On May 3, the day before Beastie Boys member Adam “MCA” Yauch succumbed to cancer, the rap group was slapped with a copyright-infringement lawsuit from Tuf America, a publishing company representing Washington, D.C. go-go legends Trouble Funk. Now we have more insight as to why.
Elton John dedicated a song to the late Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys at a recent Las Vegas show, where the legendary hitmaker told the audience about the time he discovered the trailblazing hip-hop trio.
This is very poor timing. The Beastie Boys were slapped with a copyright-infringement lawsuit just one day before group member Adam 'MCA' Yauch passed away. According to AllHipHop.com, Tuf America filed the lawsuit on May 3 claiming the group unlawfully sampled portions of Trouble Funk's songs on two of their classic albums.
Days after the passing of Beastie Boys' Adam 'MCA' Yauch, the music world (and beyond) is still reeling. The loss has inspired many musicians to cover songs by the rap trio, and now fun. has honored the late MC with a unique rendition of 'Sabotage.'
When a death of a beloved music artist happens, it's not unusual for his or her music catalog to see a bump in sales. In the case of Adam Yauch, aka MCA, of the Beastie Boys, digital sales of the trio's albums skyrocketed on iTunes.
The death of Beastie Boys rapper Adam 'MCA' Yauch has deeply affected the hip-hop community but no more so than the group's founding members. Adam 'Ad-Rock' Horovitz went on the band's Tumblr page to eulogize his late friend and give thanks to their adorning fans.
Hip-hop lost an influential icon when the death of Beastie Boy Adam 'MCA' Yauch was announced on May 4, 2012. The gravelly-voiced rapper was one part of the trio, along with Adam 'Ad-Rock' Horovitz and Michael 'Mike D' Diamond, since they first broke out with their 1986 LP 'Licensed to Ill' until his last days on earth; he will forever be missed in the hearts of fans and music lovers alike. With the passing of MCA still fresh in our minds and our hearts, we want to know: In your personal opinion, which of the Beastie Boys' eight studio albums is their best body of work?
The Beastie Boys were inducted in to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 14, the same day that Adam 'MCA' Yauch was hospitalized for what would be the last time. Though Yauch couldn't attend and his bandmates didn't perform without him, Kid Rock, Travie McCoy and the Roots paid tribute to their musical legacy with a fun medley of the group's hits.
There are a lot of Beastie Boys tributes on the Internet following the death of Adam 'MCA' Yauch, but a Jay-Z performance of a Beasties classic has resonated with some devotees. Gawker highlighted the clip on their website so we figured you guys would like to "Ch-Check It Out" (see what we did there?).
The hip-hop world isn't the only one mourning the loss of Beastie Boys' Adam 'MCA' Yauch. Madonna is also devastated by the death of Yauch, who passed away Friday, May 4, at 47 years old.
