Adam "MCA" Yauch of the Beastie Boys died 4 years ago today

[Teru]

 

Adam Yauch, aka MCA of the Beastie Boys, died four years ago today. he was 47.

 

waking up to news of the sudden death of a member of one of your favourite groups of all time is certainly a strange experience. plenty of people here will be familiar with the feeling, but some may not. either way I wouldn't wish it on anyone; it's a horrible helplessness that's very difficult to get away from and equally difficult to explain to people around you who don't understand why the death of a stranger you never met is so shocking to you. I knew he was ill, he took the time to announce it to everyone, but I never anticipated it and I wasn't ready for it.

 

since the Beastie Boys are now very much a veteran group, I thought I could share some stuff about Adam Yauch for anyone who's less familiar with him, or anyone like me who just wants to reminisce.

 

 

it's hard to explain the impact he had on my life as a teenager and young adult. the Beastie Boys are primarily known for being the boisterous kids they were in the late 1980s - causing trouble, shocking parents and generally making a mess and causing controversy wherever they went. it often chagrins me as a fan that many fail to see how they became so much more than what they were seen as at the time, and outgrew their laddish in your face concept relatively quickly.

 

their growing maturity as a group was most blatantly reflected in MCA's lyrics above all, and he became particularly passionate about campaigning for Tibetan freedom which he remained dedicated to until his death. he was also a vocal advocate of women's and LGBTQ rights.

 

Frontline: Adam Yauch Dreams of Tibet (PBS)

Adam Yauch Remembered for Tibetan Activism, Freedom Concerts (Huffington Post)

Adam Yauch, Feminist Ally (The Forward)

Adam Yauch was a Muslim Hero (Al Jazeera)

 

not only did he help bring attention to this oft-overlooked cause, but the Beastie Boys overall were a group who were often more progressive than most, acknowledging and moving on from their past attitudes and even going so far as to lampoon their own original concept to atone for their own behaviour they retrospectively found offensive.

 

"I would like to … formally apologize to the entire gay and lesbian community for the shitty and ignorant things we said on our first record, 1986’s “Licensed to Ill†…There are no excuses. But time has healed our stupidity. … We hope that you’ll accept this long overdue apology."

 

- Beastie Boys' letter to Time Out, 1999 (via MTV)

 

as a woman I especially appreciated their pointed efforts to highlight sexism and discrimination in society, openly reneging their own past lyrics objectifying and undermining women and apologising for their youth and stupidity. their later albums explicitly went out of their way to state their support and respect for women everywhere. 

 

 

not only was he a conscientious and caring person, but he was a creative genius too. he was extremely interested in filmmaking and appreciation, and loved putting unique spins everything he contributed to. the Beastie Boys' own DVD releases became famous for their flair and innovation thanks to his out-of-the-box ideas.

 

he co-founded Oscilloscope Labs, an independent film distribution company which helped to facilitate the release of many niche titles and still does to this day. he was also well known for his director alter-ego, Nathanial Hornblower, which he utilised to great comic effect on a regular basis in and outside of Beastie work.

 

RIP Nathanial Hornblower: Adam Yauch's hilarious response to a bad NYT review (Gawker)

 

since MCA passed, the remaining Beastie Boys - Adam "Adrock" Horovitz and Michael "Mike D" Diamond - have basically stated that they will never again make music or perform live as the Beastie Boys, which as a fan I was honestly expecting. I can't imagine them performing without MCA, and even if they tried I don't think they or fans would feel right about it. I feel extremely fortunate to have seen them when I did, in 2007. if you ever have an opportunity to see your favourite group, I urge you to take it, you really never know what turn life might take.

 

Beastie Boys - We can't make new music and may never play live again (The Guardian)

 

anyway, I've babbled enough...

 

thanks Adam

 

 

 

here's some nice articles and stuff if you wanna read things

 

10 Awesome Adam Yauch Rhymes (Billboard)

How Adam Yauch's Cancer Battle Changed the Beastie Boys (Billboard)

3 Years Ago: Beastie Boys' Adam 'MCA' Yauch Dies (Loudwire - from last year)

Adam Yauch and the Beastie Boys - A classic interview from the vaults (The Guardian)

[yukahoo]

Thanks for writing this.

[Teru]

Thanks for writing this.

 

thanks for reading it, chum

[orphan]

It's always nice to read a write up about a group from their own fan. Insightful piece op.

[Teru]

It's always nice to read a write up about a group from their own fan. Insightful piece op.

 

thank you~