Adam Yauch, of the Beastie Boys, dies at 47

Adam Yauch, one third of the pioneering hip hop group the Beastie Boys, died at the age of 47 on Friday, according to Rolling Stone magazine.

Yauch had been receiving treatment for cancer since 2009, when he was diagnosed after finding a tumor in his salivary gland, said the magazine.

Also known as MCA, Yauch co-founded the Beastie Boys in 1979 with Mike D and Ad Rock and the group went on to win multiple Grammys and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year, according to USA Today.

According to GlobalGrind, which initially reported on Yauch's death, he was born an only child in Brooklyn, New York, to Frances and Noel Yauch. He taught himself to play bass guitar and performed with the Beastie Boys while they were still a hardcore punk band.

Yauch underwent surgery and radiation therapy for the cancer located in his parotid gland and a lymph node, according to Entertainment Weekly. Due to Yauch's poor health, the Beastie Boys delayed their most recent album, Hot Sauce Committee Part Two, and had not performed live since 2009. They also did not appear in any music videos from the latest album.

The BBC noted that it was still unclear whether Yauch's death connected to the cancer.

He was also unable to attend the Beastie Boys' Hall of Fame induction ceremony, but his band mates read aloud his statement which said, "I’d like to dedicate this to my brothers Adam and Mike. They walked the globe with me. It’s also for anyone who has ever been touched by our band. This induction is as much ours as it is yours," according to Entertainment Weekly.

Yauch is survived by his wife and son.

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