Rock the Bells Festival Reunites....
by Tyrone Hall (BPRW)
Attendees at this year’s sold out concert were hyped and hot, and it wasn’t just because of the scorching weather. Featured artists such as De La Soul, Q-Tip, A Tribe Called Quest, Wale, Mos Def, Pharcyde, Dead Prez and many others kept the temperature rising. One of the more animated acts was the duo of Method Man and Redman, who jumped into the crowd to greet their fans. They also paid tribute to their friend, the late Old Dirty Bastard.
Among other highlights, rapper Mos Def performed his song “New World Water,” something the venue needed with the Miami heat. Mos Def later joined Q-tip on stage to perform a few songs. Q-tip and his pals Phife Dawg and Jarobi White, members of the group A Tribe Called Quest, also gave the crowd a chance to hear some of their classic hits.
Of course, the showcase would not have earned its hype without Queens-based rapper Nas hitting the stage and performing a track from his upcoming album “Untitled.” The song’s lyrics called on his fans to “Change the World,” which he claims was influenced by this year’s upcoming elections.
In addition to Nas delivering some deep, thought-provoking rhymes, groups De La Soul and Pharcyde also recited some of their classic hits that kept the show going strong. Throughout the day, V.I.P guests were spotted wearing backpacks from Rock the Bells sponsor SanDisk, a company known for creating flash memory card products and USB removable drives. The concert brought an array of different ethnic backgrounds and nationalities together, which made the event easygoing, enjoyable and widely diverse. Based on the success of this year’s old-school hip-hop showcase, next year’s concert should attract even more spectators.
