Ludlow and Rivington in New YorkPhoto: Brad Barket (Getty Images)
Nine years after the campaign began, efforts to rename a street on the corner of Manhattan to “Beastie Boys Square” have now come to fruition. That’s for Consequence, reporting a post on Beastieboysquare’s Instagram account, which broke the happy news this weekend.
The intersection, on Ludlow Street and Rivington Street in New York, will be familiar to fans of the influential rap trio for a fairly simple reason: it’s the intersection shown on the cover photo of the sophomore album. 1989 group, Paul’s Boutique. (It’s a project with a decade of patience, with slow early sales and consumer confusion that finally gave way to double platinum status in 1999).
New York City Council approved the motion this week, after having voted against it several times in the past, on the grounds that Mike D, MCA and Ad-Rock had not properly met the usual criteria for honorary appointments ( that is, usually some measure of voluntary commitment to the area in question; however, we would say that 30 years of free advertising must count for something.)
The New York Post quotes LeRoy McCarthy, one of the main proponents of change, who responded to the vote with a brief reminder that, although it took a minute to get done, “hip-hop doesn’t stop.” . McCarthy added: “It’s been a long way to get to Beastie Boys Square, but I’m glad to see the New York government formally adopt the indigenous arts and culture of hip hop, and the street sign is very appropriate for hip hop is on the streets of New York. “
Beastie Boys Square is one of several honorary appointments approved by the Council this week, although, as far as we know, it is the only one that celebrates the concept of not sleeping until the council’s recognition. The news comes as surviving members of the Beastie Boys prepare for the 30th anniversary of the group’s third album, Check Your Head, with a vinyl reissue next month.