Adam Yauch Park Ceremony: WATCH Ad-Rock Speak in Brooklyn, New York

Today is the one-year anniversary of the death of Adam "MCA" Yauch of the Beastie Boys (and unofficially MCA Day in Brooklyn). Yesterday, in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood where Yauch grew up, the influential MC and activist had a park named for him. Palmetto Park, the park where a young Yauch learned to ride his bike, was renamed in his honor. The ceremony included speeches from fellow Beastie Ad-Rock, as well as Yauch's mother and Borough President Marky Markowitz.

Check out the videos below:

"It's fitting we're here today to dedicate a playground to Adam Yauch," Ad-Rock said in a speech. "Because like the Wu Tang clan, Beastie Boys is for the children ... In life you don't get to choose your family. I got lucky because I got two great sisters and two great brothers. And I got extra lucky because around 1982 I got the chance to choose two other brothers, Mike Diamond and Adam Yauch. I'd like to thank the Parks Department and the people of Brooklyn for honoring my friend and brother, and recognizing how cool it is to have an Adam Yauch Park for other crazy New York kids."


Stick around for the end to hear Markowitz rap "An Open Letter To NYC." It's worth it.

Yauch founded the Beastie Boys with Horowitz and Mike Diamond in 1979. The band began its life as a hardcore punk group, but began dabbling in hip-hop and it was there they found success. They released their first studio album Licensed to Ill in 1986, which cemented its place in history by becoming the first rap album to take the number 1 spot on the Billboard charts. A string of successful albums followed and the Beasties became cultural icons.

Yauch died last year after battling cancer since 2009. He was 47.