Swamp Thang

It’s not often that a celebrity death gets to me, but this one does. 

The Beastie Boys were a formative experience for me.  If you never loved them, you probably never will, but if you ever did, you’ll never stop.  And we can argue about whether or not they’re a hip-hop group until Kanye West turns shy, but you can’t argue that they matter.

Adam Yauch, while less flashy than Mike D or Ad-Rock, was always the centrifuge of the band, both musically and politically. He seemed weirdly together, mature, thoughtful and reserved, while also being the funniest guy in the room, if you were paying attention to him.  He was a great musician, a great fan of music, and the world is a better place for having had him.  

MCA, Sir Stewart Wallace, Nathanial Hörnblowér, Adam: You’ll be missed.  Thanks for the good times.