Adam Yauch, Beastie Boys co-founder, a.k.a. MCA, has died at age 47, on May 4, 2012. See a video and photo tribute and more on the life and death of the rapper and hip hop pioneer, along with a roundup of obituaries, reactions from music artists, celebrities and public figures below.
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The death was announced by his publicist in a statement:
“It is with great sadness that we confirm that musician, rapper, activist and director Adam ‘MCA’ Yauch … passed away in his native New York City this morning after a near-three-year battle with cancer. He was 47 years old.”
See also the statement at the official Web site beastieboys.com.
“Yauch co-founded the Beastie Boys with Mike “Mike D” Diamond and Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz in 1979. The band started off as a hardcore punk group, but soon began experimenting with hip-hop. The band broke huge with their first proper album, Licensed to Ill, in 1986; it was the biggest-selling rap album of the decade and the first to reach Number One on the Billboard chart. Further albums Paul’s Boutique, Check Your Head and Ill Communication cemented the Beasties as a true superstar act.”
“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.”
See also MTV News’ timeline of Yauch’s illness during the past three years and how he kept fans informed.
Click here for celebrity reactions from Twitter. Click here for more reactions.
Click here for Adam Yauch photos throughout the years. Watch tribute video below.
Top photo: The Beastie Boys; Adam Yauch (center), with Mike Diamond (Mike D) and Adam Horovitz. Photo credit: beezwaxxx (CC BY-ND 3.0)
YouTube Link News report and retrospective.
Link “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party)”
YouTube Link “Sabotage”
Adam Yauch, MCA, Beastie Boys Co-Founder (1964-2012) Video, Photo Tribute
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