Adam Yauch, aka MCA of The Beastie Boys Tribute Post | RIP

This post is hard for me to make; The Beastie Boys have been my favorite group of musicians throughout my whole life. From dressing up as them with a couple buddies for Halloween in 4th grade, to them starting my interest in Tibet with their 1996 Free Tibet Concert (which ultimately led to the most incredible journey of my life), to getting in trouble in French class in 6th grade for going to BeastyBoys.com (don't do it), to seeing Kings of Leon open for them circa 2003 in San Francisco, MCA and the rest of the gang forever influenced my tastes in music and attitudes in life.

There really isn't another band like them. From their early punk rock days, to their epic debut Licensed to Ill, to the classic Ill Communication, to my middle school favorite Hello Nasty, to their emotional response to 9/11 To The 5 Boroughs, all the way up to their most recent release which was somehow still cool despite their age, they always brought a unique flavor, constantly evolving over time, but one that always seemed to please their die-hard legions of fans.

In tribute, here's a 36 minute collection of some of their more memorable hits. Below I've included some of my favorite music videos, where they were consistently innovators as well, producing some of the most classic videos ever. And after rewatching a bunch of these, GODDAM DID THEY HAVE SWAG (before swag was in).

RIP Adam Yauch. I count myself blessed that I got to see you perform before this sad day.