The Beastie Boys will finally be honored through a Manhattan corner that’s been instrumental in their careers.
The New York Post reports the three-man rap crew of Ad-Rock, MCA, and Mike D will have the Lower East Side corner of Ludlow and Rivington streets renamed to “Beastie Boys Square.” The corner is significant because it’s featured on the cover for their 1989 album Paul’s Boutique, highlighting a former clothing store.
Since 2014, fans have been trying to make the street corner renamed to Beastie Boys Square but it was rejected by local officials. LeRoy McCarthy, who previously campaigned to honor the Notorious B.I.G. and Wu-Tang Clan in their respective boroughs, has been a big proponent, who initially made the proposal that was rejected by Community Board 3. At the time, board members believed the campaign did not meet their guidelines for street co-naming, which includes demonstrated and consistent voluntary commitment to the area. However, McCarthy continued to get support from the Beastie Boys’ fans who signed his online petition that had over a thousand signatures.
City Council advanced the street naming, along with other honorary namings for various thoroughfares and public places. McCarthy told the Post that the corner getting renamed “took a long time, but hip-hop don’t stop.”
“It has been a long road to get Beastie Boys Square accomplished, but I am happy to see New York government formally embracing the indigenous arts and culture of hip-hop, and the street sign is very appropriate because hip-hop is from the NYC streets,” McCarthy added.
For Beastie Boys fans, they now have Beastie Boys Square in Manhattan and Adam Yauch Park in Brooklyn to look forward to the next time they visit New York.