GUERILLA UNION ANNOUNCES THE RETURN OF THE
ROCK THE BELLS 2010 FESTIVAL SERIES
THE ONLY TOURING WORLD-CLASS HIP-HOP FESTIVAL WILL VISIT
FOUR MAJOR NORTH AMERICAN CITIES THIS SUMMER
HIP-HOP’S MOST INFLUENTIAL ARTISTS, INCLUDING: WU-TANG CLAN, RAKIM, KRS-ONE, SLICK RICK AND MORE, WILL BE PERFORMING THEIR GROUNDBREAKING ALBUMS IN THEIR ENTIRETY
WITH ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCES BY STREET SWEEPER SOCIAL CLUB, MURS AND 9TH WONDER, WIZ KHALIFA, CLIPSE AND MANY MORE!
ROCK THE BELLS TO SUPPORT HAITI RELIEF EFFORTS BY CONTRIBUTING PORTION OF TICKET PROCEEDS TO HIP HOP AND HOPE FOR HAITI
Guerilla Union, the live events company behind world-class platforms such as Cypress Hill SmokeOut Festival and Paid Dues Independent Hip Hop Festival, has announced the return of the 7th annual ROCK THE BELLS 2010 FESTIVAL SERIES. This year’s ROCK THE BELLS will feature performances from headliners Wu-Tang Clan, Rakim, KRS-One, Slick Rick, plus an array of seminal hip-hop artists.
The ROCK THE BELLS trek will stop at four major North American markets this summer, kicking off on August 21 at the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino, CA. The tour will continue on to Shoreline Amphitheater in San Francisco on August 22, Governer’s Island in New York on August 28, and will wrap up at Merriweather Pavilion in Washington D.C. on August 29. Visit www.rockthebells.net for ticketing information and the exact lineup per city. Fans are also advised to sign up for the Guerilla Union newsletter for important announcements, pre-sale details and up-to-date information regarding the tour.
For the first time in the history of hip-hop entertainment, ROCK THE BELLS is slated to have headliners perform their most influential albums in their entirety. East-coast legends Wu-Tang Clan will perform Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers from beginning to end. Released in 1993, the group’s debut album revived the New York rap scene and is widely-regarded as one of the greatest albums in hip-hop history. Considered one of the greatest MC’s of all time, Rakim is set to perform 1987’s, Paid In Full, his first full-length album with Eric B. Fellow Golden age, east coast rapper, Slick Rick will conquer The Great Adventures of Slick Rick. Released in 1989, this debut album became a certified-platinum classic topping the Billboard’s Top R&B/ Hip Hop Albums charts. Highly regarded as the “THE TEACHER”, KRS-One is a hip hop culture advocate, music producer, MC and published author. Hailed as one of the best live performers, KRS-One will perform Criminal Minded. The 1987 trend-setting album sampled music from various genres including rock, reggae and funk.
Anticipated performance highlights of this year’s festival series include Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine. He will take the stage with his own critically acclaimed musical project. Morello and Boots Riley, front-man emcee of The Coup, comprise the Street Sweeper Social Club. The complete list of participating artists for the tour follows below.
Aside from musical performances, Freestyle Session will be bringing out BBoys and BGirls to showcase their talents. The top international breakdancing platform will be incorporated into ROCK THE BELLS to bring a world-class lifestyle atmosphere and to support all forms of hip-hop arts. ROCK THE BELLS has also teamed up with non-profit organization Hip Hop and Hope for Haiti. Although the bright lights of mainstream media attention have dimmed as it relates to the disaster relief efforts in Haiti, Rock the Bells and Hip Hop and Hope for Haiti are committed to long term fundraising efforts.
“This time of year is always filled with anxiety, excitement, and even relief,” states Rock the Bells founder Chang Weisberg. “Rock the Bells fans have the craziest expectations and the days and nights leading up to our initial announcement are surreal. Ultimately, our goal is to always present something that is historic. This year’s show is the epitome of that tradition. Some things new and fresh, some things classic and legendary, and something that you’ve never seen or may never see and hear again. That’s the formula. I am excited for this year’s festivals and hope everyone is as hyped up as I am. As always, we will announce a few surprises and keep our fans on their toes all the way up to the day of the show.”
Venues, dates, and the complete lineup for the ROCK THE BELLS tour were announced at the Official Rock the Bells 2010 Launch Party on May 24 at the Key Club in Hollywood, CA. For the 3rd year in a row, freestyle champion MC Supernatural freestyled the lineup to a room full of eager press. Monster Energy Drink joined the efforts as the official energy drink sponsor of the ROCK THE BELLS 2010 LAUNCH PARTY.
Artists confirmed for the ROCK THE BELLS 2010 FESTIVAL SERIES include:
Wu-Tang Clan
Rakim
KRS-One
Slick Rick
Street Sweeper Social Club
Murs and 9th Wonder
Wiz Khalifa
Clipse
Immortal Technique
Jedi Mind Tricks
Brother Ali
DJ Muggs and Ill Bill
Big Sean
Yelawolf
Hosted by
Supernatural
DJ Rocky Rock
About Rock the Bells:
Rock The Bells, presented by Guerilla Union since 2003, has established itself as a world-class hip-hop platform by hosting legendary performances by Rage Against the Machine, NAS, A Tribe Called Quest, Public Enemy, Lauryn Hill, Blackstar (Talib Kweli and Mos Def), Hieroglyphics, Living Legends, De La Soul, Busta Rhymes, Cypress Hill and Jurassic 5 as well as reuniting Wu-Tang for their last performance with ODB in 2004. Rock the Bells has also set the stage for monumental surprise performances by Jay-Z, Slick Rick, BEP and Black Sheep. In 2008, Rock the Bells toured internationally for the first time in Prague, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Helsinki, Paris and London.
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