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Jul 20, 2009 Beastie Boys By Kyle Lemmon

Early this morning, The Beastie Boys announced some disheartening news: Adam Yauch (aka MCA) has been diagnosed with a tumor in his parotid or salivary gland. Though it’s a cancerous tumor, a press release notes, “luckily it was caught early and is localized in one area, and as such is considered very treatable.” Despite this, Yauch must have surgery and “several weeks of additional treatment.” Hence, all of the Beasties’ upcoming dates (including performances at All Points West, Austin City Limits, and Lollapalooza) have been canceled, and the release of their eighth LP, Hot Sauce Committee Part 1, has been pushed back. Thankfully, the tumor will not damage Yauch’s vocal cords.

On a lighter note, The Beasties are releasing an exclusive 12-inch (featuring Nas) to indie record shops. If you recall, they collaborated at this year’s Bonnaroo for the Hot Sauce Committee Part 1 cut, “Too Man Rappers.” This limited pressing of 5,000 was recorded live at the festival and is in stores now.

The Boys also posted a video on their website today, in which Yauch explains the situation with sincerity and even some winking humor. To paraphrase his statement, Yaunch said, “I just need to take a little time to get this in check, and then we’ll release the record and play some shows. it’s a pain in the neck (sorry had to say it) because I was really looking forward to played these shows, but the doctors have made it clear that this is not the kind of thing that can be put aside to deal with later.” Yauch, 43, said he will likely undergo surgery next week, followed up by localized radiation treatment.

All Beastie Boys concerts are canceled until further notice:

07-31 Liberty State Park, NJ - All Points West
08-02 Montreal, Quebec - Osheaga
08-06 Chicago, IL - Congress Theater
08-08 Chicago, IL - Lollapalooza
08-30 San Francisco, CA - Outside Lands
09-24 Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl
10-02 Austin, TX - Austin City Limits