May 4th, 2012
02:32 PM ET
Celebs react to the loss of Beastie Boys' Adam YauchThe music industry lost a legend Friday when Adam "MCA" Yauch died in New York City after a nearly three-year battle with cancer. He was 47. Yauch was a founding member of the rap trio the Beastie Boys, and the sorrow at the news of his death was seen most immediately on Twitter. Rev Run, himself a member of the seminal group Run DMC, tweeted Friday that he was "devastated."
"Praying for Adam Yauch's family from the legendary Beastie Boys," he added. "Youll be missed!" The group's early manager Russell Simmons, added on his website GlobalGrind.com, "Adam was incredibly sweet and the most sensitive artist, who I loved dearly. I was always inspired by his work. He will be missed by all of us." Yauch had been battling cancer since 2009, and was unable to attend the Beastie Boys' induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last month as a result. He was, however, there in spirit, and his fellow Beastie Boys, Michael "Mike D" Diamond and Adam "Adrock" Horovitz, read a letter he'd written for the honor. "I'd like to dedicate this to my brothers Adam and Mike," Horovitz read. "They walked around the globe with me. It's also for anyone who has ever been touched by our band. This induction is as much ours as it is yours." Indeed, many have been touched by the group, including Chuck D and LL Cool J, who honored Yauch and the Beastie Boys for being a "world-class hip-hop act." LL, himself respected as a pioneer in the genre, said that evening that he "wouldn't be here today without them. The Beastie Boys actually played my demo for Rick Rubin in his NYU dorm room." On Friday, in the wake of Yauch's passing, another major hip-hop figure, Big Daddy Kane, expressed his condolences and called Yauch "a pioneer, legend & OG that will be missed." "Community" actor Donald Glover has also made a name for himself as the rapper Childish Gambino, and he posted Friday that "Adam Yauch was an amazing artist and one of the nicest people I've ever met. His music was some of my favorite. Truly saddened." The music Yauch created with the Beastie Boys stretched far and wide. On Friday, the group's classics like "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" and "Brass Monkey," along with their albums "Check Your Head," "Paul's Boutique" and "License to Ill" were all trending topics. (Rapper Bun B tweeted of the cut, "Brass Monkey was the worst tasting liquor ever. And we drank it anyway. Cuz the song was so jamming. RIP MCA.") Several stars, from Lance Armstrong to Snoop Dogg to Jon Favreau felt the loss of Yauch, and their posts fell in line with that of Justin Timberlake's: "Crushed to hear the news of Adam Yauch's passing. A true pioneer of art. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones." And that's just a small example of what Yauch meant to so many. Here's a collection of condolences and memories that've been shared on the musician's death:
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My true sympathy to his daughter, wife and his band. As fans, we share your loss.
Just crying now...
@lee: that's Karma, with a K, dumba$$. and yes the BBoys made money, but their "music" is still crap, only useful for driving 3rd world dictators from their compounds.
my deepest, most sincere sympathy for adam's family,friends and fans. i can remember in the 80's (well as much as i possibly can remeber ) seeing the bb in concert with i think it was run dmc, who i wanted to see, but was blown away n a fan for life when the beastie boyz came on stage. thanx for one helluva night n outstanding memory or so i've been told.
I will miss you adam. MLK is proud of you. Love
I haven't felt this bummed about an artist passing in such a long time. The Beastie Boys were an integral part of my youth and they continue to be an inspiration musically. Every musical genre they touched (Hip Hop, Punk, Rock, Jazz, etc) was gold. I am so incredibly saddened by the news of MCA passing and that I will never be able to witness their genius live. RIP MCA. You will be truly missed. Tonight, I will fight for my right to party in your honor!
Drew your dumb.
saftgek Your comment is both unappealing and offensive. I bet that you would feel the same way all of us true Beastie Boys fans do, if someone close to you died and we all showed up to dishonor that person without knowing the truth. So please try to be more informed next time you decide to post a comment.
Yeah Scuba Steve! Thats what we call keeping your Pimp hand strong!
Nice Scuba Steve, we need more intelligent people like you on comment boards!
Rock that Scuba Steve Haters make you famous!
@ScubaSteve Preach brother Preach! You are a Rockstar!
@ScubaSteve saftgek Just got comment punched way to fight for your right to party!
Scuba Steve very intelligent comment you made. I need people like you working for Facebook. I'll be in touch.
A person – a human being – died. That is unfortunate, but is the circle of life.
