Last July, the New York City Council finally approved the renaming of the southwest corner of Ludlow and Rivington Beastie Boys Square, in honor of the Paul’s Boutique album art being photographed there. The new name will be unveiled at a dedication this Saturday (9/9/2023), from 12 PM-2 PM, with Mike D and Ad-Rock both in attendance.
Paul’s Boutique is often seen as the album most steeped in New York culture. There was an almost decade-long push to get the cover’s spot location co named for the group the 2012 death of Adam ‘MCA’ Yauch was the impetus. LeRoy McCarthy, a music and hip-hop advocate who had a hand in the naming of Christopher Wallace Way in Brooklyn and the Wu-Tang Clan District in Staten Island, is behind the naming.
On Saturday, the celebration will feature a special guest DJ set by Jon Bless HiFi System, pop-up activations and more until 2pm. Then, the Apple Original Film Beastie Boys Story, directed by Beastie Boys collaborator and Academy Award winner Spike Jonze, will debut at the IFC Center in Greenwich Village with showings on both Friday, September 8 and Saturday, September 9 at 11:30pm. SiriusXM will also relaunch its Beastie Boys Channel this Thursday, September 7, on channel 105.
Adam Nathaniel Yauch (August 5, 1964 – May 4, 2012).
