In Search Of…Beastie Boys Square

We had heard rumblings about the street-naming for almost a year. Leroy McCarthy had been a great supporter of MCA Day, and for several years of his campaign, brought his metal, full-sized ‘Beastie Square’ street sign to each event. His enthusiasm, dedication, and tenacity were contagious, as he had hundreds of people pose with the sign. All around NYC, if there was a Hip-Hop event, there would be Leroy, advocating for Beastie Square. In the meantime, beautiful murals of the Beastie Boys, would spring up on the southwest corner of Rivington and Ludlow - on the walls that appear on the album Paul’s Boutique. Muralist/Artist, Danielle Mastrion helped to spark serious conversations about the street-naming, by rendering no less than four separate Beastie murals, to keep the pressure on. Leroy and Danielle combined forces to keep the attention on this important endeavor. Beastie Boys fans certainly owe them a debt of GRATITUDE! In 2022, we got the word that it would actually happen, but we didn’t get any specifics. Leroy had finally received the go-ahead, and now we would wait to see when it would all come together. There was a false alarm, early in 2023, when a small group of us heard that the event would take place in June. We cleared our calendars, circled dates, and began to plan our contributions to the day. As the day approached, we realized that not much had been said or communicated about the details. Ultimately, the grand plan fizzled, and the waiting game began again. Now we could imagine how Leroy felt. Towards the end of the summertime (2023), I received a text from Mike Kearney, my friend, and creator of MCA Day. He let our group know that a new date had been selected - September 9th, 2023. That was only two weeks away! We hurriedly made our plans, and agreed to meet up on the day. I believe that Mike got all of his information directly from Leroy, as he seemed to have special details about AdRock and Mike D, their attendance, and the general scope of the event. I felt fortunate that I could drive up to New York City, and spend a few days drinking in the vibes and atmosphere that has largely been a distant memory for us. It would be great to see Mike and Adam, and be surrounded by those who want to perpetuate their music and their legacy. Here is our video capture of what transpired that day. So glad to have been there, and we hope this mini-doc conveys the vibe of celebration that was felt by all in attendance. We’re so happy to share it. #beastieboys #beastieboyssquare #standtogether #rivingtonandludlow #beastie #adrock #mca #miked #whathefuckisabeastieboy