Hundreds of Beastie Boys fans packed into the intersection of Ludlow and Rivington streets on Saturday afternoon to celebrate the unveiling of “Beastie Boys Square,” which comes on the heels of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary.
The New York City Council approved the renaming last year after a yearslong effort to commemorate the iconic corner on the Lower East Side as an official destination for fans of the rap trio and hip-hop loyalists alike.
The corner featured prominently on the cover for the group’s 1989 album ‘Paul’s Boutique,” which was commemorated on a sign hanging beneath the placard that now says “Beastie Boys Square.”
Ad-Rock and Mike D, whose real names are Adam Horovitz and Michael Diamond, thanked the city they grew up in for shaping who they are.
“Thank you for teaching us what to look at, what to listen to, what to wear, how to love, how to live,” Ad-Rock said as cheers erupted from the crowd, which included officials such as Mark Levine, the Manhattan borough president. “Thank you, New York. Thank you.”
In 2013, the city renamed a Brooklyn playground in honor of Beastie Boys member Adam Yauch, better known as MCA, who had played there as a child.
Saturday’s renaming ceremony followed a series of citywide commemorations this summer in honor of the legacy of hip-hop, which turned 50 in August.
“We could not have ever been what we have become without growing up in New York City and hearing all this incredible music, being around all this incredible art, being just around all these incredible people that’s only in New York City,” Mike D said.
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