Rock the Bells is an annual hip-hop festival that originally took place in Southern California only, but has since toured throughout the world. The concert features a line-up of high-profile alternative hip-hop artists, often headlined by a more mainstream artist. The first festival was held in 2004, featuring a re-united Wu-Tang Clan, who performed four months before Ol' Dirty Bastard's death. That festival is covered in depth by a 2006 documentary film also called Rock the Bells.
Performances LL Cool J delivered a standout performance that was enhanced with the presence of The Roots as his backing band, and DJ Z-Trip on the turntables. His set included a special tribute to the late DMX with Meth, Red, and Black Thought rapping verses in the song '4,3,2,1'.Rock The Bells Fest 2023: LL Cool J Stuns In NYC Again
Queen Latifah also delivered a memorable performance, reminding attendees of her lasting impact on the hip-hop culture. She performed classics like "Latifah's Had It Up 2 Here", "Just Another Day", and the theme song to her hit sitcom, Living Single. Special appearances from Rapsody, Remy M, MC Lyte, Yo-Yo, and Monie Love were also part of her set.Rock The Bells Festival 2023: Best Moments
Rakim, often termed as the God MC, graced the festival with his classic hits like "Don't Sweat The Technique" and "Paid In Full".Rock The Bells Festival 2023: Best Moments
Other performances included legendary artists such as Slick Rick, Swizz Beatz, MC Lyte, The Cold Crush Brothers each contributing to the overall success of the festival.Hip-Hop Harmony: Highlights of The 2023 Rock The Bells FestivalLL Cool J Rock The Bells Festival 2023
Technical difficulties The festival faced a few technical difficulties with the sound system that impacted performances and led to the cancellation of De La Soul's set.Hip-Hop Harmony: Highlights of The 2023 Rock The Bells FestivalLL Cool J Rock The Bells Festival 2023
Cultural impact The Rock the Bells Festival 2023 was not only a musical celebration but also a cultural one, highlighting hip-hop's impact and its evolution over the past five decades. The festival proved to be a platform for fans to experience the essence of hip-hop through performances by some of the genre's most iconic figures.Hip-Hop Harmony: Highlights of The 2023 Rock The Bells FestivalLL Cool J Rock The Bells Festival 2023
Festivals
Date City Country Venue Lineup July 17, 2004 San BernardinoUnited States National Orange Show Wu-Tang Clan, Redman, Dilated Peoples, Sage Francis, Supernatural, DJ Nu-Mark of Jurassic 5, Eyedea and Abilities, Fantastik 4our, DJ Mark Luv, DJ Icy Ice, DJ Abel. November 13, 2004 Anaheim Anaheim Stadium Parking Lot A Tribe Called Quest, Xzibit, Cypress Hill, Jurassic 5 – Special Guest, Little Brother, The CMA, Crown City Rockers, Self Scientific, DJ Revolution, DJ Mark Luv, DJ Icy Ice. July 30, 2005San BernardinoNational Orange Show Nas, KRS-One – Special Guest, Redman, Raekwon and Ghostface Killah (Cuban Linx), Living Legends, DJ Qbert, Guru from Gang Starr, Cut Chemist from Jurassic 5, DJ Muggs from Cypress Hill, Non Phixion, Supernatural, The Visionaries, Oh No, Med, Percee P August 5, 2006 Wu-Tang Clan, Lauryn Hill- Special Guest, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Redman, De La Soul, Dilated Peoples, Living Legends, Aesop Rock w/Rob Sonic & DJ Big Whiz, Del the Funky Homosapien, Immortal Technique, B-Real from Cypress Hill, The Visionaries, Murs 3:16, Planet Asia, UGK, Dirty Heads w/ DJ Rocky Rock, Supernatural. Surprise performances by Black Sheep, DJ Kool and Sen Dog (alongside B-Real). August 6, 2006 Concord Sleep Train Pavilion Wu-Tang Clan, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Redman, De La Soul, Living Legends, Immortal Technique, Murs 3:16, Zion I, Supernatural, Planet Asia, Dirty Heads w/ DJ Rocky Rock. August 5, 2023 Queens Forest Hills Stadium LL Cool J, Queen Latifah, Rakim, Slick Rick, Swizz Beatz, MC Lyte, The Cold Crush Brothers, The Roots, DJ Z-Trip, Meth, Red, Black Thought, Rapsody, Remy M, Yo-Yo, Monie LoveRock The Bells Festival 2023: Best MomentsHip-Hop Harmony: Highlights of The 2023 Rock The Bells FestivalLL Cool J Rock The Bells Festival 2023Rock The Bells Fest 2023: LL Cool J Stuns In NYC Again
Club tour The concept was taken from the original, highly successful annual West-Coast hip-hop festival and transformed into a full-fledged United States tour.
