Mike D's Hip Hop Semantics

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced its 2012 inductees this morning, and Beastie Boys are among the artists who made the cut this year. Joining Beastie Boys in the 2012 class will be Guns N' Roses, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Donovan (Adam Horovitz' former father-in-law), Laura Nyro, The Faces, Freddie King, Don Kirshner, Cosimo Matassa, Tom Dowd, and Glyn Johns.

The induction ceremony will take place in Cleveland, Ohio, on April 14. Tickets for the ceremony will go on sale to the public on December 17 at Rockhall.com.

Beastie Boys have partnered with A Bathing Ape to offer a charity t-shirt that will aid tsunami and earthquake victims in Japan. The t-shirt, which features a graphic design by Mike Mills, will be sold at A Bathing Ape stores worldwide beginning on November 12. (It will first be offered at Vogue's Fashion Night Out in Japan and several BAPE stores in Japan on November 5.)

Beastie Boys issued the following statement: "The people of Japan have given Beastie Boys so much love and appreciation throughout the years, that we want to give back and help them, in some way, get through the devastation they've recently been through."

The t-shirt will cost ¥5040 (approximately US$66). Proceeds from the t-shirt sale will be given to Civic Force, a disaster relief agency working in Japan.