Rock the Bells, a global lifestyle brand for hip-hop founded by artist LL Cool J, has announced the Rock the Bells Festival, a day-long celebration of hip-hop culture taking place Saturday, August 6, in LL's hometown of Queens, N.Y. The festival will feature live performances, interactive experiences, art exhibits, food, fashion and much more.  

L Cool J, featuring DJ  Z-Trip, Ice Cube, Rick Ross, Lil' Kim, The Diplomats ft. Cam'ron, Jim Jones and Juelz Santana, Fat Joe and Remy Ma, Jadakiss, Scarface, Trina, N.O.R.E, Digable Planets and more to be announced, will perform live at the Forest Hills Stadium in Queens for the one-night-only event.   

Each performer and artist was hand-picked for their talents and contributions to the culture. Hip-hop pioneer, Roxanne Shanté, will host the event with music by DJ Mister Cee & DJ Scratch. 

The event marks the first live concert experience from Rock the Bells, an immersive festival moment as they experience LL's personal love letter to hip-hop through the lens of music, art, fashion, culture, food and more.   

"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," says LL. "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." 

"We're thrilled to welcome LL Cool J home to Queens for this special event that celebrates the genre and the culture as a whole," says Mike Luba, senior vice president, global touring, AEG, and the executive behind the rehabilitation and revival of Forest Hills Stadium. "The borough has played such a vital role in hip-hop history and being able to host this day of music from this group of music icons is an honor." 

"Rock the Bells Festival is going to be different from any other festival you've attended, bringing great people, great vibes and great music together to represent and celebrate the originality and greatness of hip-hop," says Shanté. "With me as your host, you are guaranteed to have a nice day making hip-hop memories from dusk till dawn. Plzbelieveit baby." 

Festival general admission tickets are available April 8 at 10 a.m. EDT at Rockthebells.com. Several VIP ticket packages are being offered, which includes access to private balcony and floor sections of the venue, an exclusive VIP lounge and limited-edition festival apparel. For every ticket sale, Rock the Bells will donate partial proceeds to the Universal Hip-Hop Museum in the Bronx whose mission is to celebrate and preserve the people, artifacts and stories from 1973 to the present.  

The Rock the Bells Festival is co-produced by AEG.