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Paul’s Boutique corner rechristened Beastie Boys Square in NYC

The 2 surviving members of the Beastie Boys gave thanks to a rowdy crowd

LiFTED | Marcus Aurelius | 11 Sep 2023


The Beastie Boys are coming home!

Not that one of the most New York City bands ever left, but on September 8, after a decade of rejection, the Lower East Side corner of Ludlow and Rivington, where the cover of the Beastie Boys’ magnum opus, Paul’s Boutique, was photographed, was rechristened Beastie Boys Square.

Ad-Rock, on the mic at the naming ceremony, acknowledged the huge crowd who turned out in the sweltering heat, “Thank you to New York for teaching us what to look at, what to listen to, what to wear, how to love, and how to live.” Mike D chimed in, “We could not have become what we became without growing up in New York City.”

The ceremony was short and sweet, and shouts of “MCA! MCA!” were yelled as the rowdy crowd wanted to show their love for the one Beastie Boy who passed away 11 years ago. On the countdown from 10, the cover of the Beastie Boys Square sign was removed, and the crowd erupted in cheers. Soon DJs were playing Beastie Boys songs and samples and the party got started.

Ad-Rock, in a fitting tribute to having a corner named after you, said it was cool in his own personal way. "We walk around these streets and we don’t really think about who they’re named after, like Ludlow Street, Irving Street, Father Demo Square. But it makes me really happy to know that some kid on their way to school 50 years from now is gonna pass by this and look up and be like, 'What the f*ck is a Beastie Boy, and why the f*ck do they have a square?'"

Check out the video of the Beastie Boys naming ceremony below.