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Beastie Boys’ Adam Yauch dies at 47

By Patrick Luce May 4, 2012, 18:14 GMT

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Beastie Boys’ Adam Yauch, also known as MCA, has died at the age of 47.

The rapper, who formed Beastie Boys with Mike "Mike D" Diamond and Adam "Ad-Rock" Horowitz in 1979, was diagnosed with cancer 2009 following the discovery of a tumor located in his salivary gland.

Yauch, who had surgery and radiation therapy for the cancer, was not part of the Beastie Boys’ induction ceremony at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April, and has not performed live with the iconic group since the summer of 2009.

The Beastie Boys’ latest studio album Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 2 was released in May, 2011, but Yauch did not appear in any of the music videos from the album.

Beastie Boys broke big with the release of 1986’s ‘Licensed to Ill’ and its hit singles "Fight For Your Right" and "No Sleep Till Brooklyn." The group established their iconic status with later releases – such as 1994's 'Ill Communication' and the hit single "Sabotage."

The trio also quickly demonstrated they were about more than just the right to party with political songs like "In A World Gone Mad” and through their involvement in the Tibetan Freedom Concerts – which they helped organized.