In his life, Adam Yauch was known to hip hop and rock fans as MCA of the Beastie Boys; among the three, he was the Spiritual One. In commemoration of the one-year anniversary of his passing on May 4, 2012, Palmetto Playground in Brooklyn Heights will today and forevermore be renamed Adam Yauch Park.
As a member of the Beastie Boys, the Brooklyn native was known for furthering hip hop music as an innovator (the Beasties album Paul’s Boutique brought new depth to their music, as well as to hip hop production in general) and to its worldwide reputation as a New York City invention. As an activist, Yauch established the Milarepa Fund and staged the Tibetan Freedom Concert benefits. His involvement in the Free Tibet cause introduced the plight of nation as well as its form of Buddhism to a swath of hip hop and rock fans, many of whom had their lives changed by the knowledge.
Yauch also had deep ties to world cinema and documentary filmmaking. His production and distribution company, Oscilloscope Laboratories, produced Flow: For the Love of Water, concerning the right to water, The Garden about the imperiled South Central Farm, If A Tree Falls: The Story of The Earth Liberation Front and Youssou N’Dour: I Bring What I Love, among other docs and features.
Adam Yauch Park will provide basketball courts, a community garden, a dog run and open space, among other amenities, to the residents of Brooklyn Heights. It is an ideal local tribute to a world citizen and extremely humble rapper.