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.) more ›

When Beastie Boys co-founder Adam Yauch announced that doctors had found a cancerous tumor in his left parotid (salivary) gland, he expressed optimism about his recovery, because the cancer was localized and would not affect his vocal chords. That was back in July, and though we've interviewed Yauch since then, we didn't want to press the man too much on his health. (Gothamist: How is your health situation? Yauch: I'm doing all right! I'm in Hawaii right now, feeling good.) It's unclear what his status is, but this email just went out to members of the Beastie Boys fan club: more ›

At the beginning of 2008, Brooklyn-born musician and filmmaker Adam Yauch (famous for his work with a little hip-hop trio called the Beastie Boys) launched a movie distribution company called Oscilloscope Laboratories with ThinkFilm vice president David Fenkel. They hit the ground running, snatching up fresh narrative and documentary features from festivals and bringing a consistently provocative roster of movies to theaters and DVD (made without plastic and printed on FSC Certified 80% post-consumer waste paper and produced in a carbon neutral, hydroelectric, ISO-9001 and ISO-14001 certified plant!) more ›

Ideally every good summer music festival is filled with one or two moments where everyone there can't help but shake off the cobwebs of cynicism and think to themselves, "Now this is what it's all about." It's pretty safe to say that Jay-Z did just that for a few thousand people last night at All Points West, performing the takeover just as the rain cleared to begin his first American festival appearance with a cover of "No Sleep Til Brooklyn." We admit to needing a video like the one below to do just that for those of us stuck listening to APW coverage on rock radio stations suddenly caring about Jay, accompanied by DJs using it as a chance to show off their emcee skills and explain the rapper's importance due to his collaborations with The Killers, Jack White and Linkin Park. Alas, Jigga to the rescue: more ›

It only took the folks behind the All Points West Festival a few days to find a replacement for their Friday night headliners. Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys announced on Monday that the band would be canceling their upcoming tour, which included the festival date, while he undergoes treatment for throat cancer. So, upon hearing such somber news who does one get to replace the legendary trio? The fest booked another Brooklyn-born boy, of course, and his name is Jay-Z. The APW press release says this is, somewhat unbelievably, the U.S. festival debut for the rapper; choosing a fitting quote from one critic that declares: “his mouth is one of the most nimble in the genre's history, and he uses it to present thoughts that are sharp, funny and resonant." Sounds about as close to the Beasties as one can get, and hopefully he'll do a cover or two to fill the void. For those not interested in Jigga, single day Friday tickets are now refundable (the rest of the fest's lineup is here). more ›

Some heavy news out of the Beastie Boys' camp today: The three emcees and one DJ are canceling their upcoming tour and postponing their new album release because doctors have discovered a cancerous tumor in Adam Yauch's left parotid (salivary) gland. In the video above, Yauch and Adam Horovitz announce the bad news, with Yauch expressing healthy optimism about his recovery, because the cancer is localized and will not affect his vocal chords. He's expected to have surgery next week, to be followed by radiation treatment. more ›

The Hollywood Reporter has news that Beastie Boy Adam Yauch will be expanding his music and film production operation, Oscilloscope Laboratories, into indie film distribution. Under the nom de plume Nathanial Hörnblowér, Yauch has orchestrated many of the Beastie Boys videos, as well as the hip hop group’s inventive full-length concert doc Awesome; I Fuckin’ Shot That! Oscilloscope also shot and produced live concert videos for Beck and Ryan Adams. more ›