[Updated at 3:03 p.m. ET] Adam "MCA" Yauch, a founding member of the pioneering rap band the Beastie Boys, has died after a nearly three-year battle with cancer, the band's publicist said Friday. He was 47.
Yauch revealed in July 2009 that he had surgery for cancer in a salivary gland and a lymph node.
What is salivary gland cancer?
Yauch's death comes less than a month after the Beastie Boys were inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. Because of his fight with cancer, Yauch did not attend, Rolling Stone magazine reported.
The Beastie Boys – Yauch, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz and Michael "Mike D" Diamond – did not perform that night. But Horovitz read a letter from Yauch to the audience.
"I'd like to dedicate this to my brothers Adam and Mike," Yauch wrote, according to Rolling Stone. "They walked the globe with me. It's also for anyone who has ever been touched by our band. This induction is as much ours as it is yours."
Yauch's cancer delayed the release of the band's most recent album, "Hot Sauce Committee Part Two," for two years. It was supposed to come out in 2009 but instead was released in spring 2011.
The Beastie Boys' debut album, 1986's "Licensed to Ill" – featuring the singles "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party)," "No Sleep Till Brooklyn," "Paul Revere" and "Brass Monkey" – was the first rap album to reach No. 1 on the Billboard album charts.
Yauch was a founding member of the group, which played for the first time at his birthday party in 1981, according to the band’s Facebook page.
He converted to Buddhism in the 1990s after visiting Nepal and hearing the Dalai Lama speak in Arizona, he told the Buddhist magazine Shambhala Sun in 1995.
As a Buddhist, Yauch became an advocate for Tibetan freedom, organizing concerts involving the Beastie Boys and other acts to raise money for the cause, including the first Tibetan Freedom Concert in 1996. Several similar concerts followed.
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What I loved the most about the beastie boys (besides the great music) was how much fun they seemed to have making it. they were originators, video pioneers, and legends! A huge blow to the music community everywhere. RIP MCA. Thanks for the memories
They created some of the greatest music videos. That video for "Sabotage" is still one of the best I've ever seen.
Really really sad. The Beasty Boys were great! Why this only happen to tallented people? It never seems to happen to the Crhis Brown,s, Katty Perry's and Rihanna's of this world. Today is a sad sad day!
When they called him a "rapper" did they leave out the "c"?
It's SABOTAGE! It's a sad, sad day. RIP MCA
What a bummer. Also, it's really disrespectful to come on here and start bashing a band that just lost a member to cancer all in the same day. Go die in a fire. Keep your garbage opinions to yourself. RIP MCA
If You Can Feel What I'm Feeling Then It's A Musical Masterpiece
If You Can Hear What I'm Dealing With Then That's Cool At Least
What's Running Through My Mind Comes Through In My Walk
True Feelings Are Shown From The Way That I Talk
And This Is Me Y'All, I M.C. Y'All
My Name Is M.C.A. And I Still Do What I Please
And Now I'd Like To Introduce what's up?
I'll Pass The Mic To D. For A Fist Full Of Truth
Pass the Mic
Three Grammy Awards, Rolling Stone #77 on 100 All-Time list, VH1 #89 on 100 All-Time list................yeah, they REALLY suck.
Now it's time for the media and every Joe Blow nitwit to pretend they cared about the Beastie Boys all along, like anyone thought they were relevant five minutes ago. You watch, it'll happen.
There is no song that makes me want to speed like "Sabotage" does. RIP MCA
He is one with the force RIP MCA
Grew up with the Beastie Boys in high school and then college. A ground breaking group, no doubt. Ill have 'em on the iPod today for sure!
Now here's a little story I got to tell about 3 bad brothers ya know so well
it started way back in history
with AD-Rock
MCA
and me
Mike D
we had a little horsey named Paul Revere
Just me my horsey and a quart of BEER
riding cross the land kicking up sand
sheriff's posse is on my tail cause I'm in demand
REST IN PEACE ADAM – Thank you for the music you created and everything you stood for !
talk about gone too soon. RIP
My heart sank when I heard this news today, I'm with a lot of people in saying that some of my best memories are surrounded by Beastie Boys songs. I truly grew up with the Beasties (I was born in '84 and Licensed to Ill came out in '86) and today is a very sad day indeed. It was always on the top of my bucket list, to see the Beasties live, but they were pretty close to being done touring by the time I got old enough to start going to concerts. RIP MCA, you will live on in your music, and you will be missed greatly.
The illest Jewish rappers ever. Adam Yauch z"l
i like mac miller, but hes not touching MCA