Ludlow and Rivington in New York Photo: Brad Barkett (Getty Images)
Nine years after the campaign first began, efforts to rename a Manhattan street corner “Beastie Boys Square” have finally succeeded. That’s according to Consequence, reporting on a post from Beastieboysquare’s Instagram account that announced the happy news this weekend.
The intersection of Ludlow Street and Rivington Street in New York City will be familiar to fans of the influential rap trio for a fairly simple reason: it’s the intersection featured on the cover photo of the group’s 1989 second album, Paul’s Boutique. (The project itself endured a decade of patience, with slow early sales and consumer confusion that eventually gave way to double-platinum status by 1999.)
The New York City Council approved the proposal this week after voting repeatedly against it in the past, on the grounds that Mike D, MCA and Ad-Rock did not properly meet the usual criteria for an honorary designation (ie, usually some measure of voluntary commitment to the field in question; we’d say 30 years of free advertising should still count for something.)
The New York Post quoted LeRoy McCarthy, one of the main advocates of the change, who responded to the vote with a brief reminder that while it took a minute to make, “hip-hop doesn’t stop.” McCarthy added, “It’s been a long road to complete Beastie Boys Square, but I’m glad to see the New York City government officially embrace local hip-hop arts and culture, and the street sign is very fitting because hip-hop is from the streets of New York.
Beastie Boys Square is one of several honorary names approved by the Council this week, although as far as we know, it’s the only one celebrating the concept of Insomnia until the Council’s recognition. The news comes as the surviving members of the Beastie Boys prepare for the 30th anniversary of the band’s third album, Check Your Head, with a vinyl reissue next month.
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