Dustin Rabin is well on his way to becoming another household name among fans for his stirring photographs of Mix Master Mike and the Beastie Boys. Those who own the Beastie Boys Anthology: Sounds of Science have likely spent a moment or two in awe of Rabin’s ability to capture the essence of what it was like to see Mix Master Mike enhancing the Beastie Boys’ already stunning live show (1998). It takes someone special who truly appreciates the greatness of a band to communicate that greatness to others through a photograph. Dustin Rabin has that special ability. “When I was 12, I wore out my Licensed to Ill cassette tape from listening to it so much in my Sony Sport Walkman. You know those big yellow ones.” In less than ten years, Dustin Rabin went from listening to “Rhymin’ and Stealing” (1986) on his Walkman to hearing the very same song performed live right in front of his camera lens during the Lollapalooza tour (1994).

The August 30^th, 1994 date of the Lollapalooza tour in Vancouver Canada was Dustin’s first opportunity to photograph the Beastie Boys in concert. When Beastiemania.com spoke with Dustin he said that, “…one of my favorite shots is still from this show.” That image as well as many others is viewable on Dustin Rabin’s website. Along with providing its visitors with an engaging way to look through some of his favorite pieces, the site also offers a way to get in touch with Rabin through e-mail.

In 1996 Dustin met up with Money Mark while he was on tour in Canada promoting his solo album. “I Interviewed and photographed Money Mark in Vancouver on his tour for Mark's Keyboard Repair. At that time I also met his drummer and Beastie Boys’ percussionist, Alfredo Ortiz. The three of us ate at a restaurant named Taste of Jamaica and I recall Alfredo saying that his ‘soup [was] dope.’” In June of 1997 Dustin made his way to New York to photograph the second annual Tibetan Freedom Concert. “While photographing the Tibetan Freedom Concert I got to meet the Beastie Boys for the first time and got to hang out with Fredo some more.”

When the Beastie Boys’ 1998 Hello Nasty tour pulled into Vancouver, Rabin made sure he was there to photograph it. “Fredo gave me a VIP laminate pass and introduced me to Mix Master Mike. Moments before going on stage, Mix Master Mike told me that he wanted me to take pictures of him. They let me shoot 8 songs from the stage. From those, I had photos published in Rolling Stone magazine and the Beastie Boys Anthology: The Sounds of Science. A month later, Mix Master Mike called me and asked if I could come down to Oakland, California and photograph the last 2 nights of the Hello Nasty tour.” That would not be the end of Rabin’s professional relationship with Mix Master Mike. “In 1999, I shot Mix Master Mike in my home-town of Victoria, BC on his solo tour. One of those pictures then ended up on the cover of the record, Eye of the Cyklops. In the years since, I have had the privilege of standing next to Mix Master Mike on stage and taking his picture at least a dozen times. Each time he completely blows my mind.”