Source: Emma McIntyre / Getty
Hip-hop culture is probably at its most advanced stage ever, but never can you forget about the foundation where it all began. Rap pioneer LL Cool J does it daily on-air with “Rock The Bells Radio.” Now he’s ready to hit the stage again by bringing back the New York City-centric music festival of the same name that started it all.
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The touring festival series was last seen operating back in 2013, and it looks like LL Cool J is using the same format as previous shows by keeping the lineup stacked with 90s rap icons. As the two-time GRAMMY winner listed in his Instagram announcement of Rock The Bells’ return, confirmed performers include Ice Cube, Rick Ross, Lil’ Kim, Cam’ron, Jim Jones and Juelz Santana together as The Diplomats, Fat Joe & Remy Ma, Jadakiss, Scarface, Trina, N.O.R.E and rarely seen underground icons Digable Planets. In addition to curating the festival, LL Cool J will also be hitting the stage with help from DJ Z-Trip.
In its original form, the festival was famously split between the main stage for headliners and the “Paid Dues” stage for new lyricists on the come-up. With more acts scheduled to be announced soon, it’s very likely the 2022 show will mirror or, at best, add on to the existing model from past years.
Per the official press release, LL Cool J sees the festival as the culmination of his appreciation of the Hip-Hop community.
“This festival is my way of showing love to the community of Hip-Hop and celebrating the incredible journey this culture has taken, going from DJ Kool Herc’s Sedgwick Avenue rec room to the global phenomenon we all cherish today,” he said. “Getting to bring some of the most iconic and influential Hip-Hop artists to the same stage in my hometown and the city that started it all is an honor and I can’t wait for everyone to see what we have in store for them.”
Pre-sale registration for Rock The Bells Festival 2022 – going down Saturday, August 6 at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, NY – began last week. General admission tickets went on sale Friday, April 8 at RockTheBellsFestival.com. Peep the star-studded announcement video below:
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LL Cool J Revives Hip-Hop Favorite Rock The Bells Festival was originally published on blackamericaweb.com
