New York get ready — LL Cool J is bringing the Rock the Bells Festival to Queens, New York, and Ice Cube, Rick Ross, Lil Kim and more will be joining him.
The “Doin It” rapper made the announcement on Monday (April 4). From 2004 to 2013, there was another festival using the name of LL’s 1985 hit song, however, that festival was unaffiliated with the rapper and was later canceled as a result. In 2019, LL Cool J won a lawsuit claiming ownership of the festival name.
Now that the lawsuit is out of the way, let’s get into the lineup. The legendary rapper — who has also had quite the acting career — has included Ice Cube, Jadakiss, Trina, Rick Ross, Lil Kim, N.O.R.E., Fat Joe and Remy Ma, The Diplomats, DJ Mister Cee and DJ Scratch and Scarface, who will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of The Fix. More acts are expected to be added at a later time.
In a statement, LL said, “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.”
He continued, “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.”
The event will be taking place in the “NCIS: Los Angeles” actor’s hometown of Queens, New York, and is set for August 6 at the Forest Hills Stadium.
Tickets go on sale this Friday, but presale and registration are open now.