Date City Country Venue November 21, 2006 Washington, D.C.United States 9:30 Club November 22, 2006 Myrtle Beach House of Blues November 24, 2006 Greensboro The N Club November 25, 2006 Hartford Webster November 26, 2006 Allentown Crocodile Rock Café November 28, 2006 New York City BB Kings November 30, 2006 Boston Avalon December 1, 2006 Providence Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel December 2, 2006 Buffalo Buffalo Ballroom December 3, 2006 Burlington Higher Ground December 6, 2006 Chicago House of Blues December 8, 2006 Park City Harry O December 9, 2006 Denver Ogden Theatre December 12, 2006 Vancouver Canada Plush Nightclub December 13, 2006 SeattleUnited States The Showbox December 14, 2006 Portland Roseland Theatre December 15, 2006 Sacramento Empire December 16, 2006 San Francisco Mezzanine December 20, 2006 Los Angeles House of Blues December 21, 2006 San Diego House of Blues December 22, 2006 Anaheim House of Blues
Lineup Redman, Raekwon, Keith Murray, Supernatural, EPMD, Ghostface Killah, Pharoahe Monch, Smif-n-Wessun, Dirty Heads, DJ Kool.
2007 Festival Series
Rock the Bells 2007 had 3 major venues scheduled; July 28 and July 29 in New York, August 11 in San Bernardino, and August 18 in San Francisco. These select shows were headlined by a reunited Rage Against the Machine, and co-headlined by Wu-Tang Clan. The artists appearing in the shows appeared in rotating slots over the two-show weekend in New York, and selected performances for the remaining duration of the 20 shows, which were head-lined by the Wu-Tang Clan. Five cities also had a second stage called the Paid Dues Independent Hip Hop Stage. Rage Against the Machine was the festival's first non-hip hop act to be featured.
Date City Country Venue July 26, 2007 MansfieldUnited States Tweeter Center July 28, 2007New York CityRandall's Island*^ July 29, 2007 August 2, 2007 Atlanta Hi-Fi Buys Amphitheatre August 3, 2007 Charlotte Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre August 4, 2007 MiamiBayfront Park August 7, 2007 Dallas Smirnoff Music Center August 8, 2007 Houston Reliant Park August 11, 2007 San Bernardino Hyundai Pavilion at Glen Helen*^ August 12, 2007 San Diego Coors Amphitheatre (parking lot)^ August 18, 2007 San Francisco McCovey Cove (parking lot)*^ August 21, 2007 Salt Lake City USANA Amphitheater August 22, 2007 Denver Red Rocks Amphitheatre August 25, 2007 Minneapolis The Myth August 26, 2007 Chicago Charter One Pavilion August 29, 2007 Clarkston DTE Energy September 1, 2007 Honolulu Blaisdell Arena
Lineup Main Stage: Rage Against the Machine*, Wu-Tang Clan, Cypress Hill, The Roots, Public Enemy, Erykah Badu, Rakim, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Nas, Black Star* (Mos Def and Talib Kweli), EPMD, Pharoahe Monch, Immortal Technique, Jedi Mind Tricks, David Banner, UGK, Supernatural, Rahzel, Murs 3:16. Paid Dues Independent Hip Hop Stage^: MF Doom, Living Legends, Felt, Sage Francis, Murs 3:16, Brother Ali, Cage, Mr. Lif, Living Legends, The Grouch & Eligh, Hangar 18, Blueprint, Lucky I Am, The Coup, Blackalicious, Ice Water Inc., Sen Dog from Cypress Hill, Hieroglyphics.
New York City dates In July 2007, the Rock the Bells festival came to New York City, and this event became particularly noteworthy. Upon selling out the massive Randall's Island venue very quickly, the one-day stop in NYC was expanded to two days, and a number of new and exclusive guests were added to the bills. The festival included the full Paid Dues festival lineup performing on a second stage, reunited headliners Rage Against the Machine and Wu-Tang Clan, guest appearances during the show (including Scott Ian performing Bring the Noise with Public Enemy), a special performance of Black Star from Mos Def and Talib Kweli and one of the near-final performances of noted hip-hop luminary Pimp C.