A person died at a relatively early age, as do thousands upon thousands of others. That is sad, indeed.
This is where discussions should begin and end. If it is true that the deceased was the creator of rap and hip-hop, that is a pitiful legacy. This means he is/was complicit in the degradation of entertainment and our society.
I believe way too much is being made of the person's passing. As a person, his death is sad and predictable. As an "entertainer," he left a negative footprint. THAT is what we should all mourn.
Say a prayer for the survivors, and for an epiphany in our culture that will cleanse the entertainment industry of the trash that enables drugs, violence, and other decadence.
Your post is disgusting.
I'd love to know what the negative footprint was! Beasties' music was ALL positive! Upbeat, fun, different, and POSITIVE, UNLIKE YOUR IGNORANT POST.
You are so terribly misinformed. MCA was nothing but a positive force in the world. So many have said it, but the beastie boys were a soundtrack of my life. I'm terribly saddened right now. The world, the arts, suffered a huge loss yesterday.
Do you insult vogner ? Jimi Hendrix? Conway twitty? You my friend are an idiot if music inspires an emotional response whether it be good or bad it shows us where human and for that moment we feel something that is the legacy of music all music
Oh please-will all of you retards who always have something negative to say, but never in real public, or ever based on experience, PLEASE go back to your own planet!!
you're a brainless judgmental loser. feel what you may about the "negative" imprint you say Yauch left behind, but shut the hell up when you don't know anything about all the positive he planted in our world. much more than you, i'm willing to winningly bet.
Pardon me, Saftgek, but your ignorance is showing. It's obvious you are completely unfamiliar with the Beastie Boys' material. They've never glorified or promoted violence. On the contrary, they were all about peace and love, and their clever, often hilarious lyrics reflect that. Do your homework next time!
Let's just hope this post was a pitiful attempt at a joke.
If not...you're a complete joke.
saftgek,
If you took two seconds to read about MCA: http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/04/showbiz/beastie-boys-death/index.html
then you would realize how wrong you are to make assumptions about this good man. He converted to buddhism in 1990 and saw some of the negative impact the band had and since then cleaned up their image. On top of that he was a humanitarian- establishing many massive charities and fundraisers. He had a positive outlook and influenced many. Yes, every person dies, but the good ones should be remembered!
http://www.Hear-The-Truth.com
I was 18 when i got my license to ill. Nobody did it like the beastie boys. Oral cancers are increasing with HPV surpassing tobacco as cause. Take care of yourself and peace be with you.
im 38 yrs old and i remember hearing paul revere i believe 1986 in baltimore city listening to the permiere of the beaties boy song on V103 radio station me and 5 a my friends sitting around everyone was quiet...... hot summer day that when I fell in love with hip hop. i still rock paul revere and brass monkey. You no music is great when you can remember the exact moment in time. RIP my brother. MCA u will be missed but remembered always
I am a fan, sharing a memory. I grew up in Brooklyn Height in the 80s and early 90s. In 86, my friend had a girls sleepover to celebrate her birthday. Imagine 12 skinny, tiny screaming girls in a room with 4 blow up mattresses. We stayed up all night memorizing the lyrics to Paul Revere. I think my finger hurt from hitting rewind button. The next day, we thought we were 'the' coolest girls around. Such a crush on MCA. Thanks for the memories, for the music, and being an inspiration.
It saddens me when some people focus solely on the License to Ill period. Yes, it was groundbreaking album, but it was more or less Rick Rubin's baby. The Beasties, knowing they had so much more style and substance than the image they portrayed at that time, broke away from Rick and ultimately expressed disdain and regret for that period of their career. They are one of the very few hip hop acts that matured and went on to produce some very creative and positive work, even playing most of the music themselves. They went on to much greater success and survived to this day in a hip hop industry that for the most part, just sank further into an abyss of misogyny and violence (not to mention the causes they worked so hard for). They deserve a lot of respect.
Thank you for that perspective. I didn't follow them a lot but, knew the support of the Tibetan's - and, it's also good to hear there was some hip hop with positive influence. A lot of it is quite the opposite.
