Adam Yauch obit

Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch dies of cancer, aged 47 Not on the list

Adam Yauch, a founding member of pioneering hip-hop group the Beastie Boys who captivated fans with their brash style in early hits like "Fight for Your Right (To Party)", died on Friday after a long battle with cancer. He was 47.

"It is with great sadness that we confirm that musician, rapper, activist and director Adam "MCA" Yauch, founding member of Beastie Boys ... passed away in his native New York City this morning after a near-three-year battle with cancer," said a statement posted on the band's website.

In July 2009, Yauch disclosed that he had been diagnosed with a tumor in his left salivary gland and lymph node, and he later underwent surgery and sought medical treatment in Tibet, among places. In October of that year, he said he was "feeling healthy, strong and hopeful" that he had beaten the disease.

But as recently as last month, it was apparent the Beastie Boys' bassist was very ill as he was forced to miss his group's introduction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Yauch, who went by the stage name MCA, founded the Beastie Boys with his two friends, Michael Diamond (Mike D) and Adam Horovitz (Adrock). In the rap genre that was dominated by African American acts, the Beasties stood out for their ethnicity - three white Jewish kids from Brooklyn, New York.

They formed initially as a punk-rock band following that 1970s music movement, but soon switched to rap as it gained prominence on the street and in underground clubs in the early 1980s. Their breakout album was 1986's "Licensed to Ill," which featured the hit "Fight for Your Right (To Party)."

The Beasties would go on to sell over 40 million records, release four No. 1 albums and win three Grammys.

Longtime associate and friend Russell Simmons, a co-founder of Def Jam Records, the label that first signed the Beasties to a record deal, posted a message on his website saying "Adam was incredibly sweet and the most sensitive artist, who I loved dearly. I was always inspired by his work. He will be missed by all of us."

Under the alias of Nathanial Hörnblowér, Yauch also directed iconic Beastie Boys videos including "So Whatcha Want," "Intergalactic," "Body Movin" and "Ch-Check It Out."

While the Beasties remained active in music over the years, Yauch went on to found independent film company Oscilloscope Laboratories which makes and distributes low-budget, art-house fare. It recently released the drama "We Need to Talk About Kevin."

Oscilloscope issued a statement Friday saying it was "deeply, deeply saddened" by Yauch's death and calling him, "an amazing leader, a dear friend and an incredible human being."

Outside music and film, Yauch founded the Milarepa Foundation, which raised money for post-September 11 disaster relief and other causes.

The band's 12-inch single "Rock Hard" (1984) was the second Def Jam record crediting Rubin as producer (the first was "It's Yours" by T La Rock and Jazzy Jay). On July 22, 1986, Beastie Boys opened for John Lydon's post-Sex Pistols band Public Image Ltd., and supported Madonna on her North American The Virgin Tour. Then headlining with Fishbone and Murphy's Law with DJ Hurricane and later in the year, the group was on the Raising Hell tour with Run-DMC, Whodini, LL Cool J, and the Timex Social Club. Thanks to this exposure, "Hold It Now, Hit It" charted on Billboard's US R&B and dance charts. "She's on It" from the Krush Groove soundtrack continued in a rap/metal vein while a double A-side 12", "Paul Revere/The New Style", was released at the end of the year.

The band recorded Licensed to Ill in 1986 and released it on November 15, 1986. The album was favorably reviewed by Rolling Stone magazine. Licensed to Ill became one of the best-selling rap albums of the 1980s and the first rap album to go number 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, where it stayed for five weeks. It also reached number 2 on the Top R&B album chart. It was Def Jam's fastest selling debut record to date and sold over nine million copies. The fourth single, "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)", reached number 7 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Although the group has sold over 26 million records in the US, this is their only single to peak in the US top ten or top twenty. The accompanying video (directed by Ric Menello and Adam Dubin) became an MTV staple. Another song from the album, "No Sleep till Brooklyn", peaked at number 14 on the UK Singles Chart.

The band took the Licensed to Ill tour around the world the following year. The tour was troubled by lawsuits and arrests, with the band accused of provoking the crowd. This culminated in a notorious gig at the Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool, England, on May 30, 1987, that erupted into a riot approximately 10 minutes after the group hit the stage and the arrest of Adam Horovitz by Merseyside Police. He was charged with assault causing grievous bodily harm.

In 1988, Beastie Boys appeared in Tougher Than Leather, a film directed by Rubin as a star vehicle for Run-D.M.C. and Def Jam Recordings. After Def Jam stopped paying them for work they'd already done and were owed money for, Beastie Boys left Def Jam and signed with Capitol Records.

The second Beastie Boys album, Paul's Boutique, was released on July 25, 1989. Produced by the Dust Brothers, it blends eclectic samples and has been described as an early work of experimental hip hop. It failed to match the sales of Licensed to Ill, peaking at number 14 on the US album charts, but later attracted wide acclaim; Rolling Stone ranked it number 156 on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Yauch is survived by his wife Dechen and his daughter Tenzin Losel, as well as his parents Frances and Noel Yauch.