Jay-Z Pays Tribute to Beastie Boys at All Points West

Posted on Aug 2nd 2009 11:00AM by Liz Colville
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Jay-Z inherited the Beastie Boys' mantle as the Friday headliner at All Points West in Jersey City, N.J., following Adam Yauch's July 20 announcement that he is battling early-stage parotid cancer. Jay-Z did justice to the role, opening with the band's early hit 'No Sleep Til Brooklyn,' where he freestyled ("The Beastie Boys are on vacation") and covered MCA's verse of the song.

Jay-Z's performance, which included a mix of old and new with his latest track, 'D.O.A. (Death of Autotune),' helped was easily a highlight following thunderstorms and the inevitable mud that rocked APW's first day. He closed out a night that included sets by the National, Vampire Weekend and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Three other summer festivals -- Montreal's Osheaga Fest, Chicago's Lollapalooza and San Francisco's Outside Lands -- have also had to seek out headliner replacements for the Beastie Boys as Yauch prepares to undergo surgery. The band had also been scheduled to headline October's Austin City Limits in Texas. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs will be doing the honors at both Osheaga and Lollapalooza, but as of Saturday, the other festivals have yet to announce replacements. The Beastie Boys have also pushed back the release of their eighth studio album, "Hot Sauce Committee, Part One," which was originally slated for September 15.

APW founder and band friend Paul Tollett described the band's announcement as "a ton of bricks," telling Spinner that it's "hard to replace the Beastie Boys because as a band, people identify with them so much." The good news, relayed through Yauch's video announcement, is that the cancer is easily treatable and won't affect his vocal chords.

Watch Jay-Z's performance of 'No Sleep Til Brooklyn.'