Adam Yauch

American musician (1964–2012)

Adam Yauch

Yauch in 1992

Background information
Birth name| Adam Nathaniel Yauch
Also known as|

* MC Adam
* MCA
* Nathanial Hörnblowér
* Bloach
* Abednego

Born| (1964-08-05)August 5, 1964
New York City, U.S.
Died| May 4, 2012(2012-05-04) (aged 47)
New York City, U.S.
Genres|

* Hip hop
* rap rock
* hardcore punk
* alternative hip-hop

Occupations|

* Musician
* rapper
* songwriter
* filmmaker

Instruments|

* Vocals
* bass

Years active| 1979–2012
Formerly of| Beastie Boys
Website| beastieboys.com

Musical artist

Adam Nathaniel Yauch (/jaʊk/ YOWK; August 5, 1964 – May 4, 2012), also known by the stage name MCA,[1] was an American rapper, bassist, filmmaker and a founding member of the hip hop group Beastie Boys. Besides his musical work, he also directed many of the band's music videos and did much of their promotional photography, often using the pseudonym Nathanial Hörnblowér for such work.

Yauch founded Oscilloscope Laboratories, an independent film production and distribution company based in New York City. As a Buddhist, he was involved in the Tibetan independence movement and organized the Tibetan Freedom Concert.[2] He died in 2012 from parotid cancer,[3] after which Beastie Boys disbanded.

## Early life and education

[edit]

Born in Brooklyn, New York City, Yauch was an only child. His father Noel was an architect,[4] and his mother Frances was a social worker.[5][6][7][8] Yauch's mother was Jewish and his father Catholic, but he had a non-religious upbringing[6] in Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn.[9]

Yauch attended Edward R. Murrow High School in Brooklyn's Midwood neighborhood. In high school, he taught himself to play the bass guitar[10] and formed Beastie Boys from hardcore punk band Young Aborigines, with John Berry, Kate Schellenbach, and Michael Diamond.[11] They played their first show—while still a hardcore punk band in the vein of Reagan Youth—on his 17th birthday. He attended Bard College for two years before dropping out.[12]

## Beastie Boys

[edit]

Further information: Beastie Boys

Yauch (center) with the Beastie Boys in 2009

Beastie Boys, a hip-hop trio, released their first album Licensed to Ill on Def Jam Records when Yauch was 22. He directed many of Beastie Boys' music videos, often under the pseudonym Nathanial Hörnblowér.[12][13]

In 2002, Yauch constructed a recording studio in New York City called Oscilloscope Laboratories. He began an independent film distributing company called Oscilloscope Pictures.[14] He directed the 2006 Beastie Boys concert film Awesome; I Fuckin' Shot That!

Beastie Boys had sold 40 million records worldwide by 2010.[12] In April 2012, the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Yauch was inducted in absentia due to his illness.[10] His bandmates paid tribute to him; a letter from Yauch was read to the audience.[15]

In 2011, Yauch received the Charles Flint Kellogg Award in Arts and Letters from Bard College, the college he attended for two years. The award is "given in recognition of a significant contribution to the American artistic or literary heritage".[16]

## Other independent work

[edit]

He directed the 2008 film Gunnin' For That #1 Spot about eight high school basketball prospects at the Boost Mobile Elite 24 Hoops Classic at Rucker Park in Harlem, New York City.

Yauch produced Build a Nation (2007), the comeback album from hardcore/punk band Bad Brains. When Bad Brains released Into the Future (2012), the band dedicated the album to Yauch, their longtime friend and backer, who had died several months previously.[17]

In addition, Oscilloscope Laboratories also distributed Kelly Reichardt's Wendy and Lucy (2008), Oren Moverman's The Messenger (2009),[18] and Lynne Ramsay's We Need To Talk About Kevin (2011).

## Personal life and views

[edit]

Yauch was a practicing Buddhist.[19] He became an important voice in the Tibetan independence movement,[2][20] creating the Milarepa Fund, a nonprofit organization devoted to Tibetan independence and organized several benefit concerts to support the cause, including the Tibetan Freedom Concert.[10][18][21]

In 1995, while attending a speech by the Dalai Lama at Harvard University, he met his wife, Tibetan American Dechen Wangdu. They married in 1998 and had a daughter the same year.[10][22][23]

In 1998, during the MTV Video Music Awards, when receiving the Video Vanguard Award, Yauch condemned America's wars in Muslim countries and prejudice against Muslims and Arabs.[24]

## Illness, death and legacy

[edit]

Yauch in 2007

In July 2009, Yauch was diagnosed with a cancerous parotid gland and lymph node. He underwent surgery and radiation therapy, delaying the release of Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 1 until 2011 (when it was renamed Hot Sauce Committee Part Two) and canceling the trio's planned tour.[25][26] He was unable to appear in videos for the album. At the time, Yauch called the cancer "very treatable".[27]

On May 4, 2012, Yauch died in Manhattan, New York, at age 47.[28][3] In his last will and testament, he left instructions that his music not be used in advertising, though the legal validity of those instructions has been questioned.[29]

