Beastie Boys' MCA featured in New York Times Magazine tribute

New York - Beastie Boys' Adam "MCA" Yauch has been chosen to be featured on the cover of The New York Times Magazine. Yauch died of cancer on May 4, 2012.

He had been in treatment for cancer since 2009, losing his battle at the age of 47. On the morning of May 4, 2012, the Beastie Boys' released an official statement saying that MCA had died that morning in his "native New York City after a near-three-year battle with cancer." The New York Times Magazine piece was written by Grantland writer Alex Pappademas. In addition to his music career, Adam Yauch worked extensively in the movement to free Tibet. He helped found the Milarepa Fund, a non-profit organization dedicated to the cause, Pappademas notes in his tribute. Yauch was also extremely helpful in starting the Tibetan Freedom Concert tradition. Yauch once told MTV that he was "happiest" when he could "use his fame in a positive way." "When you do things to benefit people from a pure place in your heart, that's a feeling that lasts no matter what happens," he said. "It's given some meaning to me to be famous and be able to make music if I can use that attention to help other people-that gives some meaning to that."