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| "The endless knot, an important symbol in Tibetan Buddhism, has been described as 'an ancient symbol representing the interweaving of the Spiritual path, the flowing of Time and Movement within That Which is Eternal. All existence, it says, is bound by time and change, yet ultimately rests serenely within the Divine and the Eternal.'" Credit: Wikipedia |
Like many a music fan, I was saddened yesterday to learn about the passing of Beastie Boy/film artist/activist Adam "MCA" Yauch. I wanted to throw together a quick post, but it took me a day. In that time I listened to Ill Communication, Paul's Boutique and a few more, and took some time to reflect on the rapper that I always considered to be the best of the Beasties.
I grew up in the Northeast, not too far from NYC, and came of age in the 80s. As one of the handful of white kids who listened to rap and also as a somewhat-nerdy Heeb who appreciated a good wisecrack, I immediately identified with the Beastie Boys, and its something that never really faded. Through school and into college, I mixed with a crowd that skateboarded (before it was popular) and engaged in all sorts of shenanigans. The soundtrack shifted focus from rock to hip-hop around the time the Beasties dropped "She's On It." We used to drop MCA's raps the most, and many of us (especially my cousin Steve, who some thought had a bit of MCA in his looks -- I was more Mike D) were vehement in our belief that he was the Boy with the most mic skills. Later on, I can remember a friend at a party trying to explain to someone how with the Beasties it was more than just about the music, and that there was almost that we shared an ideology and sense of style.
The thing I like best about the Beastie Boys though is how they evolved. Musically, they made huge strides. Their rhymes got more clever and sometimes serious, and their production expanded from the rock-hook Rick Rubin era to the textured Dust Brothers magic that is Paul's Boutique to the strange soup of hip-hop, punk rock, funk, Latino music, and more that sounds impossible to pull off but that the Beasties more or less perfected on Ill Communication. Outside music, they grew up. They took some chances and expanded their commercial empire. MCA got into Buddhism and the Tibetan freedom cause, made films and launched a production company, and put on huge, memorable benefit shows. Ad Rock and Mike D did their own things too, with Grand Royal magazine and BS 2000 and what have you.
So it's sad on many levels for me that MCA has passed away, so young, with what could have been so many good years ahead of him. But he did leave us with a legacy of great raps, a few worthy films, and probably my favorite MTV Video Music Awards moment of all time, from back in 1994. Not familiar with Nathaniel Hörnblowér? Watch this excellent compilation below. As Michael Stipe says after Nathaniel makes a brief impression on the crowd, "Wow!" In other highlights, the Beastie Boys lose lots of awards to the Aerosmith menace, but still put in a great performance of "Sabotage" in some fine suits, earning the praise of former touring partner Madonna.
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