The person who said he was an entertainer and left a negative impact on the world didn't know that he founded a charity for September 11th victims not covered by the damage. People wonder why the the Beastie Boys are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The reason is that they helped bring cultural diversity to the suburbs and opened minds and hearts to new ideals and values. Yauch helped launched the Tibeten Freedom Concerts that brought awareness to what was going in Tibet. Adam was a giving, compassionate , warm, loving, human being. You are right about the Licence to Ill album. That really wasn't who they were. The others are just like Adam. RIP Adam. Peace, Love, Respect.
well, I'm 43 yrs of age...and I was around when the Beasties first 'came thru'. I remember it well, because I was newly enlisted in the Navy, fresh outta high school. And when I left boot camp and was sent to Millington, TN for aviation schooling, their music was literally ALL OVER THE PLACE!!...you couldnt escape it or the power of their musical approach.
the thing I really dig about Adam and his buddies, was that they NEVER compromised or sold out. What they did, has NEVER been done before or since...they approached hip hop from the standpoint of a group of Jewish dudes who refused to 'sound black', and all the hip hop performers of note, admired and respected them for that. That cliche' that says that "you can only be who you are...you cant be who you ain't", applies to Adam and the Beasties.
And if there is anyone who thinks that they lost prestige, fame or money by NOT selling out, I suggest you look at their catalogue. These cats MADE MILLIONS, being exactly who they are, without taking away from the integrity of hip hop.
Anyone could tell that Adam was "The Boss" of the group...he was ol' school to the core and was always a presence of stability and serenity. He was a smart dude...always one step ahead of the game, so to speak and everybody knew that he would be the one that directed the group to branch out into a more alternative brand of hip hop. But again, him and the group ALWAYS maintained the integrity of hip hop.
MCA, WAS A PIONEER IN THE HOP HOP GAME...He was just as relevant as a Frank Sinatra, a Joni Mitchell or even Bob Dylan. RIP, Adam....my heart is heavy, man.
Youv,egotTafightforyourrighttoparty
i grew up in the 80s listening to hard core metal. Not the pu$$y glam crap. When Bestie boys came out we laughed at them calling them traitors and some other choice names which i wont repeat since we live in such sensitive times now. After about 10 yrs i heard a instrumental that BB put out and i was blown away and surprised that they had some musical talent after all. But the video to Sabotage will always for me be the funniest and it still makes me Lmao. Dont hear Kanye makin any props for them. Which isnt surprising. yo kanye Kim got you wrapped boy? Wheres yo black Kate Moss?
To fried okra. U r a loser, a hater and have no place on this blog or in life. Keep hating in your dark place were u hunger for attention and get none. Carma will get u.
RIP
RIP soldier. You r now n a better place. No more pain. My prayers go out to ur fam may they one day find comfort to deal with their loss.
Please tell me this is a mirage. I'm telling y'all my life feels sabotaged. 🙁
Man the memories with the Beastie Boy's music. The memories. What a talent man, Adam, what a talent. RIP son.
I'm sad to hear about Adam and my condolences to his family.
Ro anyone reading this, anyone with a major publication or network program, that is, I can give you an amazing exclusive (not give, we'll figure that out): I have VERY good reason to believe that Ms. Whitney Houston is alive and well and living somewhere, and I know where.
No joke.
Write me with an offer.
I know this is tacky to family and friends of Adam Yauch. Please forgive me. I will make a donation in his name to a charity of your choice.
And the remainder of any proceeds will go to my non-profit - ERASEstigma.org. Working with bribgchange2mind.org to detroy the stigma against people with mental illnesses. Go to either site to take the pledge to help. Volunteers needed. Because we all have a dog in this fight, thank you!
not just tacky to his friends and family...just tacky in general..to everyone..shame on you..there is a time and a place and this wasnt even near it..if anything this will have the opposite response than what you are hoping for..tasteless tacky and self serving...wow
You stay classy, San Diego.
The Beatie Boys are to me what the Beatles are to my parents. MCA is legendary, innovative and never forgotten. The triple trouble has always been in my cassette deck, turn table, cd player ipod, phone. RIP Adam, thank you gor changing the world and thank you for you music!
License to ILL is my SGT Peppers.
That was to 'Fried Okra' btw.
Seriously! Not the place, dude. RIP Adam. Loved your music.
cancer sux. so does crappy music done by white boys from brooklyn who wanted to be homies from the hood.
Thats funny guy, that crappy music got them into the Hall of Fame and made them million and gave them millions of fans, you might wanna check your crappy ears and taste...loser. he did more than just rap, he was a philanthropic man, friend, father, and fought for those who were poor. You sir are a heartless, cold, loser.
You are a poser... fake fool. Just here to troll. Look me up when you come by L.A.
Wow, you wear your bitter agony at your own failures on your sleeve for the world to see. It's extremely pathetic that you had to come in here and troll just to prove you will never amount to even half the man Adam was. People like you will die lonely and unloved while Adam's legacy will live on. Enjoy that knowledge. This also applies to Rod and his ignorant and obviously uneducated brain fart he thought was an opinion. Rod go suck your namesake until your skull caves in.
Pauls Boutique and Ill Communication...wow what incredible hip hop/rock/jazz accomplishments! You are just plain wrong dude.
I'll try posting this again...The Beasties have been part of the soundtrack of my life since the age of 10(I'm in my 30s now). My heart truly grieves the loss of Adam Yauch, a true innovator, and by all accounts, a phenomenal human being. The last time I can recall personally feeling a loss of a celebrity whom I did not know was when Kurt Cobain died. RIP MCA, you will be sorely missed. My prayers are with your family & loved ones. "Beastie Boys gonna let the beat, um...drop?!"
I've been thinking the same thing all night... well said.
I know, Ive been on that same page all day. The Beasties wrote the soundtrack for alot of important and memorable moments in my life. We all die, even celebs; when one passes its not often I feel like something is going to be missed from a personal standpoint but tonight I feel like one of my close partners is gone. RIP MCA.
I can't keep the random tears back today. MCA's death means a little part of me died today too. I grew up with them, ipmy brain doesnt understand that I didnt know him personally. I guess we are all older now too. God bless the beastie boys, and yes I do like feeling the bass in my face in the crowd. MCA had more Rhymes than he had grey hairs and that's a lot because he had his share. Sniffling to my copy of Check your head now....
I just got the tragic news. I'm in shock. I had the pleasure of meeting Adam in person during the annual March 10th rally for Tibetan Freedom. He had given a short speech at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza outside the UN. Then he marched with us. He had his wife by his side and his daughter, little at the time, on his shoulders. I spoke to him briefly. He was so cool, humble and unpretentious. My condolences and prayers go out to his parents and to Dechen and Tenzin. Please take rebirth soon, Adam, and continue your compassionate work. OM MANI PADME HUM.
One-two, one-two, this is just...a...test.
"Now my name is MCA I've got a license to ill". RIP, Emcee A.
To MCA – you've always grooved with the beat when you let go ™. You & The Beastie Boys made my childhood worth living. You always cranked out stuff that kept my mind off the hard times. Your humourous lyrics and presentation kept me going. You'll always be missed. My heartfelt condolences go to your family, Mike D, Adrock and everyone close to you. I hope all find the strength to persevere. Peace & love to you all. The world has lost a good person that nobody will forget.
may god send comfort to the family of adam mca yauch and the rest of the beastie boys. you will be missed and we love you. you inspired me to do what i'm doing today. so i'm continue to do this in the spirit of you. p.e.a.c.e!
Thanks for everything... Thanks for the soundtrack to my youth. Thanks for not being afraid to change the program. Thanks for being unpredictable. Thanks for staying real. RIP MCA.
RIP MCA, you were a highlight of my youth.
"But For Now, I'd Like To Ask You How
You Like The Feel Of The Bass In Your Face In The Crowd!"
God bless, 3 rap groups in the hall of fame, Grandmaster,Run DMC, and the almighty BBoys, from 1976 punk band, to rap, to alternative to muscial legends.
So so sad ....... But, Adam brought smiles and laughter to millions of people .... He was "Charming, Dashing, Rental Car Bashing" ....
Love Him.... Sheer Genius.
i'm going to be playing Fight for Your Right to Party! Its a time to rock/n/roll onwards because surely Adam wouldn't us hanging around here arguing about which pic is up there or perhaps not in a serious tone man. I also am enspired to visit Brookeline because of No Sleep Till Brookeline song you guys or whatever they say in New York! here is to Adam and his family cause its finals week in college and its time to party! Peace out man.
In 1985, I saw the Beastie Boys open for Madonna, who played two songs beofre they were boo'd off the stage. A year later, those boo'ing made Licensed to Ill a certified platinum record. Adam was always a visionary and a pioneer. The Beasties never sold out, and always stay true to their roots. Rest in peace MCA, see you in Brooklyn on the other side Bro.
Thats MCA in the pic.
