Entertainment Express: Adam Yauch, Justin Timberlake, Lauryn Hill, Iron Man 3, The Met Costume Gala

[Pic: Nadia Neophytou]

* This past weekend marked a year since Beastie Boys’ MCA aka Adam Yauch died from cancer. Brooklyn celebrated his life – on Friday, Palmetto Playground, where he used to play as a child, was named after him, and yesterday, MCA Day brought fans and friends together with art that paid tribute to his legacy. In Long Island City, a mural went up at 5 Pointz, by artist Danielle Mastrion (who was also behind this).

* Justin Timberlake played a corporate-sponsored gig on Sunday night, and on Instagram revealed plans for the second installment of The 20/20 Experience and new tour dates. Glad to see he’s reduced the time in between albums from 6 years to 6 months.

* Someone who has taken even longer than Justin to release new music is Lauryn Hill. And this, it seems, was under duress. As the Grammy-winning singer faces sentencing today for tax evasion, she released a new song called Neurotic Society on iTunes, as part of a deal she made with Sony that will likely help her avoid prison time.

* Iron Man 3 opened to – as pretty much expected – record numbers, pulling in over $500 million dollars in its opening weekend, internationally, and around $175 million in the US, making it the number 2 best-debuting film, beaten only by its Marvel bedfellow The Avengers (which opened with $207 million last year). 

* The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual Costume Institute Gala – aka the fashion Oscars – takes place tonight. Much has been written about the unlikely event of having punk, which is the theme of this year’s Costume Institute exhibition, feted by Vogue magazine. It opens Thursday. I’m getting a sneak peak today, so check back later for pics and an update.