Two summers ago, I made a pilgrimage I had been dreaming about for years.  In the sweltering July heat, I found myself standing on the corner of Ludlow and Rivington Streets in the Lower East Side of Manhattan.  The street corner doesn’t appear to be much. In fact, an avid music listener may not even notice they passed by an iconic location if they were walking down these streets without paying close attention.  If you stood in the middle of these streets and took a panoramic photo however, true fans would quickly be able to recognize the familiar looking street corner. I am referring, of course, to the album artwork for Paul’s Boutique, the second album of the Beastie Boys.  Although it was never a real store, Paul’s Boutique and its iconic sign remains immortalized on the side of buildings at this street corner thanks to the spray paint cans and creativity of local street artists and fans of the greatest trio of our generation. The view is simply spectacular.

As the year 2019 rolls along, we are reminded of two important dates.  The first being the thirtieth anniversary of Paul’s Boutique, which was released on July 25, 1989.  This album pretty much invented sampling in hip-hop and rap. With over 200 unique samples on the album, it is a goldmine of Easter eggs for listeners to find.  Every time I place my Paul’s Boutique Compact Disc into the player in my 1999 Volvo S70, I discover a new verse, a new sample, a new appreciation for how much time and effort Adam Yauch, Adam Horovitz, and Michael Diamond put into this album.  The attention to detail and creativity has yet to be matched since 1989 and will most likely never be matched.

The second important date is May 4

th

.  This year marks seven years since the world lost Adam “MCA” Yauch.  I remember exactly where I was when I heard the news. Driving on the back roads of Harford County Maryland when the DJs on WHFS announced what they had just learned.  For days afterward, the Boys was all I listened to. As we remember a great man, an explementary human being, and a legendary emcee, I leave you with a quote by MCA within the lyrics of Year and a Day off of Paul’s Boutique:

“I am one with myself, as I turn to thee

Prefer the dreams to the reality

…

Don't need no crazy lifestyle with stress and strife

But it's good to have a turn to be a king for a day

Or for a week, or for a year, or for a year in a day

Come what may...”