In addition to the previously discussed lineup of Pusha T, Redman and Dizzy Wright, Brooklyn Hip Hop Fest expands with the addition of EPMD, Soul Understated and a tribute to the late great MCA (Adam Yauch):

On the Final Day of the Festival, July 13th, The Festival will stop for a moment of silence for Yauch and then launch into a tribute curated by [BHF Executive Director Wes] Jackson and Bodega DJ, RawBeatz. Brooklyn Bodega will also release an exclusive mix of Beastie songs of remixes from the "Cookie Puss" days all the way to "Hot Sauce Committee".

As discussed, Pusha T's new LP My Name is My Name is due in July and features "Numbers on the Boards" which recently surfaced in video form. Check out that video, as well as a tour doc about Pusha T, below.

Continue reading "Adam Yauch Tribute, EPMD and more added to Brooklyn Hip Hop Fest"

Frances Yauch and Ad-Rock at park rechristening (via @ascap_music)

(via @allieharper13)

Palmetto Playground on Columbia Street in Brooklyn Heights was officially rechristened Adam Yauch Park this morning in a ceremony attended by Beastie Boys' Adam Horovitz (aka Ad-Rock), Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and Frances Yauch, the mother of Adam (aka MCA) who died on May 4, 2012.

There's a MCA Day celebration at Littlefield on Saturday (5/4). Video from the Adam Yauch Park rechristening, and a few more pictures, are below.

Continue reading "Adam Yauch Park officially open in Brooklyn Heights"

In honor of Adam Yauch, aka MCA of the Beastie Boys, who passed away last year, Brooklyn's Palmetto Playground on Columbia Street in Brooklyn Heights will be renamed after him. The New York Post reports:

Beastie Boys fans fought for the right to rename a Brooklyn Heights playground after the group's late founding member Adam "MCA" Yauch -- and won.

City officials and members of the legendary hip-hop band are expected to gather Friday at Palmetto Playground on State Street for a ceremonial renaming in honor of the Brooklyn Heights native, sources said. The site will be called "Adam Yauch Playground."

...

The movement to rename the park grew out of a post last year on the Brooklyn Heights Blog that gained steam on Facebook. At first, fans pushed to have nearby Squibb Park renamed in Yauch's honor, but Brooklyn Heights residents said such a name change would dishonor pharmaceutical giant Edward Robinson Squibb. Squibb opened his first lab where Squibb Park now sits at Middagh Street.

Fans then pushed for the renaming of Palmetto Playground and were met with little opposition.

In related news, Mike D and Ad-Rock are also working on a Beastie Boys memoir, according to The New York Times. It will be edited by hip hop journalist Sacha Jenkins and is due out in 2015 via Random House imprint Spiegel & Grau (who also published Jay-Z's "Decoded").

Beastie Boys' video for "Sabotage" and MCA Day flyer below...

Continue reading "Brooklyn Playground being renamed for Adam Yauch; 'MCA Day' on Saturday; Ad-Rock & Mike D writing memoir"

Man Man at House of Vans (more by BBG)

Though we already knew that Man Man was heading to the NYC area for a show at Maxwell's on June 4th (tickets still on sale), the previously announced tour left out one key date which is now announced: June 5th at Brooklyn Bowl with Diamond Doves, a show that is FREE with RSVP or only $5 without.

Speaking of Brooklyn Bowl, the club which recently hosted Jonathan Toubin's return party and has an upcoming Levon Helm tribute scheduled, will be paying tribute to MCA this evening with a screening, on all HD screens with full concert sound, of "AWESOME: I F*CKIN' SHOT THAT!". There will also be a special Beastie Boys tribute AV performance by Eclectic Method. It's free, and continues to be free if you stick around to see Questlove DJ ($8 if you show up after 10pm).

Brazilian Girls, whose Tuesday, 6/19 Brooklyn Bowl show is already listed as "limited admissions at door" have added a 2nd date at the club happening one day earlier. Tickets for the 6/18 Brooklyn Bowl show go on sale at noon.

Man Man is currently working on their new record, though no status on the progress thus far. Until then, be on the look out for some new tunes at the dates below.

Continue reading "Man Man & Brazilian Girls add dates at Brooklyn Bowl (where an MCA tribute is happening tonight)"

Following Ad Rock's lead, Mike D posted a message and picture of his own to the Beastie Boys Facebook and blog...

