Adam ‘MCA' Yauch of the Beastie Boys dies at 47

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.

Singer Justin Timberlake tweeted  he was "crushed to hear the news of Adam Yauch's passing. A true pioneer of art. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones."

Rapper Snoop Dogg tweeted, "RIP MCA U are a Legend and a pioneer," and rocker Fred Durst wrote, "A very sad day indeed. Adam Yauch RIP."

Even New York Senator Chuck Schumer passed on his condolences, tweeting "Born and Bred in Brooklyn, U.S.A., they call him Adam Yauch, but he's M.C.A. RIP Adam."

The Grammy Award-winning group first hit the big time with their 1986 album, License to Ill.

The Beastie Boys, with Yauch (left), at London's
 Wembley Arena in 2004 

The band, best known for hit singles such as (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!) and Sabotage, released seven studio albums and were inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in April.

Yauch revealed in 2009 that he was receiving treatment for a cancerous parotid gland and a lymph node.

He is survived by his wife Dechen, their 13-year-old daughter, Tenzin Losel, and his parents, Frances and Noel.