Breakdancing Buddhist Monks Honor Fallen Beastie Boy

By Tiffany Willis on May 5, 2014
Posted here for viewer enjoyment

Screengrab via Vimeo

On Saturday, various artists gathered to honor the life of Beastie Boys rapper Adam Yauch (aka MCA) for the third annual MCA Day in Brooklyn, NY. MCA Day was created specifically for celebrating Yauch’s life. Yauch died in 2012 at the age of 47 after a long battle with cancer.

Four breakdancing Buddhist monks performed at Union Square, the site of the first MCA Day, to some of the Beastie Boys biggest hits. (video at the end of the article)

Wikipedia

Yauch was a devout Buddhist. From The Rolling Stone:

In addition to his career with the Beastie Boys, Yauch was heavily involved in the movement to free Tibet. A founder of the Milarepa Fund, Yauch was instrumental in the first Tibetan Freedom Concert in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park 1996, which drew 100,000 people – the largest U.S. benefit concert since 1985′s Live Aid. After 9/11, Yauch and the Beastie Boys organized New Yorkers Against Violence, a concert benefit for some of the victims least likely to receive help from elsewhere. 

Some people asked if the breakdancing Buddhist monks were actually really monks. It’s not been confirmed whether or not they are. Who cares? This was awesome and an amazing tribute to a legend. Enjoy the video!

Tiffany Willis is the founder and editor-in-chief of Liberal America. An unapologetic member of the Christian Left, she has spent most of her career actively working with “the least of these” and disadvantaged and oppressed populations. She’s passionate about their struggles. To stay on top of topics she discusses, like her Facebook page, follow her on Twitter, or connect with her via LinkedIn. She also has a grossly neglected personal blog and a literary quotes blog that is a labor of love. Find her somewhere and join the discussion.

http://www.liberalamerica.org/2014/05/05/breakdancing-buddhist-monks-honor-fallen-beastie-boy-video/