Greetings from Laurel Canyon!
Last Friday, shortly after I sent in my Idelic column, I heard the news that Adam Yauch had sadly passed from cancer at the age of 47. MCA was the quietest of the Beasties. He was the kid who I knew the least, but the voice I respected the most.
Not only did MCA have “rasp and grit” but he was the first, and maybe the only, white rapper who made absolutely no attempt to sound “black.” The kid was not from the projects but he was street. As MCA eloquently put it, “While I’m making my record, your mother is sucking my mother fucking dick.”
It’s the way we grew up; upper class Jewish kids on stoops smoking joints and downing quarts of malt liquor. Although years later he would retract and apologize for his rude and sexist lyrics, MCA’s delivery and lyrics brought us and our cultures crashing together.
So, this week’s Idelic Hour is dedicated to MCA, Mike D, Ad-Rock, and all of us Beastie friends—a bi-coastal crew. Props to us New Yorkers who brought our “hanging on the stoop-graffiti” culture West.
Props to Drakulis and Rick, Sunny Bak, Haze, Matt Dike, Fab 5 Freddy, Ricky Powell, and others. And those LA dudes with their skateboards and laid back lingo (dooode!) Props to the Emquies brothers, Glen Friedman, Lyor, Fredco, B Dub, Kim White, and the Double B.
Over the years I’ve thought about the day The Beasties would turn from boys to men. Now the Beasties live with the Beatles and The Doors. Call the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame what you may, but it was great seeing them honor us all.
Love live MCA, long live The Beatie Boys, New York City rules the world—and I love LA too!
The Idelic Hit of the Week:
The Neighbourhood – Sweater Weather
