10 Awesome Adam Yauch Rhymes: Beastie Boy MCA's Best Lyrics

by M. Tye Comer, N.Y.   |   May 04, 2012 3:15 EDT

from http://www.billboard.com

Each of the Beastie Boys brandished a style of rapping that set him apart from the pack. But for many fans, it was the distinctive growl of MCA that consistently rose above the beats. From the trio's rough and rowdy early tracks to their refined and respected final cuts, Adam Yauch delivered his rhymes with a depth, grit and lyrical precision that was renowned and respected in rap and rock circles alike.

Adam Yauch, Beastie Boys' MCA, 1964-2012

Photos: Beastie Boys Through The Years | MCA's Death: Stars React on Twitter

Throughout his life, Yauch evolved from a street-wise Brooklyn brawler into a peace-practicing Buddhist activist, and his enlightenment was reflected in the lyrics he committed to wax over the years. Check out 10 of MCA's most famous verses and pay homage to one of hip-hop's most cherished voices.

What MCA lyrics are your favorites? Let us know in the comments section below.

"No Sleep Til Brooklyn"

1986

"Born and bred Brooklyn U.S.A./ They all me Adam Yauch but I'm M.C.A./ Like a lemon to a lime a lime to a lemon/ I sip the def ale with all the fly women"

"Paul Revere"

1986

"Now my name is M.C.A. I've got a license to kill/ I think you know what time it is it's time to get ill/ Now what do we have here an outlaw and his beer/ I run this land, you understand I make myself clear."

"Shake Your Rump"

1989

"A puppet on a string I'm paid to sing or rhyme/ Or do my thing I'm in a lava lamp inside my brain hotel/ I might be freakin' or peakin' but I rock well"

"Pass The Mic"

1992

"If you can feel what I'm feeling then it's a musical masterpiece/ If you can hear what I'm dealing with then that's cool at least/ What's running through my mind comes through in my walk/ True feelings are shown from the way that I talk"

"So What'cha Want"

1992

"Well I'm as cool as a cucumber in a bowl of hot sauce/ You've got the rhyme and reason but no cause/ Well if you're hot to trot you think you're slicker than grease/ I've got news for you crews you'll be sucking like a leech"

"Sure Shot"

1994

"I want to say a little something that's long overdue/ The disrespect to women has got to be through/ To all the mothers and sisters and the wives and friends/ I want to offer my love and respect to the end"

"Root Down"

1994

"Bob Marley was a prophet for the freedom fight/ 'If dancin' prays to the Lord then I shall feel alright'/ I'm feeling good to play a little music/ Tears running down my face 'cause I love to do it'

"Intergalactic"

1998

"Well I got to keep it going keep it going full steam/ Too sweet to be sour too nice to be mean/ On the tough guy style I'm not too keen/ To try to change the world I will plot and scheme"

"An Open Letter To NYC"

2004

"Dear New York I hope you're doing well / I know a lot's happen and you've been through hell / So, we give thanks for providing a home / Through your gates at Ellis Island we passed in droves"

"Make Some Noise"

2011

"Pass me the scalpel, I'll make an incision/ I'll cut off the part of your brain that does the bitching/ Put it in formaldehyde and put it on the shelf/ And you can show it to your friends and say that's my old self"

Vertical Farm Proposal Is Woven Into The Fabric Of The City

By: Lloyd Alter
From: http://www.treehugger.com/urban-design/vertical-farm-proposal-woven-fabric-city.html

© Michelle Cheng

We have shown a lot of vertical farms that are in the city, but they are rarely part of the city. They are usually freestanding, independent and designed for drama, from butterflies to spheres. But successful buildings in real cities are part of a fabric, usually full of mixed uses. We shop for food often, so it should be part of our local neighborhood, not some tower standing at the waterfront or in the middle of downtown. If vertical farming is going to get real, then it has to get really local and mix it up.

© Michelle Cheng

© Michelle Cheng

Michelle Cheng, a graduate of the Ryerson University School of Interior Design, (and a former student of mine, I teach sustainable design there) has designed a vertical farm for her thesis. She didn't place it at the waterfront or inthe theater district like Gordon Graff did; she put it in the middle of a transitioning residential area with a large social housing component, full of people who need affordable fresh food.

© Michelle Cheng

The farm is built around an interior piazza that can serve many functions, with permanent retain in the base and with temporary markets in the middle. Michelle describes her concept:

To design a holistic, self-contained vertical farm that supports several levels of food diversity in a socially engaging community within an urban fabric; one that socially, economically, and environmentally encourages the city’s populace to adapt a holistic and healthy lifestyle. All the while emphasizing alternative systems can be added to any existing building to offset waste and contribute to the city’s urban metabolism.

© Michelle Cheng

Technically, the farm builds on the work of Gordon Graff in his thesis at the University of Waterloo: a closed loop where waste from the building and from the farm is processed in an anaerobic digester, producing biogas that is used to heat and power the building. Unlike Gordon, Michelle makes use of natural sunlight as well as artificial light.

© Michelle Cheng

Michelle has some fun designing a very urban intervention; with the courtyard and the decoration, it almost seems more french than her most relevant precedent, the Zudikas by Paul de Ruiter.

© Michelle Cheng

Food for thought from Michelle Cheng, with thesis advisor Professor Catherine Dowling.