They’re so versatile.
The Beastie Boys were immortalized in New York history Saturday when the street corner featured on the cover of the hip-hop group’s 1989 album “Paul’s Boutique” was christened “Beastie Boys Square,” reports NME.
Speaking at the ceremony, former band members Ad-Rock, 56, and Mike D, 57, thanked their fans for making their dreams come true.
“Thank you [to New York] for teaching us what to look at, what to listen to, what to wear, how to love, how to live,” said Rock, born Adam Horovitz. “It makes me really happy to know that some kid on the way to school 50 years from now is gonna look up and say, ‘What the f–k is a Beastie Boy? Why do they get a square?’”
Mike D, born Michael Diamond, added that “we could not have become what we became without growing up in New York City.”
The Post reached out to the Beastie Boys for comment.
The dedication follows a decade-long campaign to have the Lower East Side intersection of Ludlow and Rivington streets renamed.
A proposal was overwhelmingly rejected by a Manhattan community board in 2014.
“CB3 voted it down because it did not meet guideline criteria,” which includes a minimum of 10 years community involvement and consistent voluntary commitment to the area, Susan Stetzer, district manager at Community Board 3, told The Post in 2019.
![“Thank you [to New York] for teaching us what to look at, what to listen to, what to wear, how to love, how to live,” said Rock, born Adam Horovitz. "It makes me really happy to know that some kid on the way to school 50 years from now is gonna look up and say, ‘What the f--k is a Beastie Boy? Why do they get a square?’”](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/NYPICHPDPICT000033029196.jpg)
Finally, in July 2022, the renaming garnered approval.
“As many of us know, once the Beastie Boys hit the scene, it really changed the hip-hop game,” council member Christopher Marte said last year.
“I see it as a celebration. A celebration for the Lower East Side, a celebration for hip-hop, and especially a celebration for our community who has been organizing for a really long time to make this happen.”
LeRoy McCarthy, who launched the initial petition, told The Post at the time that the renaming “took a long time, but hip-hop don’t stop.”
“It has been a long road to get Beastie Boys Square accomplished, but I am happy to see New York government formally embracing the indigenous arts and culture of hip hop, and the street sign is very appropriate because hip hop is from the NYC streets,” said McCarthy.
The celebration also comes as the group, which was active from 1981 to 2012, announced it had released a vinyl copy of “Hello Nasty” to celebrate the album’s 25th anniversary.