DMX, Eve, Jadakiss, Pusha T Added to Rock the Bells Lineup
Update 2: DMX, Eve, Jadakiss and Pusha T have been added to the lineup! In addition, the show will mark the first major performance of the Wu-Block album, a collaborative effort between Wu-Tang Clan and D-Block members Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Jadakiss, Sheek Louch & Styles P. This festival's lineup is just a monster.
Update 1: Lupe Fiasco took to his Twitter to deny his appearance at the festival. "Not doing Rock The Bellz...thats a typo fam and friends...," the rapper tweeted. Festival organizers have yet to respond.
Damn. Is there anyone Rock the Bells didn't get when they announced the lineup to the annual hip hop festival Tuesday night (May 15)?
Tyga, Mac Miller and Wiz Khalifa are among the nearly 40 confirmed acts performing at this year's festival, which combines veteran groups with the genre's current stars. The festival, hosted by RZA and set to take place over three weekends, will expand to two days for the first time since 2007.
Among the highlights are Missy Elliott and Timbaland making their only North American festival, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony performing their third album, 1995's E. 1999 Eternal, in its entirety, and Method Man and Redman performing their collaborative album Blackout in its entirety. "In its entirety," as we've seen in years past, is a very loose term, but still cool nonetheless.
Related: Listen to every Rock the Bells artist on our Spotify playlist
Festival organizers were clearly checking the blogs this year, roping in virtually every buzzed-about rapper of the past year, including A$AP Rocky, Kendrick Lamar, 2 Chainz and Schoolboy Q. Rock the Bells staple Nas leads the veterans' crew, which include Ice Cube, Big Daddy Kane, Naughty by Nature and Salt-N-Pepa, Slick Rick, DJ Quik and a reformed Hit Squad.
This year's festival goes down August 18 + 19 at Nos Events Center in San Bernandino, CA, August 25 + 26 at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA and September 1 + 2 at PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ. A Miami stop has also been scheduled for December at Bayfront Amphitheater. The New Jersey stop occurs on the same day as Jay-Z's recently announced Budweiser Made in America festival, so look forward to hip hop festival beef in a few months.
Rock the Bells Full Lineup
Missy Elliott & Timbaland
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
Kid Cudi*
Nas
Wiz Khalifa*
J. Cole*
Atmosphere*
Ice Cube
Mac Miller*
Dipset
Kendrick Lamar*
Method Man & Redman
Deltron 3030
The Hit Squad
A$AP Rocky*
Tyga
Immortal Technique
2 Chainz*
E-40 & Too Short*
DJ Quik
Naughty by Nature*
Big Daddy Kane
Salt-N-Pepa
Slick Rick
Prodigy
DJ Lance Rock & Friends
Yelawolf
Murs & Fashawn
Schoolboy Q
Ab-Soul*
Zion-I
Grouch & Eligh
Dom Kennedy
Jay Rock*
Watsky
*Performing in select markets
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