Ad Rock speaking at the opening of the Adam Yauch Park in Brooklyn, NY.
“Seeing Marty Markowitz rap – it was great, but not as great as Adam’s parents rapping at Adam and Dechen’s wedding. If you were at the wedding, you know that was pretty great.
“I want to thank first the fine people for everything today, everybody from the Parks Department, Adrian Benepe, John Silva, Frances Yauch, Steve Martin; but most of all I want to thank my sister Rachel. She really made this happen, and now she’s gonna make me cry.
“It’s fitting that we’re here today to dedicate a playground to Adam Yauch because like the Wu-Tang Clan, Beastie Boys is for the children. I was trying to think of what to say today, and I was thinking what it means to be a New York kid: People come to New York to be themselves, to express themselves and to be who they want to be. And although Adam’s mom Frances is a New York kid herself, his father Noel came to New York to be himself. And together they raised a New York kid, Adam Yauch, and Noel and Frances raised him right. They taught Adam to be curious, thoughtful, kind and just enough crazy – that craziness that is New York. That New York frenetic energy: It’s musical, artful and always moving forward. And that’s not only Brooklyn, that’s Adam Yauch. And Adam and his wife Dechen raised a daughter Losel, a New York kid that’s equally talented, curious and utterly awesome.
“In life you don’t really get to chose your family, your siblings – you get what you’re given. I got lucky cause I got two great sisters and two great brothers, but I got extra lucky because around 1982, I got the chance to choose two other brothers: Mike Diamond and Adam Yauch. And together our families have grown. I’d like to thank the New York Parks Department and the people of Brooklyn for honoring my friend and brother, and recognizing how cool it is to have an Adam Yauch park for other crazy New York kids.”
“Seeing Marty Markowitz rap – it was great, but not as great as Adam’s parents rapping at Adam and Dechen’s wedding. If you were at the wedding, you know that was pretty great.
“I want to thank first the fine people for everything today, everybody from the Parks Department, Adrian Benepe, John Silva, Frances Yauch, Steve Martin; but most of all I want to thank my sister Rachel. She really made this happen, and now she’s gonna make me cry.
“It’s fitting that we’re here today to dedicate a playground to Adam Yauch because like the Wu-Tang Clan, Beastie Boys is for the children. I was trying to think of what to say today, and I was thinking what it means to be a New York kid: People come to New York to be themselves, to express themselves and to be who they want to be. And although Adam’s mom Frances is a New York kid herself, his father Noel came to New York to be himself. And together they raised a New York kid, Adam Yauch, and Noel and Frances raised him right. They taught Adam to be curious, thoughtful, kind and just enough crazy – that craziness that is New York. That New York frenetic energy: It’s musical, artful and always moving forward. And that’s not only Brooklyn, that’s Adam Yauch. And Adam and his wife Dechen raised a daughter Losel, a New York kid that’s equally talented, curious and utterly awesome.
“In life you don’t really get to chose your family, your siblings – you get what you’re given. I got lucky cause I got two great sisters and two great brothers, but I got extra lucky because around 1982, I got the chance to choose two other brothers: Mike Diamond and Adam Yauch. And together our families have grown. I’d like to thank the New York Parks Department and the people of Brooklyn for honoring my friend and brother, and recognizing how cool it is to have an Adam Yauch park for other crazy New York kids.”
Adam Horovitz speech at the ceremony for Adam Yauch Park May 3 2013
There also seems to be an event for MCA Day in Chicago too hosted by Shes Crafty
There’s a Facebook meditation event for those that feel comfortable doing so. For those that don’t have Facebook here’s the gist: “Please join us on Saturday May 4th at 9:30am and 6:30pm Eastern Standard Time as we will be picturing smashing apart all of the cancer cells in the world.”
Beastie Boys Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz and Michael “Mike D” Diamond are expected to join Borough President Marty Markowitz, Councilman Steve Levin and Parks Commissioner Veronica White in honoring Yauch.
If you love Adam Horovitz (Adrock of the Beastie Boys) but hate his wife Kathleen Hanna this is not the place for you. If you adore original Riot Grrrl and feminist artist Kathleen Hanna but can't get over the fact she married a Beastie Boy this is not the place for you. If you respect them as artists and individuals and for the choice they made to be together then welcome! On May 4th 2012 this blog changed. Now it is just as much devoted to Adam Yauch's memory as it is to Adam and Kathleen. This blog will also celebrate the music, art, commitment to social justice and positive change the Beastie Boys have given us over their 30 year career. Beastie Boys live on just press play.
PWR2MCA/BEASTIES: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pwr2mca/210870055689645