LL COOL J‘s Rock The Bells festival is returning this year just in time for Hip Hop’s 50th anniversary – and Native Tongues legends including De La Soul, Jungle Brothers and more will be on hand to celebrate.
Going down on August 5 at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, New York, LL added some major names to the lineup this week with just over one month to go until the annual festival. In addition to the aforementioned names, Queen Latifah, Monie Love and Black Sheep will join the Native Tongues celebration, while LL himself feat. DJ Z-Trip, Brand Nubian and Lost Boyz have also been added.
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The artists join a lineup that also includes previously-announced acts including Ludacris, Method Man & Redman, Swizz Beatz with “SUPER special guests,” Salt-N-Pepa, Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, Slick Rick and many more.
Check out a video for the festival below:
LL COOL J founded Rock The Bells in 2018 with a focus on uplifting the culture and elements of Hip Hop. The brand uses content, commerce, merchandise and various experiences, such as the upcoming inaugural festival, to remind fans where the genre came from.
The name comes from LL COOL J’s 1985 hit “Rock the Bells” and the rap icon had to take ownership back after another company had used the name for its own festival in the mid-2000s.
Last July, the rapper explained that he founded the organization because Hip Hop is not “disposable” and that “art/artists don’t have an expiration date.”
“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,” LL COOL J said about the festival in a statement last year.
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“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.”
For tickets and more information on the 2023 Rock the Bells festival, head here.
