NEW YORK — LL Cool J is heading back to Queens – and he’s bringing some of his superstar friends along.
The hip-hop superstar, raised in St. Albans, recently announced that his Rock the Bells music festival is scheduled to take place at the Forest Hills Stadium in Queens on Aug. 6.
Fellow veteran hip-hop acts Ice Cube, Rick Ross, Lil Kim, Fat Joe and Remy Ma are among artists performing at the newly relaunched event, named after his 1985 hit song “Rock the Bells.”
LL Cool J, whose given name is James Todd Smith, legally battled the Guerilla Union promotion company over rights to the name and in 2018 officially founded his own global platform to honor the original hip-hop culture elements: emcees, graffiti artists, deejays and break dancers.
That same year, the Queens-bred, Bay Shore native launched the Rock The Bells Radio channel on Sirius XM, celebrating classic hip-hop.
“This festival is my way of showing love to the community of hip-hop and celebrating the incredible journey this culture has taken, going from DJ Kool Herc’s Sedgwick Avenue rec room, to the global phenomenon we all cherish today,” the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee said with the announcement. “Getting to bring some of the most iconic and influential hip-hop artists to the same stage, in my hometown and the city that started it all, is an honor and I can’t wait for everyone to see what we have in store for them.”
LL Cool J’s longtime deejay, DJ Z-Trip, will also be featured on the bill, alongside The Diplomats featuring Cam’Ron, Jim Jones & Juelz Santana, Jadakiss, Digable Planets, Trina, N.O.R.E and others.
Rap music trailblazer Roxanne Shante will host the festival while DJ Mister Cee and DJ Scratch will provide the music.
Shante said in a statement that the festival will stand out from other festivals because it will “represent and celebrate the originality and greatness of Hip-Hop.”
The Brandon Widener-helmed promotional trailer for the festival was released on Monday – starring LL Cool J, Ice Cube, Omar Epps and DJ Z-Tip.
The “Mama Said Knock You Out” singer stars as himself shopping in a convenience store buying sundry items (refrigerated drinks, candy, cigar, scratchcard) affixed with the names of some of the scheduled performers.
Some proceeds from the event will be donated to the Universal Hip-Hop Museum in the Bronx.
Tickets for Rock the Bells go on sale April 10.
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