For the last eight years the Rock the Bells Festival has brought premier hip-hop talent to the masses in a day-long event that features some of the biggest names in the game coupled with hot up-and-comers who will one day be top line artists.
The 2011 lineup continues that tradition.
Rock the Bells Festival is a staple of the New York summer and this year festival organizers have expanded to bring the series to four different sites with two dates in California, one in New York and the final event in Boston.
The New York concert will take place on Saturday, Sept. 3 on Governors Island, which is a short ferry trip from the southern tip of Manhattan.
This year’s lineup features a number of artists playing their classic albums like Ms. Lauryn Hill performing The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and Nas performing his influential debut Illmatic with the help of AZ, Pete Rock and DJ Premier. Other artists doing full album sets include Cypress Hill doing Black Sunday, and Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star playing their self-titled debut.
The festival boasts three main stages this year including the main Rock the Bells stage, the Paid Dues Stage that will focus on the latest hip-hop talent making noise and the newest addition to the festival, the 36 Chambers Stage, that will feature members of the Wu-Tang Clan along with handpicked artists by RZA.
Tickets for the entire Rock the Bells series will go on sale to the general public on June 4, but if you are itching to get yours, then check out the Guerilla Union pre-sale on June 3 that kicks off at 10 a.m.
Stop by the Rock the Bells website for the full lineup and get hyped for 2011's premier hip hop outing.