New York City July 28, 2007 July 29, 2007Guerilla Union Main StagePaid Dues Independent StageGuerilla Union Main StagePaid Dues Independent StageRage Against the Machine Wu-Tang Clan Public Enemy Cypress Hill The Roots Black Star EPMD Pharoahe Monch Doom Immortal Technique Jedi Mind Tricks
Hosted by Rahzel, Supernatural and Hi-Tek and featuring Mike Relm, Icy Ice, C-Minus, DJ Rocky Rock and DJ Mark LuvFelt Living Legends Brother Ali Sage Francis Cage Mr. Lif Grouch & Eligh Hangar 18 Blueprint Lucky I AmRage Against the Machine Wu-Tang Clan Public Enemy Cypress Hill Erykah Badu (did not perform) Rakim Mos Def Talib Kweli Pharoahe Monch Immortal Technique Boot Camp Clik UGK Jedi Mind Tricks
Hosted by Rahzel, Supernatural and Hi-Tek and featuring Mike Relm, C-Minus and DJ Rocky RockFelt Living Legends Brother Ali Sage Francis Cage Doom Mr. Lif Grouch & Eligh Hangar 18 Blueprint Lucky I Am
2008 Festival Series
2008 also marks the first year that Rock the Bells went global with four stops in Europe and one in Japan. Highlights of the series include a first time date in Toronto, plus a return to the Glen Helen Pavilion in San Bernardino where last year's show sold out with a capacity crowd of 45,000 people.
Date City Country Venue July 19, 2008 Tinley Park United States First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre July 20, 2008 Toronto Canada Canada Arrow Hall July 26, 2008 MansfieldUnited States Comcast Center* July 27, 2008 Columbia Merriweather Post Pavilion* August 2, 2008 MiamiBayfront Park August 3, 2008 Wantagh Jones Beach Theater* August 9, 2008 San Bernardino Glen Helen Pavilion* August 16, 2008 Mountain ViewShoreline Amphitheatre August 23, 2008 Greenwood Village Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre* September 6, 2008 George The Gorge Amphitheatre*
Lineup Main Stage:A Tribe Called Quest, The Pharcyde- Special Guests, Nas, Ghostface and Raekwon, MF Doom, Rakim, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, De La Soul, Method Man & Redman, Immortal Technique, Dead Prez, Murs, Blue Scholars, Sage Francis, Little Brother, Jedi Mind Tricks. Bigbox Culture Club Stage*:Spank Rock/Amanda Blank, The Cool Kids, Kidz in the Hall, DJ Afrika Bambaataa, Flosstradamus, Wale, Santogold, Kid Sister, B.o.B, Tyga, Jay Electronica, Devlin & Darko, Ninjasonik, Blaqstarr, Tyler Pase, Plastic Little, The Pack.
2008 International Festival Series Date City Country Venue October 31, 2008 Prague Czech Republic T-Mobile Arena November 1, 2008 Amsterdam Netherlands Heineken Music Hall November 4, 2008 Stockholm Sweden Annexet November 5, 2008 Helsinki Finland Helsinki Ice Hall November 9, 2008 London England Indigo2 @ The O2 Arena November 10, 2008 Paris France Zenith
Lineup Nas, Mos Def, De La Soul, The Pharcyde, Supernatural & Scratch, Epmd.
2009 International Festival Series Date City Country Venue June 27, 2009 Tinley ParkUnited States First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre June 28, 2009 Clarkston DTE Energy Music Theater July 5, 2009 Toronto Canada Molson Amphitheatre July 12, 2009 ColumbiaUnited States Merriweather Post Pavilion July 18, 2009 Mansfield Comcast Center July 19, 2009 Wantagh Jones Beach Theater August 1, 2009 BurnabyCanada Deer Lake Park August 2, 2009 Calgary Shaw Millennium Park August 6, 2009 MorrisonUnited States Red Rocks Amphitheatre August 8, 2009 San Bernardino San Manuel Amphitheatre August 9, 2009 Mountain View Shoreline Amphitheatre
Rock the Bells '09Main StagePaid Dues Independent Hip Hop StageSurprise ActsNas & Damian Marley Wu-Tang Clan (New York City only) Cypress Hill (Calgary only) Mos Def (Toronto only) Ice Cube (San Bernardino only) The Roots Common Busta Rhymes Big Boi EPMD House of Pain featuring La Coka Nostra Reflection Eternal Tech N9ne Dragon Fli Empire K'naan Raekwon Chali 2na The KnuxRza Gza Slaughterhouse Slum Village Evidence & The Alchemist M.O.P. Psycho Realm Buckshot Necro