minke nerve: Adam Yauch Remembered By Justin Timberlake, Travis Barker

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Adam Yauch Remembered By Justin Timberlake, Travis Barker

Tributes for the late Beastie Boys MC flooded Twitter on Friday.
By Jocelyn Vena

Adam Yauch in 1999
Photo: Mick Hutson/ Getty Images

Beastie Boys founding member Adam Yauch, a.k.a. MCA, died Friday (May 4) at age 47 after a nearly three-year battle with cancer. News of the MC's death quickly spread across the Internet, and the tributes that flooded Twitter showed the impact his music had on artists from all areas of entertainment.

"Crushed to hear the news of Adam Yauch's passing," Justin Timberlake tweeted. "A true pioneer of art. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones.#RIPMCA"

He's not the only member of the pop world feeling the loss: The Ryan Tedder-led band, OneRepublic, also expressed their shock over his death. "R.I.P Adam MCA," the band wrote. "Beastie Boys remain untouchable."

DJ Steve Aoki expressed his sadness, writing, "Ahhh man... rest in peace to the one and only MCA. wow. terrible news."

"Rip MCA," the Backstreet Boys chimed in. "Our thoughts are with you and your family. #BeastieBoys4Life."

Given how influential the band had been across all genres and their own roots in rock, the reaction has been overwhelming in the rock-and-roll community. "Rest In Peace Adam Yauch /MCA," Blink-182's Travis Barker tweeted. "4ever somebody i looked up to & had the pleasure of meeting. Damn this bums me out, we lost one of the best."

Fellow drummer Chad Smith, from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, added, "Wow, lost another brother..sail on MCA."

Jimmy Eat World tweeted, "We're very saddened by the passing of Adam Yauch. RIP MCA. You'll be missed." They also tweeted a link to the Beasties' track "Gratitude," from their 1992 album, Check Your Head.

"We're sad to learn about the death of MCA," Linkin Park tweeted. "Our condolences to the Beastie Boys and Adam's family."

On top of his music, Yauch had also become a film director and producer over the past decade, so Hollywood felt the loss as well. "RIP Adam Yauch," director Kevin Smith tweeted. "You made my teenage years more fun and your art made it easier for me to do what I do. For a Beastie, you sure were a beaut."

"RIP Adam Yauch (MCA of the Beastie Boys). He was a super-genius, a visionary and, most importantly, a really good person," Rainn Wilson noted.

"Rest in peace Adam Yauch," Marlon Wayans added. "Beastie Boys were always the 'coolest whiteboys' when I was growing up. They erased color lines the opposite way."

Share your condolences for MCA's family, friends and fans in the comments below.

Tune in to MTV tonight at 8 p.m. as Sway hosts an hour-long special celebrating the life and career of Adam "MCA" Yauch, including the late Beastie Boy's biggest moments and remembrances from his friends and peers. Check out mtvU now for the Beastie Boys' classic music videos.

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