You get what you pay for!" joked Mike D, after messing up the first strains of "Pass the Mic" on June 9th in Las Vegas for Mtv2's 2$ Bill concert series. The trio hadn't performed in the U.S. since last June. Against a set that included giant silk-screens of the Manhattan skyline, the Beasties and Mix Master Mike broke out the classics ("Sure Shot," "So What'cha Want" and a call-and-response rendition of "Time to Get Ill") and songs from their new five-star album, To the 5 Boroughs. MCA's message was clear as he launched into the band's single "Ch-Check it Out": "Don't vote for George Bush. It goes without saying, but still."

This story is from the July 8th, 2004 issue of Rolling Stone.