I know, we should have tweeted and instagrammed every sad, happy and inspired thought, smile or tear by now. But honestly the last few days have just been a blur of deep emotions for our closest friend, band mate and really brother. I miss Adam so much. He really served as a great example for myself and so many of what determination, faith, focus, and humility coupled with a sense of humor can accomplish. The world is in need of many more like him. We love you Adam. BTW this photo sent to me by a friend, (thanks Saslow) is just one awesome example of how NYC is such a unique place that amidst it's huge size and frenetic pace it really opens up it's heart in so many ways and on on so many levels in times like these. And though it makes me cry sometimes, it has been really amazing and moving to see.
Mike

In related news, someone posted video of the entire benefit show the Beastie Boys played at Hiro Ballroom in 2006. Watch below...

Continue reading "Mike D posted a message too, pic from inside MSG included"

as you can imagine, shit is just fkd up right now. but i wanna say thank you to all our
friends and family (which are kinda one in the same) for all the love and support.
i'm glad to know that all the love that Yauch has put out into the world is coming right back at him.
thank you.

The high profile and on-stage tributes continued on Friday night and throughout the weekend. You saw what Coldplay, BADBADNOTGOOD & Bomb The Music Industry! did, as well as the message that Thom Yorke posted, and tributes by Madison Square Garden, the Mets, Rusko, A-Trak, the Mets and more. Check out even more below...

Continue reading "Ad-Rock posted a 'thank you' on Beastie Boys blog; SNL, Fallon, Social Distortion, Diplo & even Train paid tribute to MCA too"

"NEW YORK LOVES AND WILL NEVER FORGET MCA." - El-P

Madison Square Garden pays tribute to Adam (pic via)

Like Coldplay, BADBADNOTGOOD & Bomb The Music Industry!, and Thom Yorke, many, many artists and institutions have been paying tribute to Adam Yauch in their own way, More videos from last night below....

Continue reading "Red Hot Chili Peppers, Deer Tick, MSG, The Mets & more paid tribute to MCA (more videos & pics)"

Entitled "Dot Connectors", this message was posted to Radiohead.com today:

I was very sad to hear the news of Adam Yauch's death yesterday.

We looked up to the Beastie Boys a lot when we were starting out and how they maintained artistic control making wicked records but still were on a major label, and the Tibetan Freedom Concerts they organized had a very big influence on me personally and the way Adam conducted himself and dealt with it all impressed me a lot. He was a mellow and v smart guy. May he rest in peace.

On another note check this out> people connecting the dots of our weird weather patterns, though the climate change deniers still frantically shout their voice is getting quieter. climate dots around the world

and some music..

1. Kurduli Hidjazkiar Taxim Kementchedi Alecco Open Strings
2. Blue Horizon Sidney Bechet The Ultimate Collection
3. Too Polite Feat. Louis Vines Throwing Snow
4. When the Ship Comes In Bob Dylan
5. Gene Piece, R.A.I Bird Pierre Henry, Pierre Schaeffer
6. Strange Fruit Sidney Bechet
7. Shake Your Rump Beastie Boys Paul's Boutique
8. Ghana: Voices & Percussion Vocalists and drummers of Ghana African Rhythms & Instruments: Vol 1
9. Caves Of Paradise Actress R.I.P.
10.Ascending Actress R.I.P.
11.Ocoras Four Tet

Thom

BADBADNOTGOOD @ Brooklyn Bowl (5/4/2012) (via @hollaPino)

As I'm sure countless musicians who happened to have shows scheduled yesterday did from stage, Coldplay (at Hollywood Bowl and like they did at All Points West), BADBADNOTGOOD (at Brooklyn Bowl), and Bomb The Music Industry! (at the NYU Strawberry Festival) paid tribute to Adam Yauch with a Beastie Boys cover worked into the set (who else did?). Watch video of the three mentioned, below...

Continue reading "Coldplay, BADBADNOTGOOD & Bomb The Music Industry! paid tribute to MCA (videos from last night)"

It is with great sadness that we confirm that musician, rapper, activist and director Adam "MCA" Yauch, founding member of Beastie Boys and also of the Milarepa Foundation that produced the Tibetan Freedom Concert benefits, and film production and distribution company Oscilloscope Laboratories, passed away in his native New York City this morning after a near-three-year battle with cancer. He was 47 years old.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Yauch taught himself to play bass in high school, forming a band for his 17th birthday party that would later become known the world over as Beastie Boys.

