A quarter-century ago, the Beastie Boys helped Public Enemy get their start on the road, history that wasn't lost on the hip-hop group's Chuck D on Friday.
"Last night, I took a 14 hour flight to Sydney, Australia from LA, embarking on PE's 80th tour in 25 years. I just landed to 65 texts with the news," he said in a statement, addressing the death of Adam Yauch, better known as MCA.
"Adam and the Boys put us on our first tour 25 years and 79 tours ago. They were essential to our beginning, middle and today. Adam especially was unbelievable in our support from then 'til now, even allowing me to induct them into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame," he continued. "I consider myself a strong man and my father says be prepared to lose many in your post-50 path of life. Still, I'm a bit teary-eyed leaving this plane. R.I.P. Adam aka MCA."
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Hip-hop stars from across the spectrum paid tribute to the late MC on Friday, with Rev Run, one of the group's early collaborators, adding to the memories.
"A couple years ago, me and a couple of people that were working on filming 'Run's House' on MTV went to their show in Brooklyn, and I came out on onstage and waved to the audience right before 'No Sleep Till Brooklyn.'" he told MTV. "I did so much with them over the years that I just want to keep the love alive. My tribute to them is just to tell them that I love them and what they did for hip-hop culture is legendary.
"He had a really incredible style of rhyme, and I was like, 'This dude is amazing,'" Run added of the Beasties' early days. "Adam Yauch has this special type of rasp in his voice that made him incredible to me, so he stood out as a real vintage type of incredible MC. It was intriguing to see white guys rapping like that, being so cool, plus sticking to their roots, so they were true to themselves."
