Many have been marking this year as the 50th anniversary of hip hop. It is a genre so inextricably linked with New York City, it was perhaps fitting that yesterday, one of its most famous acts was honoured there.
The intersection of Ludlow and Rivington, in Manhattan's Lower East Side, is now officially known as Beastie Boys Square.
As many of the speakers at the unveiling event noted, getting the City to agree to a name change like this is not an easy task. Luckily, hip hop historian LeRoy McCarthy had the patience and perseverance. When he first brought the ides to the council, ten years ago, he was not only told no, they also told him not to try and again for at least five years. Then another five years. But eventually there was enough pressure and momentum...
So why here and why the Beastie Boys?
The Beastie Boys are obviously nowhere near the originals of the genre, and whether they are the best representative will be down to individual opinion, but they did so much to bring hip hop into the mainstream, that their contribution cannot be overlooked. The corner of Ludlow and Rivington is important because it is the setting for the cover of the album Paul's Boutique. It is the 'difficult second' album that was somewhat overlooked by the fans at the time, as they tried to move away from the more commercial sound of debut Licensed To Ill, although love for it has grown since (it was always well received by the critics).
The scene was set yesterday by a number of New York City council members, including Chris Marte, who seems to have been key in helping get this over the line. He said he was inspired as a youngster by watching the Intergalactic video, to head off to Japan, which he later did, he also said that the Beastie Boys "represent authenticity."
The crowd of thousands clustered around this iconic location were eventually rewarded by an appearance by the two remaining members, Adam Horowitz (Ad-Rock) and Mike Diamond (Mike D). Horowitz noted that, "I love that some kid, on the way to school fifty years from now, will be wondering what the f*@# is a Beastie Boy?"
Diamond added, "We grew up elsewhere, but the Lower East Side was the cool place to hang out." He noted the importance of the city, "We could never have been what we became, without growing up in New York City and all its incredible music." He also made sure to pay tribute to their brother, Adam Yauch (MCA), who sadly lost his battle with cancer in 2012. "I've got to say thank you to Adam Yauch - he was our brother on this journey we got to go through."
Meanwhile, Buzzcocks honoured at the Camden Walk of Fame
Friday saw the culmination of a week of celebration at the new Camden Walk of Fame, with legendary Manchester punks, Buzzcocks, being honoured along with The Kinks. Both bands have their stamp indelibly marked on the guitar music that has come since.
The Libertines front man Carl Barat inducted Buzzcocks, with the current line up sadly missing co-founder Pete Shelley, who died in 2018. Barat said, "They’ve been a big influence on everyone. They’re part of our alphabet, they’re part of what makes us. They’re the footsteps that we walk in. Having a monument to that on the floor brings a reality to it, a tangibility. It’s a brilliant thing."
The Walk of Fame scheme was founded by Lee Bennett, and the week also saw inductions for the likes of Eddy Grant, Billy Bragg and The Sugarhill Gang, culminating with a music festival yesterday (Saturday 9th) featuring some of the inducted artists.
Sole remaining original Buzzcock, Steve Diggle commented, "It's nice to have this paving stone in the heart of Camden. It feels kind of spiritual really. Even though we're from Manchester, I've lived half my life in London and spent a long time around Camden. It is quite inspirational for music."
A message from another Mancunian, Liam Gallagher, was read out, which mentioned the Buzzcocks being the second best band to come out of Manchester. It was certainly nice of him to reference Joy Division, as he certainly couldn't be talking about Oasis, who wouldn't even make a top ten of Manchester bands (The Smiths, New Order, Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, Charlatans, Hollies etc.).
Meanwhile, for The Kinks, Ray Davies was ill and brother Dave lives in the US, so the award was accepted by drummer Mick Avory. He said, "It's a hub of music that's gone on from the fifties. It's nice you've got something to remember the musicians that played here. This is a great idea for that scene."