Gord Downie, frontman of The Tragically Hip, has been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. In a statement, the band say Downie, 52, has "endured a lot of difficult times, and has been fighting hard." Nonetheless, a tour is being planned for this summer, and the Kingston, Ontario band say it will be their best yet. (Billboard) Update: The band have posted 11 Canadian tour dates for July and August.

A shopful of free records

Chicago's Shake, Rattle and Read is closing its doors after 50 years in business — and owner Rick Addy is giving the store's contents away. On Tuesday and Wednesday, customers can walk into the shop and take anything they want, for free. The store will continue operations as an online-only merchant. (NME)

Prince estate claimants object to genetic testing

Two claimants to Prince’s estate are objecting to undergoing genetic testing to prove their relationship to the late rock icon. Brianna Nelson says she is the daughter of the late Duane Nelson, who she says was Prince's half-brother; the other claimant is a girl known only as V.N., whose mother Jeannine Halloran says the girl is Duane Nelson's granddaughter. The claimants say their relationships to Prince are adequately documented without need for recourse to genetic testing. (Star Tribune)

Minnesota Native rappers hit the road together

Native hip-hop artists Baby Shel, Tall Paul, and Thomas X are embarking on a tour that will capitalize on the increased visibility they gained through the Vice documentary Reservation Rap. The Reservation Rap Tour currently has five dates booked in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Montana, and the artists hope to add more. (City Pages)

Viking Bar announces first concerts

The Viking Bar, set to reopen Wednesday after being shuttered for a decade, has announced its first scheduled concerts. Willie Murphy takes the stage on June 4, and there are also scheduled shows by Curtiss A and Cornbread Harris, among others. (City Pages)

Liam Gallagher makes pithy statement on rumored Oasis reunion

Will Oasis get back together? Liam Gallagher has a two-word response to that idea, and it's unprintable. Noel Gallagher has sounded more optimistic, but Liam has a word for his brother too. (Pitchfork)

Today's Paul McCartney news

Paul McCartney says that Oprah Winfrey told him not to collaborate with Kanye West on the song "All Day" (which also features St. Paul rapper Allan Kingdom) — because of Kanye's use of a certain racially-charged slang word. McCartney said his response was, "Yeah, but it's Kanye! And he's talking about an urban generation that uses that word in a completely different way. It's the context. So I was actually pleased with it." (Billboard)

Meanwhile, McCartney is set to appear in a six-part documentary series shot in virtual reality, presented by the British Tourist Authority and the GREAT Britain campaign. "The VR experiences were filmed in McCartney’s home as the legendary performer recounts memories and anecdotes related to various tracks, while sharing archived and never-before-seen footage," reports Billboard.

Bob Dylan hits the beach

To celebrate Bob Dylan’s 75th birthday, MTV has shared previously unseen footage from a 1985 interview with Dylan. What's the footage of? Dylan strolling down the beach.