Story by Cat Badra

Brooklyn’s Palmetto Playground will now be named Adam Yauch Park

It’s official: Late Beastie Boys rapper Adam “MCA” Yauch will get a park named after him in his hometown of New York City later today (May 3). Following a year of campaigning to get Yauch the recognition, New York City officials have decided to rename Brooklyn’s Palmetto Playground to Adam Yauch Park. The campaign was spearheaded by a group of Beastie Boys fans who kicked off a Facebook campaign in support of the idea after Yauch passed away last year.

The ceremony will take place at the park, and surviving Beastie Boys member Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz will be at the event, as well as members of Yauch’s family, Borough President Marty Markowitz, Brooklyn Parks Commissioner Kevin Jeffrey, State Senator Daniel Squadron and Council Member Stephen Levin.

At first, the campaign sought to change Squibb Park’s title to be named after Yauch, but Brooklyn Heights residents wouldn’t hear if it. Hence, Palmetto Playground was selected as the choice spot to pay tribute to the late musician.

Yauch passed away on May 4, 2012, following a three-year battle with cancer. He was 47.

Story by Charles Ken

The surviving members of the Beastie Boys have signed a memoir deal

Beastie Boys fans, there’s a new band book coming your way. Surviving Beastie Boys members Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz and Michael “Mike D” Diamond have announced they will release a memoir in 2015, The New York Times is reporting.

Ad-Rock and Mike D recently signed a book deal with Spiegel & Grau, an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group, for the upcoming read. The book’s title is expected to be revealed in the coming days.

So far, it looks like the memoir will be heavy on art. According to publisher Julie Grau, the upcoming read will be “loosely structured as an oral history” of the band and will include a “strong visual component.” Expect the book, which will be edited by the hip-hop journalist Sacha Jenkins, to include the Beasties describing their journey, as well as a selection of contributions from outside writers.

The band is “interested in challenging the form and making the book a multidimensional experience,” Grau added. “There is a kaleidoscopic frame of reference, and it asks a reader to keep up.”

Story by Cat Badra

Beastie Boys rapper says band was recording new music before Adam Yauch’s Passing

Losing a loved one is never easy. Just ask Beastie Boys rapper Adam Horovitz, “Ad-Rock,” who recently lost one of his best buddies and band mates Adam “MCA” Yauch on May 4 after a lengthy fight with cancer.

Speaking with Rolling Stone, Horovitz exclaimed that he has been deeply affected by Yauch’s death. “I’m totally numb,” he said. “I’m walking the dog and I’ll start crying on the street… “

Horovitz went on to drop the news that the Beasties were in the process of writing and recording some new tracks right before Yauch passed away. “We recorded a few months ago,” Horovitz said. “It wasn’t any different from before. We spent more time making fart jokes and ordering food, which was true to form. That’s why it always took so long for us to put records out.”

Mike Diamond, “Mike D,” also told Rolling Stone that he was worried Yauch wouldn’t be able to sing on their latest recordings. But, thankfully, Yauch was strong enough to lend his pipes to the new songs.

“Adam instigated it. It could only come from him, in terms of where he was at with treatment,” Diamond said. “It was stuff we had written or demo-ed, and there were new ideas. He wasn’t sure he was able to do vocals. But after a bit, we ended up doing them. And he was fine,” Diamond said. “It was a way for him to say, ‘Yeah, I’m doing it.’”

Story by Charles Ken

Hip-hop tri Beastie Boys return to Billboard 200 following death of Adam ‘MCA’ Yauch

The Beastie Boys are back on top. Following the passing of Beastie Boys founding member Adam “MCA” Yauch, fans of the band have put the hip-hop trio’s 1986 debut, “Licensed to Ill,” back on the charts. The album reentered the Billboard 200 albums chart this week, coming in at No. 18, with 19,000 copies sold, reports to Nielsen SoundScan. When the album first hit stories in 1987, “Licensed to Ill” was the first rap set to hit No. 1 on the Billboard.

“Licensed to Ill” isn’t the only Beasties album getting love on the charts. Several of the band’s other releases have also entered the Billboard 200 albums chart this week. The band’s 2005 greatest hits collection, “Solid Gold Hits,” ranked No. 51 on the chart, and the group’s 1989 release, “Paul’s Boutique,” hit No. 56, with both albums pushing around 8,000 copies. As for other releases, 2011’s “Hot Sauce Committee Part Two,” 1994′s “Ill Communication” and 1992′s “Check Your Head” all pushed around 4,000 copies, landing at the No. 107, No. 109 and No. 124 spots, respectively. The Beastie Boy’s 1999 compilation set, “Beastie Boys Anthology: The Sounds of Silence,” landed at No. 141 on the chart, selling 3,000 copies.

