Adam Yauch, also known as MCA, was a founding member of the Beastie Boys. He was known for his rhymes and bass guitar contributions. Yauch was also deeply involved in the Free Tibet movement and organized the first Tibetan Freedom Concert in 1996.
One of the two remaining founding members of the Beastie Boys, Yauch has provided rhymes and bass guitar to our favorite songs. Following the Licensed to Ill tour, Adam joined forces with some old friends like Tom Cushman and recorded under the band name Brooklyn. Recently, studio recordings of this band have been circulating among collectors. The most memorable riff to come out of this collaboration was what would eventually become the bass line for the Check Your Head song "Gratitude."
Although his interest in Tibet began while recording Check Your Head, it was not until 1994 during the Lollapalooza tour that Beastie Boys fans were made aware of band's involvement with the Free Tibet movement. By 1996, Yauch had organized the first Tibetan Freedom Concert in San Francisco, CA. Since then, membership support for two organizations, Students for a Free Tibet and the Milarepa Fund, blossomed. As a result, these organizations (along with the Tibetan Freedom Concerts) have increased the pressure on the Chinese government to change their tradition of human rights violations.
When he's not behind the microphone, Yauch is working on the band's music videos using the alter ego "Nathanial Hornblower," who has directed more Beastie Boys music videos than anyone else. More recently, he was instrumental in the release of the Beastie Boys Video Anthology DVD project.
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