellow Beastie Boy Adam “MCA” Yauch in 1992, they seem genuinely flattered. Davis’ airy falsetto mixed with Skylar’s stirring backing vocals and beats that teeter on the line between trap and electronic synth wave lend for an intriguing listen, and take me back to Lennon’s mellow musings about love and quintessential sunsets found on his 1998 solo debut, Into the Sun.
Unlike most kids their ages, Skylar, 19, and Davis, 21, are up early, whether to smoke a joint and hit the waves, kick the soccer ball around or work on music. Perhaps it’s something they picked up while attending school in Bali, where their musical odyssey began.
“We went to this school in Bali called the Green School, and we lived …
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Author: Kyle Eustice / High Times
