THE BEASTIES AND THE KIDS

V iolent . . . crude . . . lewd .

When you hear those descriptions of the Beastie Boys, it’s usually adults talking. But what about the kids who have helped the trio’s debut album “License to Ill” skyrocket into the Top 10?

“I think they’re funny” was the most common answer from teens surveyed recently in a Pasadena shopping mall. Most shrugged off charges that the Beasties’ bratty raps about sex, drugs and violence set a bad example for young people.

“They can set (whatever) example they want,” said Louis Arzate, 18, of Pasadena. “The kids don’t care. They just like the music and the beat.”

Rodney Wilson, 15, a student at the Living Way Christian Academy, expressed concern that some rock groups can steer teens down the wrong path. But he didn’t believe that the Beastie Boys were a problem.

“Not if you know your own morals and what’s right for yourself,” he said.

Among those who own the album, the favorite track, “Paul Revere,” turns out to be the one with the most violent images. “It’s just a song,” said Terence Wills, 13. “You can use (any story) to rap, it doesn’t really matter.”

Twelve-year-olds Ben Echeverria and Victor Salazar of Monterey Park report that the Beastie Boys are the most popular rock group at their school, Macy Intermediate.

“I mostly like them because of their lyrics,” said Salazar, who believes that the violence and pro-alcohol stance of the Beasties songs is harmless “as long as you don’t do it (yourself).”

Salazar suggested that the Beastie Boys could be seen as a positive role model in race relations because they’re the first prominent white group in black-oriented rap music. “I think there’s going to be more white rappers because of them,” he said. Agreed Gabrielle Stiarwald, 19, of South Pasadena, “It’s new. It’s a mixture of two different kinds of music.”

Ultimately, the teens echo the age-old defense of rock music. “Grown-ups might not like it,” Terence Wills said. “They like slow music. This is new music.”