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Michael 'Mike D' Diamond, Rachael Horovitz, Adam 'Ad-Rock' Horovitz, and Adam 'MCA' Yauch of The Beastie Boys back in 2009Oh please, say it isn't so -- original Beastie Boys rapper Adam Yauch, also known as "MCA," has died. For anyone who grew up in '80s -- and surely many others -- this day marks the end of a rowdy, reckless, and damn fine era. Cue Gen X heartbreak across the world.

Beastie Boys' music, specifically "Licensed to Ill," permeates the memories of my wild and wonderful high school years. "You Gotta Fight for Your Right (to Party!)," "Paul Revere," "No Sleep Till Brooklyn," "She's Crafty," and "Brass Monkey" made good racket in many days and nights of celebrating youth for everything that's fabulous about youth -- being loud and unruly, speaking our minds, having fun, and driving around in cars with boys (real and Beastie), belting out some of the most poetically genius and playful lyrics of our time.

It's hard to believe he's gone.

Yauch was just 47 years old, and he is survived by his wife Dechen Wangdu, and their 13-year-old daughter, Tenzin Losel Yauch. He was a practicing Buddhist. The cause of death is still unknown; however, Yauch had undergone surgery and radiation therapy for a cancerous parotid gland and a lymph node in the past few years. We still don't know if his death was an outcome of his struggle against cancer.

This is heartbreaking news, to say the least, and our hearts go out to Yauch's family, former bandmates, and friends. He may be gone but his legacy and the memories he gave us will never be forgotten.

I frickin' love this song:

Are you a fan of the Beastie Boys? What's your favorite Beastie Boys song or memory?

Images via Michael Loccisano/Getty and Amazon