Overall, digital sales for the trio’s songs has jumped a weighty 949 percent, with the band scoring 151,000 downloads this week. “Brass Monkey” pushed 15,000 units sold; “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!),” “No Sleep Till Brooklyn” and “Sabotage” each sold 14,000; “Intergalactic” landed at 12,000 downloads; and “So What’cha Want” and “Paul Revere” both sold 11,000 downloads.

Story by Charles Ken

Beastie Boys are going to court over their first two albums

As if losing one of their founding band members to cancer last week weren’t enough heartache, the Beastie Boys are also getting dragged to court. The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that the day before Adam “MCA” Yauch’s passing, Beastie Boys and its music publishers and record group – Universal Music, Brooklyn Dust Music and Capitol Records — were handed a federal lawsuit in New York due to “alleged unauthorized use of copyrighted music” way back on the band’s first two albums. 

Specifically, in the lawsuit, TufAmerica states that copyrighted tapings of Trouble Funk’s “Say What” and “Drop the Bomb” were sampled and utilized without prior blessing on the Beasties’ 1986 debut, “Licensed to Ill,” and their 1989 release, “Paul’s Boutique.”

According to the Reporter, TufAmerica states that the Beastie Boys “purposely concealed the integration” of samples from “Say What” in “Shadrach,” plus samples of “Drop the Bomb” in “Hold It Now Hit It” and “The New Style” to the point that the organization just saw the alleged infringement lately.

TufAmerica is apparently suing for copyright infringement, misappropriation and unjust enrichment. Of course, since both of the albums were written and released over 20 years ago, there is the possibility of the statute of limitations has passing on TufAmerica’s suit.

In other Beasties news, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Coldplay paid tribute to Yauch and the Beasties over the weekend at their concerts. Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Keidis sported a “MCA” tee during the band’s show, while Coldplay’s Chris Martin sang a piano version of the Beastie Boys’ seminal chart-topper, “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party).”

Story by Anne Erickson

Rockers Coldplay and Red Hot Chili Peppers remember late Beastie Boy at weekend shows

Adam “MCA” Yauch, founding member of hip-hop trio Beastie Boys, passed away Friday (May 4), and support is pouring out to Yauch’s family and friends from the music community. During a Friday night concert at the Hollywood Bowl, Coldplay offered up their musical tribute to Yauch, who passed away of cancer at the age of 47. Lead singer Chris Martin sang a piano version of the Beastie Boys’ seminal chart-topper, “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party),” inserting the extra line, “And so we’re sending all our love to the Beastie Boys” at the end of the song. As different as Coldplay and Beastie Boys sound, Martin surprisingly made the Beastie classic play like a Coldplay track.

For the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Yauch’s death carries a special meaning, since the Peppers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last month along with the Beastie Boys. The Peppers paid tribute to their late buddy at their Friday concert in Newark, N.J. Billboard reported that Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Keidis entered the stage wearing an “MCA” tee and stated to the crowd, “We lost a good man today. He left the world a lot of beauty. I hope you carry that flame. Adam was for real.”

During their concert, the Red Hot Chili Peppers played instrumental versions of two classic Beastie Boys tracks: 1992′s “Gratitude” and “What’cha Want,” both from 1992’s “Check Your Head.” After the Peppers left the stage following the show, “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right” started blasting out from the PA system, and the crowd chanted along.

Story by Anne Erickson

Beastie Boys founding member Adam ‘MCA’ Yauch has passed away

Adam “MCA” Yauch of the Beastie Boys has passed away, TMZ reports. He was 47 years old. Yauch is a founding member of the Beastie Boys, a group that helped bring rap-rock to the forefront of popular music in the ‘90s, selling millions of albums worldwide. Yauch also directed many of the band’s famously hilarious videos. It’s still not clear whether his death was a result of Yauch’s long battle with cancer.

Beastie Boys were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland last month, but Yauch was unable to join Mike ‘Mike D’ Diamond and Adam ‘Adrock’ Horovitz at the ceremony, due to health issues. “Mike, Adam and Adam are truly grateful for the honor but with only two of the three Beastie Boys attending, they will unfortunately not be able to perform at the ceremony,” read the group’s official statement. The Rock Hall was honoring the Beasties Boys for their years of chart-topping hip-hop, which sold 22 million albums in the United States and 40 million albums worldwide by 2012.

Yauch announced he had cancer in a salivary gland in his neck in July of 2009, and because of those health issues, the group’s touring plans and scheduled Sept. 2009 release of “Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 2,” were delayed. The disc was released as “Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 2” in April of 2011. Last year, Yauch stated that he was optimistic about his chances to beat the cancer, but was not yet cancer-free. Our prayers and thoughts go out to the Yauch family, as well as his friends and band mates.

