Finger Lickin' Good: Unearthed Beastie Boys Interview, 1985 (Remembering MCA)

Just a few days ahead of the one year anniversary of Adam "MCA" Yauch's untimely death, Blank on Blank have released a newly unearthed 1985 Beastie Boys interview. While it only lasts about six minutes, animator Patrick Smith has created some great black-and-white animation to go along with it; He's really managed to capture The Beasties' pre-License to Ill righteous Punk Rock attitude(s) and even animated ABC News Radio interviewer Rocci Fisch and topic-appropriate graphics to go along with it. The cassette-taped audio itself originates from Washington, DC and covers everything from Madonna's "Like a Virgin" Tour to what MCA dubs "Soul Hardcore B-Boy music." Ad-Rock, Mike D & MCA were only about 18-19 years old, at the time, and were barely even making Hip-Hop yet, having only released Polly Wog Stew EP, "Cooky Puss," "Rock Hard," and "She's On It/Slow and Low."


The city of Brooklyn is holding the second annual "MCA Day" this upcoming weekend, May 4th, in honor of Adam Yauch's life, memory, and legacy; Yauch's childhood playground, Palmetto Playground is being re-named Adam Yauch Park on Friday, as well. Surviving members Ad-Rock & Mike D are currently working on a long-overdue Beastie Boys memoir with Sacha Jenkins (ego trip) that's expected to be released on Spiegel & Grau in 2015. Publisher Julie Grau was quoted as saying, "The Beastie Boys are interested in challenging the form and making the book a multi-dimensional experience... There is a kaleidoscopic frame of reference, and it asks a reader to keep up" in a short New York Times interview. Here's one for all you Londoners: "35 individual framed prints will be on show and for sale in London on May 9-12th, 2013 at Beach London, 20 Cheshire Street, London, E2 6EH. Each print represents a different Beastie Boys track. All proceeds go to Macmillan cancer support," writes graphic artist James Curran.