(AP) NEW YORK Adam Yauch, the gravelly voiced Beastie Boys rapper who co-founded the seminal hip-hop group, has died at age 47.

Yauch's representatives confirmed that the rapper died Friday morning in New York after a nearly three-year battle with cancer.

Also known as MCA, Yauch was diagnosed with a cancerous salivary gland in 2009. He had undergone surgery and radiation.

At the time, Yauch expressed hope it was ``very treatable,'' but his illness caused the group to cancel shows and delayed the release of its 2011 album, ``Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 2.''

The Brooklyn-born Yauch created the Beastie Boys with high school friend Michael ``Mike D'' Diamond. Originally conceived as a hardcore punk group, it became a hip-hop trio after Adam ``Ad-Rock'' Horovitz joined.

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Here's video from the recent induction of the Beastie Boys into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, from The Huffington Post.

And here's a music video featuring the boys and Mix Master Mike, who was born in San Francisco.

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Beastie Boy Adam Yauch Has Died at 47