I’m back, bellas! Chicago was FABULOUS and I have a big wonderful love letter to the city coming up as soon as I can upload photos. I practically just got off the plane! And I have a truly top of the line giveaway that’s time sensitive. Here goes!
Anyone who’s been reading this site for more than a minute knows, I love me some live music. Doesn’t matter the genre — just this year alone I’ve seen Pearl Jam, Erykah Badu and the Roots, Robert Randolph opening for Eric Clapton, the Dave Matthews Band, and almost every hot reggae artist I can name off the top of my head. Going to concerts is absolutely my favorite thing to do. And I want to spread the live music love!
The next hot show I’m going to — literally, an outdoor festival in Miami in the month of August is NO JOKE — will be Rock the Bells. What is Rock the Bells, you ask? Only the sickest lineup of classic hip hop artists imaginable.
A Tribe Called Quest. Nas. Mos Def. The Pharcyde. Method Man and Redman. Raekwon and Ghostface. Little Brother, De La Soul, Immortal Technique, Dead Prez, and Murs. Wale, The Cool Kids, Santogold, Spank Rock, and Kid Sister. And that’s not even all. It’s going to be ridiculous. And I want you to go too!
Do you plan on being in Miami on August 2? Do you want to go to this incredibly sick concert? Alright! Leave me a comment and let me know which artist you’re most psyched to see, and why. I will randomly pick a winner, who will get TWO general admission tickets to the concert and one SanDisk Mobile Ultra microSD card — a sweet memory card that can add up to 8GB of additional digital storage to your celly (which, for the digitally impaired like myself, equals up to 1000 songs, 1200 photos and 21 hours of video). The peeps at SanDisk are sponsoring the show, by the by. Sweet.
So if you want to rock out at Rock the Bells, get to commenting! I’ll close this on Thursday 31 at 9 a.m., announce a winner, and e mail said winner ASAP! So if you are the chosen one, CHECK YOUR E MAIL and call me back come Friday — that way we can make sure your tix and your SanDisk card are waiting at WillCall!
The whole lineup of Rock the Bells looks great to me, so I fully plan on being out there baking in the hot sun from early on to catch as many acts as possible. One performer I’m particularly looking forward to seeing is Santi White, AKA Santogold. If she does this song right here, I will be breaking it down — regardless of how searing the sun is over Bayfront Park.
Holla back, bellas and fellas! Time is of the essence!
I live in the NY; but I would kill to see a Tribe Called Quest and Method Man’s fine behind. Q-Tip was my teenage crush and Tribe put out classic and timeless HIp-Hop. Good Luck to those who live in Miami!
I’m really getting into Santogold, and Creator is one of my jams! The video looked like a low budget M.I.A. rip off, tho. Kinda dissapointing, because the song is sick.
Welcome Back!Bella.
Afrobella, it’s good to see that you had a good time in the Chi. As far as the concert, I wish I could drive to Miami to go! ATCQ is going to be ridiculous! *sad face*
Glad you’re back and had a good time.
The Pharcyde! It would make my 90s complete.
Oh my gosh I would love to see De La Soul!!! I love, love, love their music. And not to mention Miami, too. I’ve never even been to Florida before!
Glad you loved Chicago, it’s not too far from my hometown in Indianapolis.
Best of luck Afrobella.
Ugh, unfortunately I’m not going to be in Miami this weekend but wanted to wish you and all the other bellas a great time at the concert. I would love to see Little Brother and Santogold. So jealous!
immortal technique, tribe, de la- what!!!
*sigh* i would kill to see that show but sadly they’re not coming to montreal =( I’m a huge ATCQ fan
Bella, I’m going to let you know right now, YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE A BALLLLLL!!! I’m still buzzing from Saturday’s stop over in Columbia MD. wrote a LONG love letter over at my site about it – complete with a few bootleg videos of Tribe and Nas. LOL! I captured most of the show but am still trying to get it all uploaded onto my YT channel.
I don’t think I sat down for more than 15 minutes at a time. I was wildin out most of the day. LOL! The energy was just amazing. Everyone I talked to said it was easily the best hip hop concert they had ever been to…and that’s saying a lot.
Santi wasn’t on our lineup but I just saw her up in Philly at The Roots Pre-Picnic Lam Session. I fell in LUV. She is going to be the perfect addition to that lineup because it needed some feminine energy. They need to get her on the site too.
