It's hard to believe the Beastie Boys released their second album, Paul's Boutique, 25 years ago. Over the two decades, however, the New York City location that stood as the album's cover art has become historic, bringing Beastie fans from all over the world to that very spot. And tomorrow, July 26, the location will receive a mural paying tribute to the legendary rap / rock / hip-hop group.
On Saturday, at 11 a.m., artist Danielle Mastrion is going to be designing and painting the image on the outside wall of Wolfnights –– a sandwich shop currently on the corner of the exact location as the once-upon-a-time Paul's Boutique.
The project is being led by LeRoy McCarthy, the very man who was attempting to have the corner rebranded as Beastie Boys Square. Unfortunately, those attempts fell flat when the board rejected his proposal and alleged that the rap/rock group did not, and would never, meet the criteria to co-name the street, seeing as no one could prove the group contributed 15 years of service to the local community.
The decision was a near-universal one, yet one board member claimed to be in favor of the co-name. Chad Marlow claimed, "The wise thing and fair thing to have been done would be to let him return to the committee. This isn't about the Beastie Boys. It's about showing respect for the community."
Though McCarthy might have hit a snag in renaming the street, it seems safe to say he's won part of the battle.
