Nine years after the campaign first began, efforts to rename a Manhattan street corner “Beastie Boys Square” have finally come to fruition. That’s according to Consequence, citing a post by the Beastieboysquare Instagram account, which broke the happy news this weekend. The intersection, at Ludlow Street and Rivington Street in New York City, will be familiar to fans of the influential rap trio for one very simple reason: It’s the intersection featured on the cover photo of the group’s 1989 second album, Paul’s Boutique. (This is a decades-long project, with slow early sales and consumer confusion finally giving way to double-platinum status by 1999.) The New York City Council approved the proposal this week, after voting against it several times in the past, on the grounds that Mike D, MCA and Ad-Rock did not properly meet the usual criteria for the honor (i.e. usually some measure voluntary engagement in that area; we’d argue that 30 years of free advertising has to count for something, though.) The New York Post quotes LeRoy McCarthy, one of the main proponents of the change, who responded to the vote with a terse reminder that while it took a minute to complete, “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 embracing homegrown hip-hop arts and culture, and the street sign is very fitting because hip-hop comes from the streets of New York.” Beastie Boys Square is one of several honorary designations approved by the Council this week, although, as far as we know, it is the only one celebrating the concept of not sleeping until the council recognizes it. The news comes as the surviving members of the Beastie Boys prepare for the 30th anniversary of the group’s third album, Check Your Head, with a vinyl reissue next month.
