RIP Beastie Boy MCA (Adam Yauch)

[ZipperJJ]

Dead at 47.

This sucks...they were still putting out good albums!!!!!!!

[Bob Ducca]

Fuck, this sucks.

[DigitalC]

Fucking cancer.

[Happy Lendervedder]

Ugh. That's horrible.



The Beastie Boys were a huuuuuuge part of my youth.

[yojimbo]

Crap.

RIP Adam. You entertained my generation like few others.

[Gangster Octopus]

Dammit!!!

[MeanOldLady]

Fuck. Beastie Boys were the soundtrack to my summers.

True story: My mom is so Ned Flanderishly religious that she doesn't like the word "funky." It's just unseemly to her, so for this reason, she had beef with the song "Brass Monkey."

[Larry Borgia]

This sucks. I had no idea he had cancer. RIP MCA, you made some awesome music that even this non rap fan loved.

[Snowboarder Bo]

FUCK this sucks. I'm a huge fan. Have all their albums, all their DVDs. Have all their early recordings. Have clips from Noise The Show (WYNU radio) featuring them. DDAMN this sucks.

RIP Yauch. You totally fucking rocked.

[Beware of Doug]

Yauch, that hurts.

[Ferret Herder]

Holy shit. Fuck cancer. Rest in peace, man.

[FoieGrasIsEvil]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

[Dung Beetle]

Originally Posted by Larry Borgia

This sucks. I had no idea he had cancer. RIP MCA, you made some awesome music that even this non rap fan loved.

What he said. I still have Licensed to Ill on cassette.

[Dogzilla]

Man, the last couple albums they put out were amazing. I'm still wearing out the tracks on Hot Sauce Committee Pt. II and The Mix Up.

RIP MCA. You will be missed. Another sad day for rock.

[Scupper]

[Cubsfan]

Sucks. Beastie Boys will always have historical significance.

Unfortunately his death means that Fight for Your Right to Party, Brass Monkey and No Sleep Till Brooklyn are going to enter heavy rotation on all the rock stations around the country and, after years of hearing those tired tunes over and over, I can't stand the sound any more.

[Rhythmdvl]

Hope he was listening to the in sounds on his way out.

[Nzinga, Seated]

MCA was real hip hop. Now, to play my old Beastie music.

ETA: I loved the way he aged. I saw him on...Bill Mayher? I don't know...an interview a couple years ago with the others, and I loved how he looked like your tax man but had more hip hop in him than many a gangsta thug I might see swaggering by. Heh.

[Ashley Pomeroy]

Damn. Back when I was eleven the Beastie Boys were the Nastiest Group in the World(tm):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLP0dEnOGsw

They did a tour of the UK and the tabloids were bored and decided to big them up as a huge threat to the nation's Volkswagens. 'cause it stood for Very Wicked, or something.

"Apparently they daubed the walls of their hotel with human excrement, wrecked one bar, and in another ended up throwing beer at other customers." And they were awesome.

But it sort of ruined them in the UK - they came across as a flash in the pan, except that people kept saying that Paul's Boutique was really good, and then they were back with "Intergalactic" and they were grown-ups. And now Adam Yauch is dead, 47, which is no age.

He's the one setting fire to Popular Science. In the video he's the first through the door.

[RickJay]

Thread about why the Beastie Boys were so awesome:

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/...hlight=beastie

[WordMan]

It really is terrible news. I saw them with Run DMC in Paris - when they were at the height of Ill Communication...

[yanceylebeef]

And yet Rob Van Winkle continues to roam the earth.


Fuck Cancer.

[gallows fodder]

This is horrible news. I'm not one to get upset over celebrity deaths, but this one is different. Fucking cancer.

[corkboard]

MCAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, get on the mic, my man!

[Rhiannon8404]

Cancer sucks.

