Rock the Bells taps A Tribe Called Quest, Nas, more
A Tribe Called Quest , Nas , Mos Def , De La Soul , Rakim and reunited outfit The Pharcyde will headline this year's Rock the Bells festival series.
Scheduled to make stops in nine North American cities this summer, the traveling hip-hop event will also feature Method Man & Redman, Raekwon & Ghostface, Immortal Technique, Dead Prez, Murs and Kidz in the Hall, as well as some of "the brightest names in the emerging electro-hip hop scene," including Spank Rock, Santogold, Kid Sister, Wale, Flosstradamus, Jay Electronica and The Cool Kids, according to a press release.
"We really feel that this year’s group of artists define our platform and further galvanize the legacy that Rock the Bells has earned through the years," Event organizer Chang Weisberg of event promoter Guerilla Union said in a prepared statement. "Guerilla Union constantly strives to curate shows that house those once-in-a-lifetime performance experiences that our fans have come to expect."
The outing--which will feature hosts B-Real (Cypress Hill) and Supernatural--will get underway with a July 19 engagement in Chicago, and subsequent stops are planned in Toronto, Boston, New York, Miami, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Denver. An Aug. 30 finale is set to take place in Vancouver, British Columbia. Dates and cities are shown below; venues have not yet been announced.
Lineups fluctuate slightly on the various concert dates; details are available at Guerilla Union's website.
Organizers are also taking Rock the Bells global for the first time, with four European dates and a one-off stop in Japan in the works.
In addition to returning headliner Nas, last year's Rock the Bells festival featured Wu-Tang Clan, Rage Against the Machine, Public Enemy, Cypress Hill and Talib Kweli, among others.
July 2008
19 - Chicago, IL
20 - Toronto, Ontario
26 - Boston, MA
27 - New York, NY
August 2008
2 - Miami, FL
3 - Philadelphia, PA
9 - Los Angeles, CA
16 - San Francisco, CA
23 - Denver, CO
30 - Vancouver, British Columbia
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