SA Footy

ADAM Yauch, aka MCA of the Beastie Boys, died Friday in New York at the age of 47.

"It is with great sadness that we confirm that musician, rapper, activist and director Adam "MCA" Yauch ... passed away in his native New York City this morning after a near-three-year battle with cancer," his rep said in a statement.

"Born in Brooklyn, New York, Yauch taught himself to play bass in high school, forming a band for his 17th birthday party that would later become known the world over as Beastie Boys," the statement added, about the hip-hop group he created in1979 along with bandmates Michael "Mike D" Diamond and Adam "Ad Rock" Horovitz.

GlobalGrind website first reported the news, which quickly became a top trending item on Twitter, with tributes pouring in from fans and his fellow musicians.

"Adam was incredibly sweet and most sensitive artist who I loved dearly and was always inspired by his work. He will be missed by all of us," hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, who was Yauch's mentor, said in a statement.