The timing makes me all the more sad. My kid was just discovering them. Just last night, he found my old "Licence to Ill" cd and asked if he could borrow it. He loved it. I told him there were others cds somewhere, he should look for them after school today. I knew Adam was sick and that he didn't attend the Hall of Fame Induction. I didn't realize he was that sick. Now I have to tell my kid, "You know that great band you just discovered. One of the guys died."

[ZipperJJ]

Originally Posted by Rhiannon8404

Cancer sucks.

The timing makes me all the more sad. My kid was just discovering them. Just last night, he found my old "Licence to Ill" cd and asked if he could borrow it. He loved it. I told him there were others cds somewhere, he should look for them after school today. I knew Adam was sick and that he didn't attend the Hall of Fame Induction. I didn't realize he was that sick. Now I have to tell my kid, "You know that great band you just discovered. One of the guys died."

Ugh that does suck.

The Beastie Boys were the first of "my bands" to get inducted to the Rock Hall. I'm always blown the fuck away by their sampling and intertwining it with original music. I can never understand how people find this to not be "making music." They are all so talented.

My mom calls them "that Jewish band"

[toofs]

MCA, thanks for all the great music. I am gonna bump 'Shake Your Rump' now.

[JSexton]

He's been rocking this party eight days a week. I wore out not one but two copies of License to Ill on cassette.

RIP.

[Bob Ducca]

Heartbreaking and adorable photo of Adam and his daughter.

[x-ray vision]

The first show I ever saw was The Dead Kennedys and The Beastie Boys opened up for them. That was in '83.

RIP.

[RickJay]

Originally Posted by Bob Ducca

Heartbreaking and adorable photo of Adam and his daughter.

Well, now I'm crying.

[Pine Fresh Scent]

Originally Posted by RickJay

Well, now I'm crying.

Dammit. What a great guy and legacy.

[magnusblitz]

Originally Posted by Cubsfan

Sucks. Beastie Boys will always have historical significance.

Unfortunately his death means that Fight for Your Right to Party, Brass Monkey and No Sleep Till Brooklyn are going to enter heavy rotation on all the rock stations around the country and, after years of hearing those tired tunes over and over, I can't stand the sound any more.

Sad to have him pass so early, but I was always ambivalent about them early on, and downright can't stand their music anymore because it's so overplayed. Now it really will become the trifecta with Nirvana and Sublime. Think I'll be keeping away from the alternative station this week...

[pulykamell]

So sad. That photo just ate me up. And I can never get me enough Beastie Boys. No matter how overplayed some of their songs are, I always have another listen left in me. RIP, MCA.

[Marley23]

I just heard this evening. What a shock, and so sad. I didn't realize he was not over his bout with cancer. I'd certainly hoped he was healthy. I remember how good it felt to put on Hot Sauce Committee for the first time and hear MCA sound as good as he ever did:

I burn the competition like a flamethrower
My rhymes age like wine as I get older...

I've been a fan since I was around 13 or earlier (I got License to Ill on cassette from an uncle, although I don't think I listened to it right away), and I've always associated them with all kinds of good times. MCA was always my favorite because of that scratchy voice and because I respected and enjoyed his commitment to Buddhism. There was a period in the 2000s when the Beastie Boys were the only music that my mother and my youngest brother and all I agreed on. They were brilliant, they were fall-down hilarious, and in their entire career, there were only a couple of brief moments on one album when they weren't fun. Even the Sabotage video remains a classic. So long to one of the greats. He had more rhymes than Phyllis Diller.

[Guinastasia]

What -- NOOOOOO!!! Fuck. 47. Damn, that's way too fucking young.

[Runs With Scissors]

Originally Posted by Dung Beetle

What he said. I still have Licensed to Ill on cassette.

I had a *copy* of it on cassette

[Snowboarder Bo]

The AP is running a terrific story about MCA right now.

One thing that struck me as I read it, is the lack of conflict in this guy's life, band and art. Three white Jewish kids have a career in hip hop that spans over a quarter of a century, and they never had a feud with another rapper, never did prison time, etc. The outpouring of love towards MCA is incredible, and reflects well on just how cool he was. I don't think there's anyone that didn't like and respect the guy.

