Festival celebrates 50th anniversary of hip hop
LL Cool J is among the new performers announced for the annual Rock the Bells Festival he founded, celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip hop. Co-presented by Procter & Gamble and Walmart, the current legendary lineup will expands to include the rapper with DJ Z-Trip, Brand Nubian, Jungle Brothers, Lost Boyz, and an unforgettable Native Tongues celebration with performances from Queen Latifah, De La Soul, Jungle Brothers, Monie Love, and Black Sheep. The festival will be held at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, NY on Saturday, August 5th.
“It’s a special year for the culture and for Rock The Bells in curating this experience, bringing together the icons of hip hop,” LL Cool J shares. “I’m doing this for Queens, for NYC, and for the hip hop culture. There’s no better place for me to perform during this moment in Hip-Hop than my hometown. This isn’t just a Festival; it’s a testament to the power of the culture that changed the world. Get ready!! We are impacting history!! It’s time to Rock the Bells!”
Continuing the celebration of the 50th year of hip hop, this year icons on the Rock The Bells lineup are receiving their well-deserved flowers, including Ludacris’ star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Queen Latifah’s upcoming Kennedy Center Honor for Lifetime Artistic Achievement, and more. In addition to spotlighting these moments of the artists on the lineup, Rock The Bells continues to provide platforms to further pay tribute to their contributions, including the addition of the Native Tongues celebration performance.
Native Tongues is one of the most influential movements in rap history and has left an unmeasurable mark on music and culture. Rock The Bells is highlighting and uplifting these legendary artists because of their enormous influence and impact. Only at the Rock The Bells Festival will fans have the opportunity to experience the common love for Hip-Hop and artistic expression that these legendary groups share.
LL Cool J featuring DJ Z-Trip, Jungle Brothers, Black Sheep, Brand Nubian, and Lost Boyz will join already announced artists including Queen Latifah, Ludacris, De La Soul, Method Man & Redman, Swizz Beatz with SUPER special guests, Salt-n-Pepa, Big Daddy Kane, The God MC Rakim, Slick Rick, Boot Camp Clik feat. Buckshot and Evil Dee, Smif-N-Wessun, OGC and Rock & Bernadette Price, MC Lyte, Yo-Yo, MC Sha-Rock, Roxanne Shanté, Monie Love, Cold Crush Brothers, and more to be announced.
During the festival, attendees can also visit the Walmart Makers Studio, a unique pop-up experience where visitors will be inspired by emerging black makers, collaborators and influencers who are shaping hip hop culture.
The celebration kicks off a week of live events, activations, and programming moments leading up to hip hop’s anniversary on August 11th.
