Flea Market Funk would like to wish Adam Yauch, one third of the legendary Beastie Boys a Happy 47th birthday, even though it’s Aug. 5th, we will take the late pass. From the early hardcore days to License to Ill to Paul’s Boutique and “Hey Ladies” to picking up his bass again for Check Your Head live band tunes, moving on to the human rights activism, his conversion to Buddhism, to his studio, film making and production company Oscilloscope Laboratories (where he recorded the last Bad Brains record and releases films as an independent film maker), MCA has been an integral part of music/life we call Hip Hop. Although many times celebrities use their stardom to stand high on a soapbox preaching about nothing, Adam Yauch has managed to get his his message across through music, and through his activism, has helped many people along the way. Through all of this (not to mention his bout with throat cancer), Yauch has never lost his direction and sense of humor, and has come a long way from the early days. His maturation into the a “grandpa rappin’ since ’83” has given him an elder statesman status in Hip Hop, which many of today’s so called rappers could take a cue from. Check out the clip below of his uncle, Nathaniel Hornblower, Swiss resident and producer of many of the Beastie Boys best videos.

“His maturation into the a “grandpa rappin’ since ’83” has given him an elder statesman status in Hip Hop, which many of today’s so called rappers could take a cue from.”

Nathaniel Hornblower and the Beastie Boys circa 1992

Happy Birthday Adam Yauch, musician, humanitarian, film maker, and fellow New Yorker. Keep Diggin’!