[DianaG]

That's a great article, thank you.

I can't claim to be more than a casual fan of their music, but they (and MCA in particular) have always struck me when I've seen or read interviews as such smart and profoundly cool guys. Speaking selfishly, I'm just not prepared for dead Beastie Boys. It feels like a nasty gut punch from the universe.

[E-Sabbath]

Beasties were the first band that spoke to me. I mean, music spoke to me, but they were the first band that said, 'we're saying what you want to be saying, how you'd want to say it'.

Damn cancer.

[dinahmoe]

I found out today that he frequently hung around at my favorite bike shop. A friend of mine had a 20 minute conversation with him about bikes, favorite rides on Cape Ann*, and all sorts of other stuff. Dave didn't realize who he was talking to until Scott (the store owner) pulled him out back and was all "Dude, that's MCA!" Dave was blown away, as he is a huge Beasties fan, and was wondering, "How do I know this guy? School? Cycling? He looks totally familiar..."

He was a crazy super talented guy, but he was also just people.

I was at Seaside Cycle at all the wrong times, I guess.



*Ad-Rock's dad founded the Gloucester Stage Company, so it makes sense that the Beasties would be hanging around the North Shore. Ad-Rock's uncle is also my dad's accountant. Blah, blah, blah...Kevin Bacon.

[Marley23]

At last night's Mets game, all of the batters walked to the plate to Beasties tunes as a tribute.

[KneadToKnow]

Why MCA?

[JKellyMap]

I've never been a fan, but I have to give the Beasties mad props. They filled in for Beck at the last minute at a stadium show I saw about 10 years ago, and they were great.

Way too young.

[Quasimodem]

Although I'm a little more advanced in age than the rest of you, I loved "License To Ill" and use it to set my cadence when I'm on my bicycle. Although I did buy a couple of their succeeding cd's, it wasn't till "Interplanetary" that I found another of their tunes I liked.

I won't belabor the point, y'all have said it better than I ever could, but I do respect those of you who will miss Adam and I wish him a peaceful rest.

Quasi

[Marley23]

Originally Posted by JKellyMap

I've never been a fan, but I have to give the Beasties mad props. They filled in for Beck at the last minute at a stadium show I saw about 10 years ago, and they were great.

I was there, too. I wish that hadn't been the only time I saw them, but I'm glad I caught them live once.

[RickJay]

Originally Posted by Marley23

At last night's Mets game, all of the batters walked to the plate to Beasties tunes as a tribute.

The lineup:

Ruben Tejada, SS, "Intergalactic"
Daniel Murphy, 2B, "No Sleep 'Til Brooklyn"
David Wright, 3B, "Brass Monkey"
Lucas Duda, RF, "The New Style"
Scott Hairston, LF, "Root Down"
Ike Davis, 1B, "Fight For Your Right (To Party)"
Andres Torres, CF, "So Whatcha Want"
John Thole, Catcher, "Make Some Noise"
Dillon Gee, Pitcher, "Body Movin'"

I guess what gets me about this isn't just that he was one of my favourite musicians, though he was, but that he was, to be honest, someone I'd very much want to be like. Not in all the details - I'm not interested in being a Buddhist. But he was a dedicated husband and father. He had a little girl, like I do, and loved her very much, like I do. And more than that, he worked hard, harder than I ever have or could, growing and becoming even more than he was, learning and trying new things and, by God, succeeding. He was a consummate professional, never feuding with his bandmates, ignoring the nastiness directed their way (people don't remember that the rap giants of the day in the late 80's/ early 90's, who now praise them, oftensneered at them) and forgetting every insult while remembering every act of kindness. He was a star at 22 and, despite that, didn't let it wreck him, as it does so many; instead he just spent a quarter of a century pumping out brilliant works of art.