With fellow members Michael "Mike D" Diamond and Adam "Adrock" Horovitz, Beastie Boys would go on to sell over 40 million records, release four #1 albums-including the first hip hop album ever to top the Billboard 200, the band's 1986 debut full length, Licensed To Ill-win three Grammys, and the MTV Video Vanguard Lifetime Achievement award. Last month Beastie Boys were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, with Diamond and Horovitz reading an acceptance speech on behalf of Yauch, who was unable to attend.

In addition to his hand in creating such historic Beastie Boys albums as Paul's Boutique, Check Your Head, Ill Communication, Hello Nasty and more, Yauch was a founder of the Milarepa Fund, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting awareness and activism regarding the injustices perpetrated on native Tibetans by Chinese occupational government and military forces. In 1996, Milarepa produced the first Tibetan Freedom Concert in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, which was attended by 100,000 people, making it the biggest benefit concert on U.S. soil since 1985's Live Aid. The Tibetan Freedom Concert series would continue to stage some of the most significant benefit shows in the world for nearly a decade following in New York City, Washington DC, Tokyo, Sydney, Amsterdam, Taipei and other cities.

In the wake of September 11, 2001, Milarepa organized New Yorkers Against Violence, a benefit headlined by Beastie Boys at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom, with net proceeds disbursed to the New York Women's Foundation Disaster Relief Fund and the New York Association for New Americans (NYANA) September 11th Fund for New Americans-each chosen for their efforts on behalf of 9/11 victims least likely to receive help from other sources.

Under the alias of Nathanial Hörnblowér, Yauch directed iconic Beastie Boys videos including "So Whatcha Want," "Intergalactic," "Body Movin" and "Ch-Check It Out." Under his own name, Yauch directed last year's Fight For Your Right Revisited, an extended video for "Make Some Noise" from Beastie Boys' Hot Sauce Committee Part Two, starring Elijah Wood, Danny McBride and Seth Rogen as the 1986 Beastie Boys, making their way through a half hour of cameo-studded misadventures before squaring off against Jack Black, Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly as Beastie Boys of the future.

Yauch's passion and talent for filmmaking led to his founding of Oscilloscope Laboratories, which in 2008 released his directorial film debut, the basketball documentary Gunnin' For That #1 Spot and has since become a major force in independent video distribution, amassing a catalogue of such acclaimed titles as Kelly Reichardt's Wendy and Lucy, Oren Moverman's The Messenger, Banksy's Exit Through The Gift Shop, Lance Bangs and Spike Jonze's Tell Them Anything You Want: A Portrait Of Maurice Sendak, and many more.

Yauch is survived by his wife Dechen and his daughter Tenzin Losel, as well as his parents Frances and Noel Yauch.

by BBG

The first two hip hop records that I ever heard in full were nothing less than classics. I'll always remember having the cassette-dubs of the harder-than-hard leather-clad Run DMC, whose Raising Hell was the pinnacle of hip hop badassery. On the other side of the coin was the boyish, obnoxious, beer-soaked young lads responsible for the oh-so-fun Licensed to Ill. It was the perfect yin-and-yang, but I latched onto the Beastie Boys more, partly due to their cartoonish antics and over-the-top videos.

As Beasties evolved musically, so did I. They started going the cut-and-paste way of Hank Shocklee and the Bomb Squad when they teamed up with Dust Brothers for Paul's Boutique. They, along with Stetsasonic, used real instruments (shock!) on a hip hop record for Check Your Head, and even got back to their roots in punk on the same record. Their willingness to experiment and do what was right for them was an important lesson for my young mind; do what you like and the rest will follow.

MCA, thank you for providing the soundtrack to my youth. The world will miss you. Check out some of my favorite songs by the Beastie Boys below.

Continue reading "thank you Adam Yauch"

The rumors appear to be confirmed. We've lost one of our generation's musical legends and one of my personal heroes. As many are reporting and tweeting (including Russell Simmons, Questlove, TMZ and Pitchfork), Adam Yauch aka MCA of the Beastie Boys, who has been fighting cancer for a few years, passed away today at the way too young age of 47.

