Words like legend and pioneer get thrown around far too often, but today we lost one as Adam Yauch lost his battle with cancer at age 47.

In the end the Beastie Boys are responsible for more than they will ever get credited to them, but I imagine we’ll all begin to grasp it a little as the retrospectives roll through the next week or so. You’ll see the parade of artists that site Adam and his associates as a major influence, but really it more about the music business in general. The way they shaped it from a demographics stand point, the way they help lead a music video revolution, and the way they helped create an attitude and a release for those they grew up in the Beastie era.

Back in 2008 I almost lost my mind when I was invited to interview Adam for a movie he directed. This was before the cancer, and actually smack in the middle of a weird stage for the band after releasing the instrumental album. I was pretty geeked out then and still thankful for the time today.

Today we remember MCA.

Adam Yauch