Spread Love It's The Brooklyn Way

As a teenager in the early 90’s, my girlfriends & I hopped in the car on a bright & sunny summer day & headed up to the horse track in Saratoga Springs, NY.  No, we were not going to bet on the ponies in our ladylike summer dresses & hats- we were going to rock out to a group of white Jewish rappers from Manhattan & Brooklyn in our t-shirts & cut-off shorts.  The Beastie Boys did not disappoint & we had a blast!  So much so that at one point we had a serious conversation about how we should follow them across the country on the rest of their tour.  We still laugh about that to this day but that’s how good they were!

Recently Adam ‘MCA’ Yauch, founding member of the Beastie Boys, passed away from throat cancer at the young age of 47.  I admired him for his talent as an artist but even more so for being an innovator & humanitarian & having the gumption & tenacity to follow his dreams.  Back in the mid-80’s there were almost no white punk/rap/hip-hop acts & the Beastie Boys’ music & style was completely innovative, fresh & wise-ass….I loved it!  The Beastie Boys may be Rock and Roll Hall of Famers now but I’m sure they had their fair share of naysers & criticism while they were pursuing their dream.

I believe that each of us has an innate sense of our unique God given talents & gifts whether we are conscious of it or not.  We may deny these gifts or brush them aside as silly or not important or believe there’s no way we could make a career out of them but it is when you have the courage to embrace them & share them with others that you blossom into the person you were meant to be.  And what could be better in life than living in alignment with your life’s purpose & sharing your happiness & gifts with others?   Thank you MCA for following your heart & spreading your Brooklyn love. Your life was cut short but you lived it to the fullest & that changed the world.