LL Cool J, Queen Latifah & More Legends Perform At Rock The Bells Festival
By Tony M. Centeno
August 8, 2023
LL Cool J rallied a squad of some of the most iconic names in Hip-Hop to celebrate the genre's 50th anniversary at his annual music festival.
On Saturday, August 5, the Queens native's Rock The Bells Festival went down at the Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, New York City. The event was full of unforgettable moments like when the Cold Crush Brothers belted out some of their biggest hits and the moment Big Daddy Kane brought out his young son during his set. While plenty of legends hit the stage, one of the main highlights of the festival was Queen Latifah's set.
The groundbreaking rapper invited Monie Love, MC Lyte, Yo-Yo, Renee Neufville, Remy Ma and Rapsody on stage to perform her classic "U.N.I.T.Y." Remy held her daughter Reminisce MacKenzie in her arms while her husband Papoose and Naughty By Nature's Treach were off to the side of the stage watching all the ladies perform. Treach also got up on stage and performed beloved hits like "Hip Hop Hooray" and more. Off in the crowd, DJ Premier was also hooked on Latifah's set as he watched her set in awe.
The festival had rare performances from Method Man & Redman, Brand Nubian, Roxanne Shaunte, Swizz Beatz, Ludacris, De La Soul, Salt-N-Pepa, Slick Rick and plenty more. Later on that night, Run-D.M.C and LL Cool J himself took the stage to close out the historic festival. LL's performance was packed with classics from his extensive catalog, which were brought to life thanks to The Roots. The rapper-actor and the band's official MC Black Thought dominated the stage throughout their set. They essentially gave fans a preview of what to expect for The F.O.R.C.E. Tour that kicks off this Friday in Maryland.
Check out more scenes from LL Cool J's Rock The Bells Festival below.