I'm pretty surprised that @SolidStateTheory didn't make it to Xanga to say this (usually, he's right there for obituaries), and I didn't look at the front page enough to know if @TheTheologiansCafe covered it, but just in case they didn't, I will: I just found out via Spinner that after trying to fight his battle with cancer, Adam Yauch aka MCA died today at the age of 47.

It's not entirely a secret that of all th hip-hop groups I listened to, Beastie Boys were my favorite. Not just because they had the balls to hop from their punk rock past into the hip-hop stratosphere. Not just because of their perfectionist approach to music, but mostly because they consistently worked hard to add a more positive approch to music. When they aren't engaging in suprememe braggadocio, they once mentioned for homophobia to stop in "Alive", respect for women in "Sabotage", equality in "All Lifestyles", they constantly called for the war to stop and for Bush to be over thrown on a few songs on To The 5 Boroughs...even when they play around with their rhymes, their approaches, and their out-there use of metaphors and similes, their music it always seemed like they has something to say that is worth listening to. Mostly, because it's always in a way that doesn't have to be serious all the time.

Not only that, but unlike most mainstream rap groups I see breaking up over certain things, Beastie Boys seemed like more of a band. They seemed like a brotherhood.

You can hear in some hip-hop artists that I listened to the influence they left on hip-hop. Needless to say, he will be missed. I don't know what the remaining Beasties might do in his honor (or whether they have a plan to close the book), but I'm sure it will be as good as their other recordings, and it will be just as touching. Maybe a rap salute or a whole album in his honor, a hardcore punk salute or a The Mix-Up style instrumental. Whatever be the case, my best goes out to them

R.I.P. MCA! The much-speculated afterlife called another legend home.

I'm not really good at giving obituaries or paying respects in writing, but that's what I have to say at the moment.

P.S.: It's all too common to put up videos that feature their biggest hits. So, instead I'll put up what I think they would want us to put up.

Perhaps, it's because I haven't really been on here for long, but I' surprised that the contrversy or trend of the day on Xanga wasn't talking about "Bully". Today, I went so far as to read an article about the movie, where two grade-school kids share their experience and their thoughts about the movie. Some of being suspended, some of a person committing suicide. Some of teachers not doing shit about the matter.

I'm surprised more teachers don't take this to mean that it's just no use talking peace to bullies because it seemed like the only way they will truly leave you alone is if you find the strength to fight back.

I'm sure we all had those moments: we had bullies on our ass everyday at school, you tell them to stop and it's like talking to a brick wall. We want so hard to hit them or to do some kind of violence, but we couldn't because we don't want to get in trouble. We tell the teacher, wee tell the busdriver, we tell everyone. Either they ignore it or the bully twists the story and makes it look like it's your fault. After that, their punishment gets worse. Not even telling one's mother works because she's only more arsenal for his abuse. Here are two outcomes: 1) you start to become a bully yourself. The more abuse you took, the more you believe their lies, the more you later regret it and take it out on everyone else. 2) Fuck the teachers and all the principals. Their apathetic asses aren't going to do shit outside of tell their mother, who are probably going to feed the same abuse they probably got at home. If you get suspended for knocking his ass out or cursing up a storm, so be it. Because it seems that they'll not leave you alone, till you are brave enough to show that you aren't the type of person to fuck with.

Many might say that this is just giving them attention, but there is only so many times you can ignore them before it gets completely irritating. Everybody has a pressure point, and it seems like the only way he'll stop is if you reach that point. That or a much bigger point. After that, you either get respect or you get what the next victim isn't going to get: rest from his fucking mouth, fist and other abuse.

If you guessed that I was bullied, you're right. Not just in school. But there were times I had to talk down to an idiot on the computer, fight a much bigger bully at summer camp, and also talk down to my family, whenever she was taking stuff too far. The only way people either calm themselves down was if I showed them I was not the man to mess with. This was the major problem with the school rules.

It was very unrealistic to go out into the world, be peaceful and turn the other cheek because there is  50/50 chance that either he will come back and do it again or bring a bigger entourage. And all they want you to do is keep your composure, so you won't get into trouble...like that was any bit easier to do.

To this, I say: thank you to my past teachers for trying to keep me from trouble and harm, but the fact that most of them were so misunderstanding of both their students and human nature (this most definitely goes to a private chater school I went to as a preteen) shows they are a fucking failure, when it came to taking care of their kids. To this, I want to say two things: 1) thank you for making a tougher man out of me, and 2) fuck you for letting this go on in other schools. The fact that most kids commit suicide, gain low self-esteem or suffer any other kind of fate shows how shitty the school system is at protecting their kids, when the parents aren't there to do it themselves.

(Disclaimer: in the future, I might be talking more about violence, if I get my free write back, so stay tuned for that.)