Music News

R.I.P. Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch

By Chris Payne May 4, 2012

Adam Yauch (pictured left), best known as the Beastie Boys' MCA, has died today at the age of 47 following a battle with cancer dating back to 2009. 

Yauch, a Brooklyn native and member of the influential hip-hop trio from the beginning, was an integral component in the creation and evolution of what would become an unmistakable and unique Beastie Boys signature sound. A sound that can be heard in iconic earlier albums like 1986's Licensed to Ill, 1989's Paul's Boutique, as well as the group's most recent work, 2011's Hot Sauce Committee Part Two. Yauch was also an accomplished filmmaker, known for directing Beastie Boys videos under the moniker Nathanial Hornblower. Lately, he had been working on the LCD Soundsystem roc-doc Shut Up and Play the Hits.

It's safe to say that alternative music and our collective adolescence wouldn't have been the same without him. 

TAGS: 1980s, death, hip-hop, music video, New York City, obituary, rap,

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