Since 2004, the annual Rock the Bells festival has been a paramount showcase of the best in legendary and classic hip-hop, indie hip-hop, and R n’ B on a scale that had never been done before. The opening year of the festival saw the reunion of the Wu-Tang Clan complete w/ ODB 4 months before his death, and since has brought together other classic groups like A Tribe Called Quest and Black Sheep to create a lineup that before this, many could only dream of. This has given hip-hop heads of this generation a chance to see classic acts that they otherwise only would have heard on CD and made Rock the Bells one of the most sought after festivals in the world.

The Bay Area has been a premier stop for Rock the Bells since 2006. We have seen the festival grow and the performers shift first hand from headlining more classic backpacker hip-hop acts like Living Legends, Talib Kweli and Mos Def to bigger and more classic acts in 2007 like David Banner, EPMD, Cypress Hill, and Wu-Tang Clan. With its ear to the streets, Rock the Bells is evolving, and the juxtaposition of the lineup of this year and the past shows that things have definitely changed.

The 2008 Rock the Bells lineup format has expanded to include cutting edge indie acts like Spank Rock, Amanda Blank, The Cool Kids, and Kid Sister who are torch bearers in the new party/club rap movement. This is a direct reflection of the recent change and the creation of a new sect of underground Hip-Hop which involves rappers that focus more on partying, fun, sex and gladly welcomes the convergence between dance music hip-hop and female emcees. This sound is a far cry from the politically and emotionally charged rhymes and production from emerging groups in the 2000’s, some of which Rock the Bells has hosted. Many would say this is a relief--after all, isn’t hip-hop also about having fun? But some worry that is this just a clever marketing strategy, rather than a willful move and a show of event promoters' perceptiveness into what their fans like.

This years Rock the Bells tour features stops in nine different North American Cities with rotating lineups. Check out more on the talent, the Bay Area lineup, and buy tickets for Rock the Bells here. Be sure to catch Rock the Bells at Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View on August 16th, as it is sure to be the most interesting year yet.