R.I.P. Adam Yauch

[subniggurath]

Beastie Boys MC Adam Yauch, aka MCA, has passed away due to cancer, TMZ reports. He was 47 years old.

The Beastie Boys are one of the most important and influential hip-hop groups of all time. They were instrumental in making hip-hop a global, mainstream force. Formed in 1981 as a hardcore band, they combined punk and rap into a singular sound that grew increasingly broad over the years, encompassing a vast array of genres. Yauch, Michael Diamond (Mike D), and Adam Horowitz (Ad-Rock) released several classic albums, including their debut album Licensed to Ill in 1986, 1989's Paul's Boutique, and 1994's Ill Communication.

Yauch directed Beastie Boys videos under the pseudonym Nathaniel Hornblower, as well as the 2008 basketball documentary Gunnin' for #1 Spot under his own name. He also ran a film production and distribution company, Oscilloscope Pictures, that shepherded many films, including Wendy and Lucy, We Need to Talk About Kevin, and the forthcoming LCD Soundsystem documentary Shut Up and Play the Hits. In the mid-1990s, he co-founded the Milarepa Fund, which raised money for the Tibetan independence movement. They put on a series of benefit concerts, the Tibetan Freedom Concerts.

Yauch was diagnosed with cancer in 2009, resulting in a canceled tour and the delay of their album Hot Sauce Committee. The Beastie Boys were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last month.

[dan123]

RIP


Mind you, they were responsible for the death of a lot of car badges in their time....

[noxomus]

Yeah, just heard the news..... Sucks, too young

[lipskip]

Man, that stinks. He missed the Hall of Fame induction, and they said he was home 'recovering' from cancer. I was hoping he was.

I saw them on the 'License To Ill' tour June 1, 1985, opening up for Madonna when we didn't even know who they were. An older guy I played poker with at night at this Shell station was taking his niece and some of her friends to see Madonna, and had two extra tickets. This was Madonna's 'Like A Virgin' tour. Being the horny 16 year old that I was, I figured I'd be suckin' face with some Madonna wannabe at some point (I did), so me and my friend Steve went with them. We were way back on the lawn, and it was still light out, and when the binoculars made their way down to me, I remember saying, "Hey, check it out! They're WHITE!" We had no idea who they were. It was neat, in a 'Krush Groove' sort of way, but we weren't into it much. They had on parkas with the furry hoods ffs. Anyway, I didn't see them again until 2007 at The Virgin Festival at Pimlico Racecourse, where we were about twenty feet away from the stage. My radio station had a tent/chill out area at that show, and I got my step sister Erin and her future husband two tickets and jobs with the station for the day. I'm an awesome step brother. lol I remember realizing that I hadn't seen them in over twenty years while watching them, and they put on a BLISTERING show. It was fucking awesome! They rocked it that day fo shizzle! lol They did a lot of their stuff that's more hardcore, playing all their own instruments. They are really a talented bunch of guys. Sad day for the music world.

Travel well Adam Yauch.

The world is a slightly dimmer place without you.

[lipskip]

In hindsight, I'm not even sure if 'License To Ill' was even out yet. I don't remember hearing them play 'their hit', like you do when you're seeing some new, 'one current hit' band perform. You have no idea who you're listening to, then they play 'their song', and you're like, "Oh yeah, I know that song." lol

We didn't get that, that day, from them.

I heard Adam Yauch made out with Madonna on that tour.

Good for him. lol

[Skwint_hed]

[subniggurath]

[HossDP]

Another member of club 47.

[tRauma26100]

Great man.
Seen them play live once, and it was just awesome.


Another hero bites the dust.

[widdy1]

One of the biggest compliments you can give an artist/band is to say they were/are instantly recognizable, just by hearing a riff or a second of their voice, and the beastie boys were just that. Instantly recognizable, unique and influential.

RIP.