He stood up for what he believed in, even if it didn't necessarily sell another record or go with the flow in hip-hop. He was thoughtful and kind and decent, and instead of retreating into a mension built with bricks of $50 bills, which he could have done, he went out of his way to try to help people. He was a family man. He never forgot that while he was MCA to millions, he was still Adam Yauch.

He only lived 47 years, which is terribly unfair, but he got every last goddamned ounce out of those 47 years a man could get.

[thelurkinghorror]

Originally Posted by x-ray vision

The first show I ever saw was The Dead Kennedys and The Beastie Boys opened up for them. That was in '83.

RIP.

I assume this was in their punk days? I think 1983 was around when they transitioned.

You'll be missed, gravelly Beastie. And I hope this isn't too morbid, but gallows humor has its place sometimes. If he isn't cremated or anything, his epitaph should read:

"MCA where have you been?"
"Packed like a sardine in a tin"

[Marley23]

This is the MCA playlist I came up with - some of my favorite lines by (and in a few cases about) the guy and the Beasties. I didn't notice the lyric about his daughter until after I put that track on the list, so that felt fitting.

*Paul Revere [My name is MCA/I got a license to kill/I think you know what time it is/It's time to get ill."]

*Sure Shot ["I strap on my ear goggles and I'm ready to go"]

*B-Boys Makin' with the Freak Freak ["Might be a hack at the stand-up/But I'm workin' at it"]

*Shadrach ["Got more suits that Jacoby & Meyers"]

*Three MC's and One DJ ["I never wanna let a bad day slip by"]

*Hey Ladies ["We were cutting up the rug/She started cutting up the carpet/
In my apartment/I begged her please stop it"]

*No Sleep til Brooklyn ["Born and bred in Brooklyn in the USA/They call me Adam Yauch but I'm MCA."]

*Egg Man ["Pulled out the jammy he thought it was a joke/The trigger/I pulled/His face/The yolk"]

*Triple Trouble ["We're triple trouble ya'll"]

*Hold It Now, Hit It ["King of the Ave./With the def female"]

*The Grasshopper Unit (Keep Movin') ["This one goes out to Tenzin"]

*Pass the Mic ["My name is MCA/I've been coming to where I am from the get-go/Find that I can groove with the beat when I let go "]

*Shake Your Rump ["Nothing wrong with my leg, I'm just b-boy limpin'"]

*Long Burn the Fire ["My book is my shield and my mic is my sword, sword, sword"]

*Time to Get Ill ["I got more rhymes than Phyllis Diller!"]

*Intergalactic ["If you try to knock me, you'll get mocked/I'll stir fry you in my wok..."]

*Make Some Noise ["I burn the competition like a flamethrower/My rhymes age like wine as I get older"]

*Body Movin' ["MCA where have you been?/Packed like sardines in the tin"]

*She's Crafty ["I think I thought I seen her on Eighth and Forty-Deuce"]

*So What'cha Want ["Sweeter than a cherry-powered Reddi-Wip topping"]

*The Sounds of Science ["I'm going out first class/Not going out coach"]

*Shambala [instrumental]

*Bodhisattva Vow ["The bodhisattva path is one of power and strength/A strength from within to go the length"]

*Transitions [instrumental]

[Marley23]

I guess the Fight for Your Right Revisited video stands as MCA and the Beasties' last major work (he directed) - and the fact that it's a comprehensive look at and parody of their past makes it touching in a way, despite Will Ferrell and that very long scene where everybody's peeing on each other. Reading the credits again I see MCA's daughter was the girl on the skateboard.

Looking at the Beasties Boys in what I guess is the past tense, it occurs to me they're a band that was only possible in New York and one of the ultimate local bands in a way - the fact that some of their best work was made in LA notwithstanding. As much as their music changed over the decades, one of the key factors was their background in a city where all of these different musical scenes like rap and punk and Latin and jazz and disco and cultural groups like art schools and skateboarders lived right on top of each other and interacted with each other. I can only talk about those things in a really general way but they obviously had very specific ideas about what each of them looked and sounded like and how they went together.