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Beastie Boys rapper <link> <caption>Adam Yauch has died</caption> <url href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-17963855" platform="highweb"/> </link> at the age of 47, after a three-year battle with cancer.

Under the alias MCA, he formed part of the band that eventually became the Beastie Boys, selling 40 million albums worldwide with Mike D and Ad Roc.

Here, you share your memories of the musician, director and Tibet activist.

Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys was my first celebrity encounter when I moved to New York City in 1998. He was in front of me in line at the House of Rare Records on Carmine Street; well hardly a line - just he and I in this small shop chatting with the shopkeeper.

I didn't know who he was for most of this encounter - he was just a cool guy buying up tons of classic 45s. He was quiet, modest, and polite.

After explaining how he was buying these for a friend's birthday, he said he was in a band, and that they had been together for a long time. When the shopkeeper asked what the band was called, he answered "The Beastie Boys" like perhaps we had never heard of them. I was floored.

I tried to calmly express my appreciation for him and his music, and he bowed his head and thanked me for the kind words. This meeting solidified what was already a deep and long term admiration.

His death comes as a great shock, and losing one of the Beasties weighs heavier on me than I ever could have imagined.

I started a website and used the name Sir Stewart Wallace (a name used by Yauch in the Sabotage music video) as a pseudonym.

He emailed me to point out I had breached copyright law, but added he'd forgive me and not take it any further - if I sent him a carton of Australia's most premium beer which I did.

People go on about Paul's Boutique being their landmark album but when I was an angry lost teenager Check Yo Head and Ill Communication spoke to me.

I am truly heartbroken that such a talented and noble artist has died. RIP MCA aka Adam aka Nathanial Hornblower aka Sir Stewart Wallace.

My first festival, Lalopalooza 1995 featured the Beastie Boys.

I saw them at least five times and they are by far the best live act I have ever seen.

The way they controlled the tempo - bouncing between hard-core punk riffs, mellow jazz beats, and flowing hip-hop was great and they played their own instruments as well.

They were amazing - "Too sweet to be sour, too nice to be mean." RIP MCA.

Feel like I've lost a friend. I hugged him once onstage at the London Marquee 15 March 1992. Lots of people were stage diving and hugging the band. I got up there and hugged MCA. He gave me the warmest hug back. Loved that man. <bold>Simon Rolfe, Southampton, England</bold>

I met him for a couple of minutes at an Irish gig in 1994 - we were trying to ring our bus driver at a pay phone and who was standing beside the pay phones only Mike D, Ad Rock and MCA - they signed our tickets and we had a brief chat with them all. <bold>Niall Byrne, Arklow, Ireland</bold>

I got into the Beastie Boys music in 2004 and became obsessed with them. I was lucky enough to get a ticket to see them at Wembley Arena, a concert I will never forget. The Beastie Boys are and remain one of the greatest bands ever. <bold>Jon Pearman, Stansted, England</bold>

Many moons ago I worked as a chef at Butlins in Skegness about the time the Beastie Boys released Licensed to Ill, me and a few pals became the Butlins Beastie Boys and carried a ghetto blaster with us on our days off blasting the boys out full tilt! <bold>Robbo, London, England</bold>