Shazam + Abracadabra

Blindsided, gutted, and numb. All of it. The Beastie Boys have been a part of my life for just about as long as I can remember. Adrock, MCA, and Mike D were common names amongst all of my friends and their music always a safe bet when no one could agree on a station. As a trio they seemed unstoppable, always progressing their style of rhyme instead of growing stagnant and fading away. And now after today, and the much too early death of Adam Yauch (aka MCA) at age 47 from cancer, they’ll be no more. This isn’t one of those cases where someone can just jump in and fill his empty spot in the group. They were too much like brothers for that. Too connected, too in sync.

I have so many great memories associated with the Beasties. The long summer afternoons spent in my friend Rachael’s tiny bedroom with our friends Holly and Beth, dividing up the lyrics and singing over and over again. (I was Mike D, Rachael Adrock, Holly MCA, and Beth the DJs.) The concert I went to in Cleveland the night before I left for my freshman year of college. And another I went to four years later with friends from a new chapter of life. I think there was a solid decade where you could walk into my bedroom and find one of their posters on the wall. They were a major part of my life as I was figuring out who I was, not only musically but fundamentally.

So I guess what I came to say is thanks, Adam. You, your beliefs, and your causes won’t be soon forgotten. Rest in peace.

3 Comments
  • Danielle (elleinadspir)

    May 4, 2012 at 8:25 pm Reply

    RBB and I were just talking about all this over dinner. BB was a group we grew up with. They are older than we are, but not by that much. It feels like we grew up together. Our lives changed as the music changed as their lives changed. They have been a part of our lives for so long. BB, RCHP, Weezer (more for RBB on this one than me). Sad day indeed.

  • Kerry / Paper Dahlia

    May 4, 2012 at 11:30 pm Reply

    Yeah, this hit me hard too. It’s difficult for me to articulate how this effected me but you did wonderfully and I can really relate. It’s like they’ve always been there… through different stages of my life. Anyway, besides being an masterful rapper, MCA was a good person. He will be missed.

  • PJFB

    May 5, 2012 at 7:50 am Reply

    Thank you for posting about MCA. What an affect these three guys have had on our generation. It’s hard to express how much this just completely sucks. But it really does.

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