Story by Anne Erickson

DJ Hurricane speaks out about the role of DJs in rock

Beastie Boys broke out in the ‘80s and ‘90s with their revolutionizing mix of post-punk, hip-hop and rock, and the guys are getting honored for that innovation this year with an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

While the Boys are honored to get selected for the Rock Hall, longtime DJ Hurricane thinks the organization is missing his role — and DJs’ roles in rock music in general — in the group’s success.

Speaking with AllHipHop.com, he noted previous DJs who have been left out of their respective groups’ honors, such as DJ Spinderella of Salt n’ Pepa, and Eric B of Eric B and Rakim and Flavor Flav of Public Enemy.

“That’s how it was back then. When you look at Jam Master Jay and Run DMC- Jay wasn’t under contract on the first two albums,” DJ Hurricane told AllHipHop.com. Hurricane added that he joined the Boys in 1986, when the group were started to gain momentum and lost their original DJ while on tour with Run D.M.C., LL Cool J and Whoodini. He stayed with them until 1999, when they officially splintered.

Hurricane says that he wasn’t only a DJ for the Boys, but also had a hand in writing some tracks, including the chart-topper, “Sure Shot.”

“Ten months out of the year- I was on the road,” recalled DJ Hurricane. “And when you pull up the archive- I’m there. All I want is recognition, not money. A trophy would be correct; like a team that wins a Super Bowl; everyone gets a ring.” What are your thoughts on DJs’ roles in rock?

Story by Cat Badra

Guns N’ Roses, Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers among latest Hall of Fame inductees

Red Hot Chili Peppers fans are likely screaming, “Long live the Peppers!” The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame today (Dec. 7) announced its newest inductees, and the list is long, recruiting rock talent from the likes of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, as well as Beastie Boys, Guns N’ Roses, the Small Faces / Faces, Donovan and Laura Nyro. Others earning honors include Freddie King, who will enter the Hall of Fame as an Early Influence, and late producer and TV host Don Kirshner, who will pick up the Ahmet Ertegun (non-performer) Award. Producers Cosimo Matassa, Tom Dowd and Glyn Johns will receive the Award for Musical Excellence.

Some of those who were glanced over this year include Joan Jett, the Cure, Heart and hip-hip duo Eric B. & Rakim. Heart fans, especially, may take this one heard. Acts become eligible to get inducted into the Hall 25 years after the release of their first single or album, so this year’s inductees all began releasing music in or before 1986. Guns N’ Roses are the only band to be inducted on their first year of eligibility. As for the Peppers, the question is, “Will John Frusiante come to the induction?” One can only hope.

While Guns N’ Roses fans are stoked their guys made it in, it remains up in the air whether the band will perform together at the ceremony. The original line-up hasn’t played live since drummer Steven Adler left the outfit in 1990, and Axl Rose may not want to step on stage with Adler ever again. Only time will tell whether this would-be historical performance will happen.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on April 14 in Cleveland, at Cleveland’s Public Hall. This is the third time that the induction ceremony will take place in Cleveland, famously home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. The show will be broadcast on HBO in early May.

Story by Charles Ken

Beastie Boys offer extensive package for National Record Store Day’s ‘Back to Black’

It comes without saying that the Beastie Boys have intensely dedicated fans. After all, the hip-hop trio are hilarious, and they’ve kicked out catchy, witty, rap-rock anthems since the early-‘80s, from “Fight for Your Right” to “No Sleep ‘till Brooklyn” to “Sabotage.”

Now, the guys are releasing a special, deluxe edition of their latest album, Hot Sauce committee Part Two, on Black Friday via National Record Stores Day’s “Back to Black” Black Friday promotion, and the release has plenty of bells and whistles. Find the details, below. For a list of local stores that participate in National Record Store day promotions, such as this one, visit the event’s official website.

National Record Store Day’s Black Friday “Back to Black” event offers plenty of ear-watering releases, available exclusively at your local record shop on Black Friday (Nov. 25). While the always-stellar folks behind National Record Store Day make it clear that not all stores will stock all items offered during their promotions, there’s a good chance you’ll find a broad range of options locally. Check out details on the Beastie Boys release, below.

Black Friday Find: Beastie Boys, Hot Sauce Committee Part Two, deluxe edition.

This mega collection features Blu-Ray and DVD versions of the entire album, plus all of the remixes mixed in stereo and 5.1 surround sound audio. It also includes both long and short versions of the star-studded, Fight for Your Right Revisited, video and the Spike Jonze directed thriller, Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win. Add to that a hardback 130-plus page book with exclusive behind-the-scenes photos of the making of, Fight for Your Right Revisited, and the official Beastie Boys T-shirt, and you have one beastly package. The pre-sale crop of these packages sold out quickly on the Boys’ website, so act fast.