Beastie Boys’ MCA Dead at 47

 •  XXL Magazine  •  by XXL Staff  •  5 Comments


Beastie Boys’ member MCA, born Adam Yauch, died Friday (May 4), according to GlobalGrind.com. He was 47.

The rapper has had a long bout with cancer, being treated for a cancerous parotid gland and a lymph node in 2009. He became a vegan at the recommendations of his Tibetan doctors shortly after his diagnosis. It is unclear as of press time if the death was related to his battle with cancer.

But news of his death sent shockwaves through the hip-hop community on Friday afternoon.

“Adam was incredibly sweet and most sensitive artist who I loved dearly and was always inspired by his work,” Russell Simmons posted on GlobalGrind. “He will be missed by all of us.”

His brother, Reverend Run, shared the grief.

“R I P Adam… I’m devastated,” Rev. Run tweeted upon hearing the breaking news. “Praying for Adam Yauch’s family from the legendary Beastie Boys. Youll be missed!”

Others in the hip-hop community also expressed their condolences via the social networking giant.

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Yauch co-founded Beastie Boys in 1979 with members Mike D, Mix Master Mike and Ad Roc. The group has won multiple Grammys. His death comes days before Beastie Boys is inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, in a ceremony that will be broadcast on HBO on Saturday, May 5th, at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The Beastie Boys are just the third rap group to enter the Hall, after Run-D.M.C. (2009) and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five (2007).

Yauch is survived by his wife and daughter.—Mariel Concepcion

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  • land lord

    RIP MCA!!

  • Sprax

    Why isn’t this front page? A woman and some other nobodies should be second place to a pioneer in the industry passing away

  • For Real

    @Sprax – No doubt! The entire front page should say RIP MCA with a link to this article.

    XXL sucks

  • fries and wings

    It’s not front page because it’s not about a nigger

  • Banger Boys

    Yikes fries and wings.

    But anyway. That is bs he wasn’t top story all day. RIP MCA, you will forever be remembered as a pioneer in this game.

    Not only was it not front page for almost the entire day. It was horribly written. Example:

    “His death comes days before Beastie Boys is inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame”