Earlier this morning, Pesco posted the awful news that Adam "MCA" Yauch died this morning at age 47. Words here can't express how sad I am, reading that news. Hits home in part because I'm fighting the same disease, and in part because the Beasties were such a formative part of my subcultural education as I grew into my teen years.

The first time I heard them, and Adam Yauch, was when a friend from middle school handed me a home-copied dupe of this cassette tape EP [YouTube, and you can still buy copies on Amazon]. I played it over and over until that little black ribbon wore right out. Some of you may not know that the Beasties were a hardcore band before they became a hiphop band. Now you do.

I've embedded some Beastie videos from that era below. Fuck you, cancer.

(HT @theory)

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Boing Boing editor/partner and tech culture journalist Xeni Jardin hosts and produces Boing Boing's in-flight TV channel on Virgin America airlines (#10 on the dial), and writes about living with breast cancer. Diagnosed in 2011. @xeni on Twitter. email: xeni@boingboing.net.

MORE: adam yauch • beastie boys • Culture • Entertainment • hardcore • hiphop • music • obituary • punk

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http://twitter.com/bigbadchang Chang Terhune

I’m devastated.
http://twitter.com/KdotCdot KC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJYfOGb3sKw

I can’t stop watching this video. There are so many moments of MCA’s brilliant energy captured within. Sigh. Fuck cancer.
vonbobo

Thank you MCA.

And Cancer, you can go fuck yourself.
http://twitter.com/BenEhlers Ben Ehlers

Right now, I’m listening to their least-celebrated album “In Sound From Way Out”. It lacks almost all of the typical bombast associated with their mainstream stuff, but has still earned a place in my heart.

It’s also the unofficial soundtrack to PRI and NPR. Pour one out every time you hear Groove Holmes as background music…
- http://twitter.com/CanYouGetToThat Dane J
  
  I thought it wasn’t really celelbrated mostly because it was just a compilation of instrumental tracks.
http://profile.yahoo.com/5EVGPLNAFHDHXDRR5BQJJ5WSOI Bethany

Xeni – my sentiments entirely. I grew up with this band.
My thoughts go out with you, too. My daughter has the same condition – and I still can’t bring myself to say the word.
http://www.facebook.com/blaineglobal Blaine Graboyes

had/have cancer (still don’t have the right words for it) and in tears now thinking about how much it f*n sucks for everyone involved.
thank you Adam for everything you created and inspired!
Xeni – my thoughts are with you as you battle now!
EdA

Two words: “Cookie Puss”
Cowicide

Thank you for posting this, Xeni. Adam was a great talent.
http://twitter.com/tardiskitten thisbikeisatardis

Thanks, Xeni. Keep fighting.
boingboingdave

can really hear the Darby Crash/Germs influence on whichever one of them is doing the singing
Rickenbacker4001

I loved their Minor Threat covers. Heck I love all their stuff. One of my inspirations for sure. Throwing Paul’s Boutique on the turntable now…..
noah django

y’all ever notice that the “egg raid on Mojo” lyrics were reprised on Paul’s Boutique’s “Egg Man,” except they say Haze instead of Mojo.

Cooky Puss just came on my itunes lol
http://www.ikaink.net Itsumishi

I love that Mike D says if the Beastie Boys had finished after Polly Wog Stew they would have felt the project was complete, and that everything afterwards was ‘gravy’. What a lot of delicious, delicious gravy!
darlingniki

Fuck Cancer.

You got this, Xeni.
fidelfunk

;-) Cooky Puss
What a sad thing though, MCA ROCKED…
Anybody elso ever tried calling the phone number from Pauls Boutique?
I never got thru…

Remembering Adam Yauch: Polly Wog Stew

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