You are right. Check this site out:
https://rmc.library.cornell.edu/defj...ine/index.html
"At first, Jay planned to cut a deal for the distribution of this new version of “Drum Machine” with Arthur Baker’s Streetwise label. It ended up on Def Jam after Rick put $5000 in cash into Jay’s hands."
So this project was independent and not part of the business at Def Jam. MCA was helping Burnett at the studio and they also did this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppB_QfCagqU Yauch is also listed on the album credits of the Circuit II record as assistant engineer. He also raps on this cut:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfiU4_BFtRY
I think that the whole Arthur Baker/Jay Burnett/Latin Rascals connection is not really talked about a lot in the history of Beastie Boys. It seems that those players were pretty much out of the picture entering the Licensed To Ill era. Especially, I would like to hear more about the Latin Rascals working on Party's Getting Rough. The song is pretty much a Latin Rascals showcase. Their tape edits are out of this world! There's a brief info about Latin Rascals in the Beastie Boys Book, but nothing about them working with Beastie Boys. Here's more info about Lating Rascals:
https://medium.com/cuepoint/how-the-...x-9c81b3e951c8
There is a lot of information about the early days at the Ratcage and then at Def Jam with Rick Rubin, but people don't really talk about the Rock Hard/Drum Machine period. It is always talked about, how Beastie Boys were part of the Def Jam family with other pioneering hip hop acts, but why is it not talked about that they were also connected to Jay Burnett and Arthur Baker, who did Planet Rock and many more early hip hop records?
Thanks tt5brevisiteda a lot for the link for this interview. It was very englightening. I also want to point out that the original Drum Machine track was not the same backing track that MCA rapped on. Here's the original:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DphfdE5i0Oo
Here's more info about the Rock Hard EP with great press clippings:
https://rmc.library.cornell.edu/defj...ard/index.html There's also more info about the other early Def Jam 12"'s on that site.