Adam Yauch Dies at 47

DATE: 5/6/2012 | BY CORY REYNOLDS

Adam Yauch, pioneering co-founder of the hip-hop group the Beastie Boys, the non-profit Milarepa Fund and the influential experimental film company Oscilloscope Laboratories—which produced the acclaimed street art documentaries Beautiful Losers and Exit Through the Gift Shop—died of cancer on Friday, May 3, at the age of 47.

Featured image is reproduced from the Beastie Boys' official website.

On its site, Oscilloscope calls Yauch "an amazing leader, a dear friend and an incredible human being," and promises that "Adam’s legacy will remain a driving force at Oscilloscope – his indomitable spirit and his great passion for film, people, and hard work – always with a sense of humor and a lot of heart."
Yauch's influence—as "MCA," one-third of the vanguard white rap group the Beastie Boys, which also included Michael Diamond ("Mike D") and Adam Horowitz ("Ad-Rock")—cannot be overstated. To read Jon Pareles May 4 Obituary, please continue to The New York Times.