From Left to Right: Adroc, DJ Hurricane, Adam Yauch aka MCA, Mike D

Long time DJ for the Beastie Boys, DJ Hurricane released a statement grieving his long time friend MCA…

“As I mourn my friend, Adam Yauch aka MCA, I send my heartfelt condolences to his wife, daughter and loving parents. I think of all of the good times we shared that I will cherish forever. We rocked so many stages together: from Jerusalem to Italy to North America to South America to Japan to Australia and New Zealand; we toured the world several times over and I thank you for taking me on that journey.  I am heartbroken, but will never forget the times we shared, as we grew from being kids to responsible adults. R.I.P. MCA I LOVE YOU………  You will be missed dearly.”

In 1986, The Beastie Boys began their career as the opening act for the RaisingHell Tour that included the first successful breed of touring hip hop groups: Run D.M.C, LL Cool J and Whoodini.  In the midst of the tour, The Beastie Boys found themselves stuck with no DJ, as their first DJ quit early on the tour; in those days no “credible” hip hop DJ wanted to DJ for a white hip hop group.  The Beastie Boys went to Russell Simmons for guidance and help in finding a DJ.  Simmons turned to Run D.M.C’s DJ, the legendary and recently deceased Jam Master Jay, for advice.  As luck would have it, Jam Master Jay just so happened to be one of Hurricane’s best friends and Jay recommended Hurricane for the gig.  After an initial hesitation stemming from fears that a white hip hop group would be less legitimate, Hurricane decided to step in as The Beastie Boys DJ and went on to complete the rest of the tour.  The Beastie Boys, thoroughly impressed by DJ Hurricane, asked him to be their DJ permanently and history was made. At the completion of the The Raising Hell Tour, The Beastie Boys and DJ Hurricane released what is now known as one of the most successful hip hop albums to date, Licensed To Ill.

The License to Ill album took the Beastie Boys and DJ Hurricane all around the world and notoriety and fame followed. “Fight for Your Right to Party,” the fourth single released from the album, took over the airwaves and MTV and has come to be the anthem for successive generations. The License to Ill solidified in the minds of any and all doubters that The Beastie Boys were in fact credible; the first credible and commercial white hip hop act. The Beastie Boys’ success was further validated in 1988 when they toured with Run D.M.C, then the biggest international hip hop tour to date, selling out arenas and stadiums worldwide.

Although Beastie Boys and DJ Hurricane parted ways in late 2000, Hurricane released his third solo album, Don’t Sleep, which enabled him to work with a broad scope of guest artists, including Kool G Rap, Xzibit, Scott Weiland, Public Enemy , Rah Digga, Talib Kweli, and others. Today, DJ Hurricane runs his own production company, Don’t Sleep Productions, and is overseeing the career of JBYRD, a 13 year old rapper from Georgia who has become a digital phenomenom with a tribute song, “Green and Yellow”, and video for the Green Bay Packers.  The video has became a viral favorite, reaching over 1 million YouTube hits almost overnight.  JBYRD has earned recognition throughout the web on hip-hop sites as well as features in publications such as Complex.com, a Wall Street Journal cover, and Billboard Magazine.

Tribute to MCA by graffiti artist 'Aroe' 12ft by SIXTY FOUR FT