RIP MCA



Adam Yauch was an inspiration, and I hope he remains an inspiration after his death.  The CNN obituary features a video from 2009, when Yauch and Ad-Rock announced that Yauch had cancer.  And--and this really gets me--Yauch apologized to his fans for having to cancel shows.  He was sincerely sorry.  The man had just found out he had cancer, and he was getting ready to go into surgery, and he apologized with humility and good humor.  The world needs more such people.




I remember going with my mom to pick up my older sister at a Beastie Boys concert during their controversial Licensed To Ill tour in the mid-80s.  The concert wasn't quite over when we arrived and I was able to catch a glimpse through the doors of the Sunrise Music Center in Sunrise, Florida.  It was wild to my pre-teen eyes and ears.  I was an instant fan.

Looking back, their beginnings were certainly immature and irresponsible, even though their music was inspiring and trailblazing.  Fortunately, the Beastie Boys evolved into a socially conscious and intellectually curious outfit, and their music kept evolving along with them.  Their third album, Check Your Head (1992), is one of my all-time favorite albums.  The title of this track pretty much sums it up:





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