The Beasties were one of the most defining groups while I was growing up. They were one of a handful of bands (Rage being another) that adults of the previous generation couldn't even begin to understand. As a result, they were undeniably and completely ours, as much as they set trends and influenced our influences they were 3 guys that could have been sitting across the crappy wooden table in your garage hitting the bong and listening to that weeks radio top 10 on whatever station was popular at the time.
I'll never forget that Sabotage was the only musci video I went to the trouble of recording via VCR.....
RIP MCA
I was of the earlier generation and a certainly got them. Jeez.
If you "share" the article on FB or other social media for some reason a pic of Ad Rock comes up. That's what I think people are complaining about.
Too young to go – he had many more years of great music to put out – I was just listening to the Hot Sauce Committee a few days ago and was wondering "How Ya Feeling MCA?".......love those guys.
To bad his death won't undo the damage he himself admits he did. What he did wasn't art...just anger and stupidity set to a beat.
care to explain further?
@Rod, if you don't see the art in Check Your Head, Ill Communication, or Hello Nasty there is probably an Amy Grant album somewhere with your name on it.
Were you not loved as a kid enough? You suck.
Bieber fan, are we?
You're obviously an idiot troll who knows NOTHING about Adam Yauch! Get your S$%T straight before you spew your opinion!
@Rod C. Venger, you clearly have no clue about their music and how they evolved and matured over the years. Kindly keep your opinions to yourself rather than post them where grieving fans have to be exposed to your ignorance. RIP MCA, thank you for sharing your ART and TALENT with us.
You obviously have not listened to their music in at least 20 years. As a Zen Buddhist, I was impressed that he brought some of the positive Buddhist influences to his music. The good he did can't be anymore undone than any bad he might have done.
F U, my man...
Rod, when MCA talked about the damage he had done he was referring to the early days – they were KIDS then. It takes guts to stand up and change your ways, especially after you make your name doing it. What they did in those days pales in significance to what they have done in and out of music since then. You're either a troll or an idiot who obviously can't see further than the end of your nose.
You sound like an unhappy person. Mom wouldn't let you get a copy of License to Ill back in the day? I understand... would make me cranky too. Peace.
Too bad we can't trade you for him, Rod. You're just a waste of space.
I read an report recently that found men with an abnormally small penis are 98% more likely to bitter, judgmental and ignorant than men with normal-sized penises.
You are kidding right?
Maybe it's time for you to turn off the Internet porn and move out of your moms house.
More beautiful than being perfect is being imperfect, confessing the damage you've done, asking for repentance and trying to do good going forward. Any religion. He is happier and more at peace than all of us right now. Liking or not liking his music is irrelevant. I'm sorry you have to live your life so negative Rod.
This troll...man you need to listen to "In sound from way out". If you dont hear musical genius you need to check your head, pop that kenny g tape back in your walkman and have yourself a nice bowl of STFU.
@ all the people who think the pic is wrong: all white people look the same, don't they?
So sad you are gone. Musical Genius, and activist for political and religious freedom. You went too soon, but I know your battle with cancer was rough over the years.
Someone who always advocated for peace – may you rest in peace and know you have left the world a better place.
If you're a fan of the Beasties, its worth your time to try to find their Polywog Stew EP. It was recorded well before License To Ill, & is a phenominal album. Had a lot of punk rock influence, but set the foundation for the rap crossover they became so well known for. They had a fourth member then, but I forget his name.
The drummer for the later Luscious Jackson, Kate Schellenbach.
RIP. Its written in the Tibetan book of dead "At the time of death, whatever you have focused on the most will determine your next life." I'm sure greatness and inspiration will follow his soul.
I remember when I was 8 years old, and I heard the Beastie Boys for the first time. I instantly loved them. Their music was part of the soundtrack of my youth. I remember listening to Sabotage with my first boyfriend, while we drove around with nowhere to go, and not a care in the world. I remember when I left my home town and moved to a huge city, and Intergalactic planetary was blasting in the car. So many memories that are associated with that band, and all of those memories are happy ones. My heart goes out to Adam Yauch's family and friends.
Umm...sorry to have to be the one to correct you...but no it is not. They got the pic right.
Yauch was clean shaven at one time as in the photo above...
You do know that's Adam Horovitz in the photo you have there, right CNN?
The pic is correct. You are disseminating false information and I suggest you stop doing it surgngnl
That is not ad rock.
no it isn't.
Lay off the crackpipe holmes.
Why the heck do they have a picture of Nathaniel Hornblower on this article?
Back AWAY from the BONG.
You should go to http://www.beastieboys.com .. good info there.