Rock The Bells
When: July 19-September 6, 2008
Where: Select cities throughout the US
Why: A must for any hip-hop head and possibly the last time to catch the original members of A Tribe Called Quest and The Pharcyde perform.
Who: A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Rakim, Nas, Mos Def, The Pharcyde, Method Man, Redman, Raekwon, Ghostface, MF Doom, Dead Prez, Immortal Technique, Afrika Bambaataa, Jay Electronica, The Cool Kids, Kidz in the Hall, Murs, Kid Sister, and more.
How: $30-$175 depending on the venue
Last year, Rock the Bells brought us the reunion of Rage Against the Machine. How could it possibly top that? How about not one, but two reunions! First, A Tribe Called Quest will be headlining this year's festival and The Pharcyde will be performing with all four original members. 2008 also marks the first year Rock the Bells will go global, with four stops in Europe and one in Japan.
Main Attraction: A Tribe Called Quest
One of the greatest hip-hop groups of all time reunites for what should be a must-see performance. In addition to Tribe's set, Q-Tip will be performing tracks from his upcoming release "The Renaissance." Don't be surprised if Native Tongue compadres from the De La sneak on stage for a few collabos.
Don't Miss: De La Soul
De La never disappoints. After 20+ years in the game, the band still rock crowds as if "Me, Myself, and I" came out yesterday. Incredible stage presence and chemistry, along with a catalog of hit records, make De La one of the most entertaining hip-hop acts to watch.
Played Out: Mos Def
If this was 1999, we wouldn't have entertained this thought, but almost a decade later, Mos' stage show has changed. Much like Prince, Mos loves to try out new or unheard material in front of his fans, which is fine if he can strike a balance between the unheard and the hits. Unfortunately, most fans waiting to go crazy for a live version of "Universal Magnetic," usually will have to settle for an exclusive performance of an album track from his forthcoming album due sometime in...whenever.
