Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch: 1964-2012

In this Oct. 11, 2010, photo, Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch arrives for the world premiere of the movie, "Jackass 3D," in New York.

Yauch, the gravelly voiced Beastie Boys rapper who co-founded the seminal hip-hop group, died on May 4, 2012 in New York. He was 47. Yauch, who's also known as MCA, was diagnosed with a cancerous parotid gland in 2009.

The Beastie Boys rapper Adam Yauch arrives at the 24th Annual Film Independent's Spirit Awards held at Santa Monica Beach on Feb. 21, 2009, in Santa Monica, Calif.

Musician, rapper, activist and director Adam "MCA" Yauch was a founding member of Beastie Boys. He was also behind the Milarepa Foundation that produced the Tibetan Freedom Concert benefits, as well as the film production and distribution company, Oscilloscope.

Adam Yauch at the "Gunnin' For That #1 Spot" - after party on April 28, 2008, in New York.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Yauch taught himself to play bass in high school. He formed a band for his 17th birthday party that would later become Beastie Boys.

Adam Yauch of hip-hop group Beastie Boys performs on stage during the Live Earth concert held at Wembley Stadium on July 7, 2007, in London.

Beastie Boys would go on to sell more than 40 million records and score four No. 1 albums, including the 1986 full-length debut, "Licensed To Ill." It went on to win three Grammys and the MTV Video Vanguard Lifetime Achievement award.

Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys arrives at Think Film's premiere of "Awesome; F***** Shot That!" at the Loew's 34th Theater on March 28, 2006, in New York.

In April 2012, Beastie Boys were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, with Diamond and Horovitz reading an acceptance speech on behalf of Yauch, who was unable to attend.

Rapper Adam Yauch of Beastie Boys performs onstage at the VH1 Hip Hop Honors 2006 at the Hammerstein Ballroom Oct. 7, 2006, in New York.

Musician/director Adam Yauch from Beastie Boys poses for a portrait at the Getty Images Portrait Studio during the 2006 Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 23, 2006, in Park City, Utah.

A file photo of Beastie Boys.

Adam Yauch (a.k.a. MCA) of Beastie Boys performs at the first day of the VooDoo Music Festival on Oct. 16, 2004, in New Orleans.

Rapper Adam Yauch "MCA" of Beastie Boys appears on a live taping of MTV's "Live to the 5 Boroughs" in support of their new album, "To The 5 Boroughs," at the MTV Times Square Studio, in New York.

From left, Adrock, aka Adam Horovitz; Mike D, aka Michael Diamond; and MCA, aka Adam Yauch are pictured in Paris on May 20, 2004.

Beastie Boys at the Kroq Weenie Roast 2004 concert held at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater on June 12, 2004, in Irvine, Calif.

Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys in 2004.

Adam Yauch of Beastie Boys performs during "New Yorkers Against Violence" at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York on Oct. 29, 2001.

Adam Yauch of Beastie Boys at Tibet Freedom Concert in Chicago on June 13, 1999.

Adam Yauch, lead singer of Beastie Boys, speaks at a press conference prior to the Tibet Freedom concert.

Adam Yauch of Beastie Boys is seen during a press conference at Tibetan Freedom Concert in Wisconsin on June 13, 1999.

In this Sept. 7, 1994, file photo, members of Beastie Boys rehearse at Radio City Music Hall, in New York. From left are Adam Yauch, known as MCA, Adam Horovitz, known as Adrock, and Michael Diamond, known as Mike D.

In this 1989 file photo, originally provided by Capitol Records, members of the Beastie Boys, from left, Adam Horovitz Michael Diamond and Adam Yauch.