LEGISLATIVE  RESOLUTION  mourning the death of famed rapper and activist
Adam "MCA" Yauch
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to honor and pay trib-
ute to those individuals whose  commitment  and  creative  talents  have
contributed to the entertainment and cultural enrichment of their commu-
nity and the entire State of New York; and
  WHEREAS,  Adam  Yauch, also known as MCA, the rapper, musician, activ-
ist, film director and founder of the pioneering New York hip-hop  group
the  Beastie  Boys, died on Friday, May 4, 2012, in Manhattan at age 47;
and
  WHEREAS, Adam Nathaniel Yauch was born on August 5, 1964,  and  raised
in  Brooklyn  Heights; he was the son of Frances Yauch, a social worker,
and Noel Yauch, an architect and painter, and attended Edward R.  Murrow
High School in Midwood; and
  WHEREAS,  Adam  Yauch  taught himself the bass guitar while growing up
and joined the Beastie Boys, originally a hardcore punk outfit,  playing
his first show with the group when he was just 17 years old in 1981; and
  WHEREAS,  The  Beastie  Boys became well-known in the innovative music
scene in Manhattan's East Village and Lower East Side with a sound and a
style all their own; and
  WHEREAS, The album "Licensed to Ill" was the first  hip-hop  album  to
top the Billboard chart; and
  WHEREAS,  The  music  and message of the Beastie Boys evolved over the
years, but they can't, they don't, they won't stop changing the face  of
hip-hop, of music, and of our culture; and
  WHEREAS,  The  Beastie  Boys  exemplified New York through a period in
which grassroots creativity and  a  community  of  iconoclastic  artists
helped  redefine and rejuvenate a city on the ropes, with iconic imagery
from Brooklyn to Ludlow Street; and
  WHEREAS, Having consistently produced multi-million selling albums and
receiving Grammy awards, in April 2012 the Beastie  Boys  were  inducted
into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but Adam Yauch was unable to attend
due to deteriorating health; and
  WHEREAS,  In addition to his contributions to music, Adam Yauch was an
activist and founder of the Milarepa  Fund,  a  non-profit  organization
dedicated to promoting awareness about abuses in Tibet and against Tibe-
tans, and later in life became a successful filmmaker, founding Oscillo-
scope Laboratories, an independent film distribution company; and
  WHEREAS, A man of colossal talent and charisma, Adam Yauch is survived
by his wife, Dechen Wengdu, and their daughter, Losel; he will be missed
by  his  family,  his  fans  and all who knew him; his dedication to his
music, his activism, and his heritage  leaves  an  indelible  legacy  of
inspiration for all other artists; now, therefore, be it
  RESOLVED,  That  this  Legislative  Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of famed rapper and activist Adam "MCA" Yauch; and be it
further
  RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of Adam Yauch.