On May 3, 2013, ceremonies were held to rename the Palmetto Playground in Brooklyn Heights Adam Yauch Park.[9]

Yauch is also the subject of a mural dedicated to his memory at the Beastie Boys' former studios in LA.[30]

## Discography

[edit]

Main article: Beastie Boys discography

with Beastie Boys

* Licensed to Ill (1986)
* Paul's Boutique (1989)
* Check Your Head (1992)
* Ill Communication (1994)
* Hello Nasty (1998)
* To the 5 Boroughs (2004)
* The Mix-Up (2007)
* Hot Sauce Committee Part Two (2011)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Adam Yauch: Why MCA Was The Renaissance Man Of Hip-Hop". u discovermusic. August 5, 2019. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
2. ^ a b Goldberg, Eleanor (May 4, 2012). "Adam Yauch Of Beastie Boys Remembered For Tibetan Activism, Freedom Concerts". The Huffington Post.
3. ^ a b "Beastie Boys Co-Founder Adam Yauch Dead at 47". Rolling Stone. May 4, 2012. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
4. ^ "Noel Yauch Obituary from the New York Times". Legacy.com.
5. ^ "Adam Yauch Dies at 47; Beastie Boy Became Advocate for Tibet", The Washington Post, May 4, 2012, archived from the original on May 8, 2012, retrieved May 6, 2012
6. ^ a b Anthony DeCurtis (May 28, 1998). "Adam Yauch on His Spiritual Journey: 'I Don't Care If Somebody Makes Fun of Me'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 5, 2012. Retrieved May 5, 2012.
7. ^ O'Malley Greenburg, Zack (May 4, 2012). "Adam 'MCA' Yauch And The Beastie Boys: Hip-Hop Pioneers". Forbes. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
8. ^ A. Greenberg, Brad (May 4, 2012). "Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch, Jewish legend and hip-hop pioneer, has died". Jewish Journal. Archived from the original on November 19, 2016. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
9. ^ a b "Brooklyn playground named after Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch NME May 1, 2013". Nme.com. May 1, 2013. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
10. ^ a b c d Gray, Madison (May 4, 2012). "Adam Yauch, MCA of the Beastie Boys, Dies After Cancer Complications". Time. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
11. ^ "Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch dies at age 47". USA Today. May 4, 2012. Retrieved May 5, 2012.
12. ^ a b c Coyle, Jake (May 4, 2012). "Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys dies at 47". Boston.com. Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
13. ^ "Nathanial Hornblower bio". oscilloscope.net.
14. ^ Ryzik, Melena (September 8, 2008). "Offstage, a Beastie Boy Enters the World of Independent Film". The New York Times. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
15. ^ "Yauch misses Hall of Fame ceremony". London Free Press. Archived from the original on May 8, 2012. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
16. ^ "Academics – Bard College Catalogue". Bard College. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
17. ^ Eric R. Danton (November 20, 2012). "Bad Brains Dedicate New Record to Adam Yauch". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
18. ^ a b Rafer Guzman. "Beastie Boys rapper Adam Yauch dead at 47". Newsday.com. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
19. ^ Van Biema, David; McDowell, Jeanne (October 13, 1997). "Buddhism in America". Time. Archived from the original on November 22, 2008.
20. ^ "Frontline: Online Interview with Adam Yauch". Frontline.
21. ^ "Tibet supporter Yauch of Beastie Boys fights with cancer". www.phayul.com. July 21, 2009. Archived from the original on July 31, 2013. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
22. ^ Seltzer, Sarah (May 4, 2012). "Adam Yauch, Feminist Ally - Sisterhood". The Forward. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
23. ^ Tibet Sun: "The union between Adam Yauch and Dechen Wangdu: a look back" from the International Business Times May 5, 2012
24. ^ "MTV | Homepage - Shows & Schedules". MTV. Archived from the original on February 25, 2024.
25. ^ Thomson, Katherine (July 20, 2009). "Beastie Boy Adam Yauch has 'very treatable.' cancer". Huffington Post. Associated Press. Archived from the original on March 26, 2012. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
26. ^ Yauch Announcement on YouTube
27. ^ "The Associated Press: Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys dies at 47". Archived from the original on May 7, 2012. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
28. ^ "Adam Yauch, a Founder of the Beastie Boys, Dies at 47". The New York Times. May 4, 2012. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
29. ^ Goffe, Wendy (August 13, 2012). "Yauch's Will, Banning Use Of Music In Ads, May Not Be Valid". Forbes. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
30. ^ Lank, Barry (July 14, 2023). "The Beastie Boys studio in Atwater Village". The Eastsider. Retrieved January 29, 2025.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Adam Yauch.