UPDATE: Beastie Boys issue official statement.

Continue reading "Beastie Boy MCA aka Adam Yauch has passed (R.I.P.)"

"GET WELL MCA" (more by Tim Griffin)

hey all,

hope you are doing well.

so i'm about a week and a half out of surgery now and rapidly recovering from it. i haven't taken any of the pain meds, which supposedly speeds along the healing process, or should i say, taking them slows it down. anyway, i spent 1 night at the hospital after the surgery. the hospital was too crazy to get any rest so i headed home to relax, have home cooked food and hang out with the family.

i'm pretty well detoxed from the anesthesia that they pumped me up with to keep me under for all that time. that took several days to get out of my system. my neck and jaw are still pretty stiff from the surgery, but it gets better everyday. had the stitches out this past monday... so things are moving along.

but no sooner am i on the mend from this first torture than are they lining up the next one. the next line of treatment will be radiation. that involves blasting you with some kind of beam for a few minutes a day, 5 days a week, for about 7 weeks. that will start in a few weeks...

saw the jay-z cover of no sleep, and the coldplay one of fight for your right from APW on youtube. good shit. and i heard karen o a "get well MCA" armband, and that q-tip gave a shout out too..... very kind of them.

just wanted to thank them and everyone else who sent positive thoughts my way. i do think that all of the well wishes have contributed to the fact that my treatment and recovery are going well.

much love back at all of you!

adam

Continue reading "a letter from MCA (had surgery, about to start radiation)"

Jay-Z @ APW in Liberty State Park, Jersey City, NJ - 7/31/09 (photo by Tim Griffin)

Brooklyn's own Jay-Z opened up his headlining set at All Points West on Friday night with a cover of the Beastie Boys classic "No Sleep Till Brooklyn". Was it a fitting tribute to the group that he replaced on the lineup (due to MCA's diagnosis of cancer) or was it Jay-Z's way of reminding New Jersey what he plans on doing with the Nets? OK, I'll go with the former, and it was our own great Jay-Z festival moment (at his first-ever US festival appearance). The UK's Glastonbury got the (less sincere) tribute to Oasis in 2008.

Speaking of Glastonbury, All Points West got its mud... which came from the rain that miraculously cleared up before Hova took the stage (at which point he covered "No Sleep" with the "Beastie Boys at the Garden" line in the first verse changed to "Jay-Z at All Points West.", and then...)

Immediately after that, he performed his own "Brooklyn (Go Hard)."

Later, he dedicated his entire set to Beastie Boy Adam Yauch. It was Yauch's illness -- he has been diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in a salivary gland -- that forced the group's cancellation, last week.

In his 80-minute day-closing set, Jay-Z also performed hits like "99 Problems," "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)," "Big Pimpin'" and "Dirt Off Your Shoulder," as well as his recent single "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)." [NJ.com]

Continue reading "Jay-Z closes out rainy Day 1 of All Points West (pic, video)"

BEASTIE BOYS TOUR DATES CANCELED, ALBUM RELEASE POSTPONED
ADAM YAUCH DIAGNOSED WITH PAROTID GLAND TUMOR

Adam "MCA" Yauch of Beastie Boys was diagnosed last week as having a cancerous tumor in his left parotid (salivary) gland. Luckily it was caught early and is localized in one area, and as such is considered very treatable. It will however require surgery and several weeks of additional treatment. Fortunately the cancer is not in a location that will affect Yauch's vocal chords.

Beastie Boys have canceled all upcoming concert appearances to allow time for Yauch's surgery and recovery. The release of the band's forthcoming album Hot Sauce Committee Part 1 will also be pushed back.

Paraphrasing from a video statement on Beastieboys.com [below], Yauch said, "I just need to take a little time to get this in check, and then we'll release the record and play some shows. It's a pain in the neck (sorry had to say it) because i was really looking forward to playing these shows, but the doctors have made it clear that this is not the kind of thing that can be put aside to deal with later."

Beastie Boys were scheduled to play many festivals this summer including All Points West on Friday, July 31st.

The video message is below...

Continue reading "Adam Yauch has cancer, Beastie Boys cancel all dates"