Great news: Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys has reportedly beaten cancer. In an interview with BBC, band-mate Mike D said that Yauch's "all-clear" following his illness was "a good thing" and that "we're really happy about it." It's quite a relief, because the last we heard from Yauch in April, he was sending out a mass e-mail requesting cancer-smashing vibes from his fans. Looks like the vibes worked! (Yauch also credits his vegan diet.)

The Beastie Boys will release their long-awaited new album Hot Sauce Committee Part 2 in spring 2011. As for Hot Sauce Committee Part 1—which saw its release delayed when Yauch was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in his left parotid (salivary) gland—Mike D told BBC, "It's still delayed—the first one. The second one is coming out as originally scheduled." (Of course, when the sequel to the never-released "first" album was announced, the Beastie Boys' press release stated: "In what can only be described as a bizarre coincidence, following an exhaustive re-sequence marathon, Beastie Boys have verified that their new Hot Sauce Committee Part 2 will be comprised of the same 16 tracks originally slated for inclusion on Hot Sauce Committee Part 1.")

When asked about possible touring plans, Mike D said the band was "open" to that suggestion, adding "We're still going to have to see how he's [Yauch] doing." (We last saw Beastie Boys invite Nas onstage at Bonnaroo in 2009; here's video.) In the meantime, Mike D says the band is finishing "a big video. I know people don't make big videos any more but we made a big video. It's not even a video, it's a film-eo. A cinematic, short film." We assume he's referring to Fight For Your Right Revisited, a short film (not a documentary) Yauch is directing about the making of the band’s classic party anthem, “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!).”