Lookin' for a girl - I ran into a guy / His name is MCA, I said, "Howdy" - he said, "Hi"

Just like an earlier generation had their favorite Beatle, when Licensed To Ill hit it big, people my age had a favorite Beastie Boy. My friends mostly liked Adrock, but MCA was my favorite then, and he always stayed that way.

My brother texted me today, after he heard the news. "Yauch was always my favorite," I texted. "Mine too. :(" he replied.

I could go on and on about how the Beasties and I grew up together, how the first two albums were my college years, and how Check Your Head was THE album of my early twenties and still one of my all-time favorites, and how I loved listening to how they changed and grew, along with me and my friends, all of us fans from the first time we heard "Cooky Puss."

Instead I'll say that today I listened to all their CDs, in order, as opposed to just one song at a time on shuffle on iTunes. And I remembered just how much I loved all those songs, and I thought about how young Adam Yauch was, and how much cancer sucks. He was an artist and a visionary and a great human being, and he didn't just talk the talk, he walked the walk.

Namaste, MCA. Thanks for all those years of good music and fun.

( Have some songs: )