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This new Star Wars character might be J.J. Abrams' tribute to the Beastie Boys

This new Star Wars character might be J.J. Abrams' tribute to the Beastie Boys

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Ello Asty is an X-wing pilot 'born to ill'

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The Beastie Boys as we knew them ceased to exist in 2012 after Adam Yauch's death from cancer, but their memory's being kept alive in an unexpected, intergalactic fashion. Jedi Insider obtained a new Hasbro Black Series figurine of an alien X-wing pilot featured in the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens, one named Ello Asty; his helmet has the phrase "born to ill" written on it in Aurebesh, the Star Wars series' written language. If you're a hip-hop fan, a few bells might be ringing in your brain: the Beasties' 1986 debut was called Licensed to Ill, and they released Hello Nasty 12 years later.

It might be tempting to conclude this is just a weird coincidence, but The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams is a known Beastie Boys fan: as io9 points out, he soundtracked one of the first scenes of 2009's Star Trek reboot with Ill Communication (there's "ill" again!) highlight "Sabotage." And the official Star Wars database describes Asty as "a skilled if occasionally reckless X-wing starfighter pilot for the Resistance"; you could call all of the Beasties' "skilled if occasionally reckless," especially in their youth. Asty might only have a scene or two in the final movie, but this is still a touching tribute on Abrams' part.