beastie-boys-pauls-boutique

petition aims to name LES 'Paul's Boutique' street corner "Beastie Boys Square"

Beastie Boys

You may already know that the Lower East side corner of Ludlow and Rivington is the location where The Beastie Boys‘ shot the cover to their legendary 1989 album, Paul’s Boutique. DNA Info reports there is currently a petition to officially name that intersection “Beastie Boys Square.” This is being undertaken by LeRoy McCarthy who also recently launched a (thus far unsuccessful) petition to name a Brooklyn street corner after Biggie. From the DNA Info story:

“I think the Beastie Boys represent New York in a certain way,” said LeRoy McCarthy, 46, who earlier this year proposed a street co-naming for rapper Biggie Smalls in Clinton Hill.

“They grew up here. They are New Yorkers.”

McCarthy, a film location scout who previously worked for a record label in Atlanta, has gathered nearly 20 signatures so far on a petition for the Beastie Boys co-naming, including eight of the nine businesses on Rivington Street between Ludlow and Essex streets and many of the apartments on the block, he said.

He hopes to present his proposal to Community Board 3 soon.

McCarthy’s overall goal is to increase the recognition of hip hop from New York City, and he wants an artist recognized in each borough. There’s already a Queens intersection named “Run-DMC JMJ Way” and McCarthy is looking into something for Wu-Tang Clan in the Park Hill neighborhood of Staten Island.

If “Beastie Boys Square” passes, it’d be the second NYC location named to honor the group this year, as Adam Yauch Park opened in Brooklyn Heights in May.

In other Beastie Boys news, they recently filed a lawsuit against GoldieBlox, and Ad-Rock rapped in the new Champagne Jerry song/video.

For a little more on the “Paul’s Boutique” corner, check out the episode of AV Club’s “Pop Pilgrims” below…

Pop Pilgrims New York: The Paul’s Boutique corner