Bad Brains are, in short, legendary. Epic, even. They’re incontestably, verifiably, indisputably and irrefutably one of the most iconic American hardcore bands of all time. They came of age in the early 1980s, blowing apart the Washington, D.C., scene with a unique fusion of punk aggression and reggae grooves. Oh yeah, and they’re old. (How old? Their first album was issued in 1982 on the cassette-only indie label ROIR). They came up at a time when speed was king, bands raging about politics was de rigeur, and the underground music scene of which they were a part created the aggressive sounds that would influence mainstream music for the next decade and beyond. In short, they were at the forefront of a genuine musical movement.

It’s almost insane to consider that one of the hardest, most thrash-worthy bands was formed by a jazz fusion guitarist, Dr. Know. He went looking for a new outlet for his fury and pulled in vocalist H.R., bassist Darryl Aaron Jenifer and drummer Earl Hudson. And while there have been other iterations of Bad Brains, it’s this initial lineup that galvanizes a crucial time and place in musical history. Over time, the group recorded for equally legendary indie labels like SST, Caroline, and for majors (Epic, Warner Bros.-affiliated Maverick), and their sound transformed to funk metal under Dr. Know and Jenifer, while separately H.R. and Hudson pursued reggae.

Sporadic reunions of the original lineup have, over time, sparked excitement in the admittedly aging community of fans, but the legions of younger musicians and younger fans they have continued to inspire have boarded the bus, too. Last year, Bad Brains went into the studio to record Build a Nation with the Beastie Boys’ Adam Yauch, who helped steer them, once again, back to their roots. (Yauch who took in many a Bad Brains show in his youth, was quoted on a CD reissue of the band’s debut, describing it as “the best punk/hardcore album of all time.”)

You’ll be seeing lots of the band all week long on MTV, and there’s even more Bad Brains on MTV.com — videos, albums (with song samples), lyrics and more, and in short order, the on-air promos the band shot specifically for MTV.

Maybe you’ll like them. Maybe you won’t. Either way, you’ve got to respect who they are, where they came from and why they’re important — then and now.

Check out their latest video, “Give Thanks and Praise / Jah Love,” and give some thanks and praise for Bad Brains.

UPDATE: Check out exclusive photos from the set of Bad Brains’ MTV Artist of the Week video shoot, filmed at The Echo in L.A., and watch Bad Brains’ Artist of the Week promo videos.

(Photo credit: Lyndsay Siegel)