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Beastie Boys Celebrate 'Beastie Boys Square' Naming in NYC

Beastie Boys Celebrate 'Beastie Boys Square' Naming in NYC

Published Mon, September 11, 2023 at 10:45 AM EDT

Hip-Hop icons, Beastie Boys were honored in NYC this weekend with the naming of Beastie Boys Square.

On Saturday, the Lower East Side of New York City officially honored Beastie Boys by naming a street corner after them. Beasties surviving members, Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz and Michael “Mike D," were on hand of the occasion (Adam "MCA" Yauch tragically passed away in 2011 after a three-year battle with cancer).

The unveiling of the sign held particular significance — it's located on the very corner showcased in their 1989 classic, Paul's Boutique, at Ludlow and Rivington. In a clip captured by Rock The Bells, the sign was revealed via countdown, as the crowd chanted "Beastie Boys."

The naming of the street was an uphill battle, after initially being voted down in 2014, only to receive the green light eight years later.

"We walk around these streets and we don’t really think about who they’re named after, like Ludlow Street, Irving Street, Father Demo Square..." Ad-Rock said. "But it makes me really happy to know that some kid on their way to school 50 years from now is gonna pass by this and look up and be like, ‘What the f--- is a Beastie Boy and why the f--- do they have a square?'” 

Mike D also expressed his excitement and gratitude. “The second we heard rap music, it was so revolutionary and so exciting, the fact that we somehow got to go from being literally kids listening to every hip-hop record, mixtape, song we could possibly try to memorize every word, thinking that we’d be able to actually make a rap record, and go on to make those rap records, and now here we are all those years later, thank you so much for everything."

Check out a clip for the momentous honor above.

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