Photos Courtesy of Huffington Post and Aux Tv
This past Saturday marked the 3rd annual MCA day in New York City, dedicated to remembering Beastie Boy and political activist Adam “MCA” Yauch. Yauch succumbed to cancer on May 4th of 2012 and has since been honored by many for his actions as a proponent of Tibetan independence.
His most memorable tribute may have been most recently when a group of Tibetan monks began breakdancing to “Ch-Check it Out” in Union Square to honor their celebrity champion. Most impressive are their acrobatic moves which appear to be unaffected by their long holy robes. The dance has already gathered mass attention on social media by many nostalgic fans.
Yauch founded the Beastie Boys in 1983 when Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz and Michael “Mike D” Diamond renamed their punk band “The Beastie Boys” and began to shift from punk rock to rap and hip hop. With the release of their debut album Licensed To Ill, the band became one of the fastest selling artists of the decade. This paved the way for the Double Platinum Paul’s Boutique which cemented the group as one of the most influential rap artists of all time.
In April of 2012 The Beastie Boys became just the 3rd rap group to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. A few days later, MCA succumbed to his three year battle with salivary gland cancer.
He will now be remembered as a pioneer of rap, a longtime advocate for Tibetan independence, and the inspiration for so many people around the world to never stop fighting for their right to party.
The entirety of the dance can be viewed in all of its hilarious sentimentality here. The gauntlet has been thrown down for next year’s MCA day.