Rock the Bells


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'.
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.
Rakim, often termed as the God MC, graced the festival with his classic hits like "Don't Sweat The Technique" and "Paid In Full".
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.

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.

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.

Festivals

DateCityCountryVenueLineup
July 17, 2004San BernardinoUnited StatesNational Orange ShowWu-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, 2004AnaheimUnited StatesAnaheim Stadium Parking LotA 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 BernardinoUnited StatesNational Orange ShowNas, KRS-One – Special Guest, Redman, Raekwon and Ghostface Killah, 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, 2006San BernardinoUnited StatesNational Orange ShowWu-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.
August 6, 2006ConcordUnited StatesSleep Train PavilionWu-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, 2023QueensForest Hills StadiumLL 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 Love

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.
DateCityCountryVenue
November 21, 2006Washington, D.C.United States9:30 Club
November 22, 2006Myrtle BeachUnited StatesHouse of Blues
November 24, 2006GreensboroUnited StatesThe N Club
November 25, 2006HartfordUnited StatesWebster
November 26, 2006AllentownUnited StatesCrocodile Rock Café
November 28, 2006New York CityUnited StatesBB Kings
November 30, 2006BostonUnited StatesAvalon
December 1, 2006ProvidenceUnited StatesLupo's Heartbreak Hotel
December 2, 2006BuffaloUnited StatesBuffalo Ballroom
December 3, 2006BurlingtonUnited StatesHigher Ground
December 6, 2006ChicagoUnited StatesHouse of Blues
December 8, 2006Park CityUnited StatesHarry O
December 9, 2006DenverUnited StatesOgden Theatre
December 12, 2006VancouverCanadaPlush Nightclub
December 13, 2006SeattleUnited StatesThe Showbox
December 14, 2006PortlandUnited StatesRoseland Theatre
December 15, 2006SacramentoUnited StatesEmpire
December 16, 2006San FranciscoUnited StatesMezzanine
December 20, 2006Los AngelesUnited StatesHouse of Blues
December 21, 2006San DiegoUnited StatesHouse of Blues
December 22, 2006AnaheimUnited StatesHouse 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.
DateCityCountryVenue
July 26, 2007MansfieldUnited StatesTweeter Center
July 28, 2007New York CityUnited StatesRandall's Island*^
July 29, 2007New York CityUnited StatesRandall's Island*^
August 2, 2007AtlantaUnited StatesHi-Fi Buys Amphitheatre
August 3, 2007CharlotteUnited StatesVerizon Wireless Amphitheatre
August 4, 2007MiamiUnited StatesBayfront Park
August 7, 2007DallasUnited StatesSmirnoff Music Center
August 8, 2007HoustonUnited StatesReliant Park
August 11, 2007San BernardinoUnited StatesHyundai Pavilion at Glen Helen*^
August 12, 2007San DiegoUnited StatesCoors Amphitheatre ^
August 18, 2007San FranciscoUnited StatesMcCovey Cove *^
August 21, 2007Salt Lake CityUnited StatesUSANA Amphitheater
August 22, 2007DenverUnited StatesRed Rocks Amphitheatre
August 25, 2007MinneapolisUnited StatesThe Myth
August 26, 2007ChicagoUnited StatesCharter One Pavilion
August 29, 2007ClarkstonUnited StatesDTE Energy
September 1, 2007HonoluluUnited StatesBlaisdell 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*, 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, 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.