RIP Adam Yauch

Adam Yauch, aka MCA, of the Beastie Boys passed away this week after a 3-year battle with cancer. Yauch is known as the Beastie who played bass, was really into Tibetan Buddhism, and was the only one with a rapping voice that wasn't annoyingly nasal. I listened to a lot of Beastie Boys stuff back in the early 90s, and while they weren't always the greatest in pure rap terms, they were usually innovative and interesting. And in an age when hip-hop was getting way too serious, they were one of the few big names in the genre willing to get stoopid and keep it fun. There's a nice obituary of MCA here.