* Adam Yauch at AllMusic
* Adam Yauch discography at Discogs
* Appearances on C-SPAN
* Adam Yauch on Charlie Rose
* MCA at IMDb
* Village Voice Slideshow Dedication of Adam Yauch Park

Interviews

* Interview Archived June 4, 2012, at the Wayback Machine in Shambhala Sun
* Audio interview on the.LIFE Files
* Interview on "Gunnin' For That #1 Spot" at IFC, June 2008

* v
* t
* e

Beastie Boys

* Ad-Rock
* John Berry
* Mike D
* MCA
* Kate Schellenbach

Studio albums|

* Licensed to Ill
* Paul's Boutique
* Check Your Head
* Ill Communication
* Hello Nasty
* To the 5 Boroughs
* The Mix-Up
* Hot Sauce Committee Part Two

Compilations|

* Some Old Bullshit
* The In Sound from Way Out!
* Beastie Boys Anthology: The Sounds of Science
* Solid Gold Hits
* Beastie Boys Music

EPs|

* Polly Wog Stew
* An Exciting Evening at Home with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
* Pretzel Nugget
* Root Down
* Aglio e Olio
* Nasty Bits
* Scientists of Sound (The Blow Up Factor Vol. 1)
* The Mix-Up Bonus Tracks

Live musicians|

* Rick Rubin
* Doctor Dré
* DJ Hurricane
* Money Mark
* Eric Bobo
* Alfredo Ortiz
* Mix Master Mike

Associated acts|

* The Young and the Useless
* Dust Brothers
* Mario Caldato Jr.
* BS 2000
* The Latch Brothers

Filmography|

* Beastie Boys Video Anthology
* Awesome; I Fuckin' Shot That!
* Fight for Your Right Revisited
* Beastie Boys Story

Related articles|

* Discography
* Songs
* Grand Royal
* G-Son Studios
* The Beastles
* Oscilloscope Laboratories
* Simply Mortified

* Category

Awards for Adam Yauch

* v
* t
* e

MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction

* Tim Newman (1984)
* Jean-Baptiste Mondino (1985)
* Steven Barron (1986)
* Stephen R. Johnson (1987)
* Andy Morahan and George Michael (1988)
* David Fincher (1989)
* David Fincher (1990)
* Tarsem (1991)
* Mark Fenske (1992)
* Mark Pellington (1993)
* Jake Scott (1994)
* Spike Jonze (1995)
* Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (1996)
* Beck (1997)
* Jonas Åkerlund (1998)
* Torrance Community Dance Group (1999)
* Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (2000)
* Spike Jonze (2001)
* Joseph Kahn (2002)
* Jamie Thraves (2003)
* Mark Romanek (2004)
* Samuel Bayer (2005)
* Robert Hales (2006)
* Samuel Bayer (2007)
* Erykah Badu and Mr. Roboto (2008)
* Marc Webb (2009)
* Francis Lawrence (2010)
* Adam Yauch (2011)
* Romain Gavras (2012)
* David Fincher (2013)
* Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (2014)
* Colin Tilley and the Little Homies (2015)
* Melina Matsoukas (2016)
* Dave Meyers and The Little Homies (2017)
* Hiro Murai (2018)
* Calmatic (2019)
* Taylor Swift (2020)
* Lil Nas X and Tanu Muino (2021)
* Taylor Swift (2022)
* Taylor Swift (2023)
* Taylor Swift (2024)

* v
* t
* e

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – Class of 2012

Performers|

* Beastie Boys
* Ad-Rock, Mike D, Adam Yauch
* The Blue Caps
* Tommy Facenda, Cliff Gallup, Dickie Harrell, Bobby Jones, Johnny Meeks, Jack Neal, Paul Peek, Willie Williams
* The Comets
* Joey Ambrose, Franny Beecher, Danny Cedrone, Johnny Grande, Ralph Jones, Marshall Lytle, Rudy Pompilli, Al Rex, Dick Richards, Billy Williamson
* The Crickets
* Jerry Allison, Sonny Curtis, Joe B. Mauldin, Niki Sullivan
* Donovan
* The Famous Flames
* Bobby Bennett, Bobby Byrd, Lloyd Stallworth, Johnny Terry
* Guns N' Roses
* Steven Adler, Duff McKagan, Dizzy Reed, Axl Rose, Slash, Matt Sorum, Izzy Stradlin
* The Midnighters
* Henry Booth, Billy Davis, Cal Green, Arthur Porter, Lawson Smith, Charles Sutton, Norman Thrasher, Sonny Woods
* The Miracles
* Pete Moore, Bobby Rogers, Claudette Rogers, Marv Tarplin, Ronnie White
* Laura Nyro
* Red Hot Chili Peppers
* Flea, John Frusciante, Jack Irons, Anthony Kiedis, Josh Klinghoffer, Cliff Martinez, Hillel Slovak, Chad Smith
* Small Faces/Faces
* Kenney Jones, Ronnie Lane, Ian McLagan, Steve Marriott, Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood

Early influences|

* Freddie King

Non-performers
(Ahmet Ertegun Award)|

* Don Kirshner

Award for Musical Excellence|

* Tom Dowd
* Glyn Johns
* Cosimo Matassa

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States
* France
* BnF data
* Czech Republic
* 2
* Netherlands

Artists|

* MusicBrainz
* 2
* Grammy Awards

People|

* BMLO
* Deutsche Biographie

Other|

* IdRef
* Yale LUX

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