Adam Yauch, known as MCA in the rap group The Beastie Boys, died yesterday on May 4, 2012 after a long battle with throat cancer. I gotta admit, for all of the celebrity deaths we have covered throughout the years, this one really hit me the hardest.

The Beastie Boys were the absolute epitome of cool when I was in junior high and high school. As we all know that is a very critical time in one’s life, and we always remember our musical influences and hold them close to our heart for the rest of our lives. Especially if we were lucky to have happen to have listened to and chosen artists that were truly great. I guess I was lucky in that regard.

When License to Ill came out it was like nothing nobody had ever heard before, and till this day I can’t really think of another album that has come out since that was so original, so groundbreaking as well as so damn good.

To be honest, I hadn’t kept up much with the Beasties as I became an adult so when I had heard MCA had died, it was a shock. A shock to hear that he had cancer and a shock to hear he was 47! Holy crap he will always be the kid prancing around in Fight for Your Right to Party MTV videos to me.

Reading more about his life, it also was really inspiring and touching to hear the kind of work he did throughout his career. He was not just an incredible talent but a really giving and kind person who did his best to help out others in the industry as well as unfortunate peoples throughout the world. So many rappers and artists spoke out about how the Beasties and especially Adam had encouraged and helped them throughout their career.

And the fact that the Beasties were man enough to write an apology to Time Out magazine for writing homophobic lyrics early in their career says a lot about who the Beasties really are. MCA we will miss you.

His Death.

In 2009, Yauch was diagnosed and treated for a cancerous parotid gland and had surgery and radiation therapy done. At the time he was optimistic and said it was very treatable. He died on May 4, 2012.