I cannot claim to be the hugest of Beastie Boys fans, but I have some really great memories attached to them, and absolutely cannot deny that they are one of the MOST influential hip-hop groups ever, combining punk and hip-hop and making it a mainstream force, this is a fact. So the news that Adam Yauch aka MCA lost his battle with cancer really saddens me. He was a musician,an icon, a humanitarian, and an educator, encouraging us to “Fight for our rights”. RIP MCA.