5 Essential Beastie Boys Lyrics That Capture the Legacy of MCA
As we mark the anniversary of the passing of Adam “MCA” Yauch, let’s reflect on his Beastie Boys lyrics that will never die. We lost Yauch on May 4, 2012 at…
NEW YORK – FILE: Filmmaker and recording artist Adam Yauch speaks onstage at the Apple Soho store on May 2, 2008 in New York City. Rapper Adam Yauch, AKA MCA, of the Beastie Boys has died May 4, 2012 after battling cancer. He was 47. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)
As we mark the anniversary of the passing of Adam "MCA" Yauch, let's reflect on his Beastie Boys lyrics that will never die.
We lost Yauch on May 4, 2012 at the age of 47. Just typing that out and reading it back feels so wrong. MCA should not have died so young. MCA should still be with us, entertaining us, enlightening us. I was hosting afternoons at the late alterative station WFNX when the news broke that MCA had died. WFNX Program Director Paul Driscoll joined me on the air and gave me free reign to play wall-to-wall Beastie Boys and take calls. Fellow FNX DJ, local rapper and rocker D-Tension joined us to reflect and reminisce.
The sadness was twofold, as it wasn't just the death of Adam Yauch. It was losing Beastie Boys. Because we all knew that was it. Even though the group had started with a few lineup changes and shifts in musical focus, the core that emerged was MCA, Ad-Rock, and Mike D. Those three. Take one away, and you no longer have Beastie Boys. And the decade-plus since MCA left us has borne that out: Ad-Rock and Mike D are still around, doing their thing, popping up together on occasion. But not as Beastie Boys. That chapter has drawn to a close.
Five Essential Beastie Boys Lyrics That Capture the Legacy of MCA
I was always aware of Beastie Boys because I grew up on MTV and their '80s music videos were a staple. But it wasn't until 1992's Check Your Head that they became one of my favorite groups. Over the years, I've come to appreciate not just MCA's lyrical style, but the wisdom and growth he demonstrated as he evolved as an artist. I hope these lyrics of his I've hand-picked do a good job of capturing that.
The New Style
"Four and three and two and one / and when I'm on the mic the suckers run / Down with Ad-Rock and Mike D. and you ain't / and I got more juice than Picasso got paint."
Shadrach
"Equinox symmetry and the balance is right... / The music washes over and you're one with the sound..."
So What'cha Want
"Well, I'm as cool as a cucumber in a bowl of hot sauce / You've got the rhyme and reason, but got no cause / But if you're hot to trot, you think you're slicker than grease / I've got news for you crews, you'll be sucking like a leech."
Sure Shot
"I want to say a little something that's long overdue / The disrespect to women has got to be through / To all the mothers and the sisters and the wives and friends / I want to offer my love and respect to the end."
Intergalactic
"Well, I gotta keep it going keep it going full steam / Too sweet to be sour to nice to be mean / Well, on the tough-guy style I'm not too keen / Trying to change the world, I'm going to plot and scheme."