I’m mad ya’ll got Little Brother! The site doesn’t reflect that either. They need to update that so MIA knows what they are in for. That would have been HOT! But we had the lyrical assassin, RAKIM!
I can’t wait to hear your review. I wish I could go again. Whoever wins these tixs is FORTUNATE. If I wasn’t going to see ultimate Bella Jilly from Philly on Saturday (again!) I would be looking at plane tix to MIA. LOL!
Bella this is a great giveaway. I would love love to see my boy Nas, he blew up when I just started high school with Illmatic and I’ve been a loyal listener ever since. His cd It Was Written is my favorite of all time and just seeing him in person would be a dream come true. Oh and I would like to see Santogold too, I love her voice and quirky style her new sound is refreshing.
Yo this is a once-in-lifetime, never-gonna-happen-again, line-up of my favorite hip-hop acts and I would love to go to the show. And judging from Vivrant Thang’s comments, I gots, gots, gots to get it.
I’m laughing my butt at your first sentence 😉
I’m really lovin’ the lineup!!! Too bad I won’t be anywhere near Miami this weekend 🙁
whoever wins these will be in for a show of their life.. Enjoy.. I’ll be checking out Estelle, The Roots, Jill Scott & Chuck brown on sat.. looking forward to it
Oh my goodness, Oh my goodness!!!!!! I am soooooo hyped and I live no where near MIA. I would literally fall to the floor in a melted puddle for these tix. I Love, Love, Love all members of Wu-Tang, tho I have a special place/lust for M-E-T-H-O-D MAN!!! NAS, BLACKSTARR!@!!! I am feeling faint, from the old skool, Tribe Called Quest, to the new Skool, The Cool Kids…. This line up is dope, hot to death, cool, funky fresh….. ahhhhhh….. i am sooooo excited just thinking about it!
Wot’s all this then? I slept on the RTB last year, but I didn’t see that Tribe and The Pharcyde (ah, college years) were on line-up this year. Not the biggest Wu-Tang fan, the rest of the gruops looks SICK. Have fun, bella, now I’m off to grab tix for the tour stop in NorCal. Summer ain’t over yet!
DEAD PREZ! man, love them, they’re inspiring.
Well Bella, you will not be disappointed!!! I went to last year’s RTB concert and it was AMAZING!!!! Tribe is always a treat, as is the Roots.
Enjoy it, treasure it!!!
Oh, and I hope my city (Chi Town 🙂 treated you well!!!!
hey bella! glad your back from the chi!…I cant believe this!!!!!!…man I wanna go so bad and the thing is I live literally a stone’s throw from the venue(by the city of miami police dept)I can walk there (as I did to the jvc jazz fest and im sad cus I missed ledisi performance!)…this is funny because I read about this in the new times (as I did last year and wanted to see ugk- rip pimp c- ugk f4 life—but had to work!) I saw the ad again this year, contemplated going but knew it not to be a reality because the discretionary fund has been exhausted ala anita baker and essence music festival…I remain hopeful(though hope is a dangerous thing) man I wanna go so so so bad!!!!!!!!
who would I want to see? everybody!!!! this is such a good line up…well everybody from tribe (bonita applebaum, electric relaxation, check the rhyme- i was just thinking about the video on the roof of a corner store the other day) to de la(me myself & I, itsoezze,buddy,stakes is high!!!) to nas (and hope he does ether)to mos def (umi says, ms booty)the pharcyde (runnin’ passing me by)…itll be like coming full circle for me because I was a little girl from georgetown exuma, bahamas who loved watching rap city back in the day when bet was bet on satellite and identify so many memories of my life w/ music-…
w.a.l.e…I love love love him!!!! he is fire…has swagger and style and overtly confident…he represents the second coming of hip hop to me!!!!
santogold…a good friend turned me on to her about two months ago (if she comes down ill take her if you pick me) and Im in love w/ l.e.s artiste, unstoppable(it has that old [dub]reggae vibe going on) and starstruck and ann!…she’s so fresh and I thought she was touring w/ cold play so I ddnt think she would make the miami show…
and the micro card oh that would be an added plus because I need one to save more pics on my phone of my handsome spoiled nephew who everyone simply adores!
little brother is gonna be there…what!!!!! I have two fo their albums and the mick boogie mixtape!!!!
im very longwinded so ill stop here…i really wanna go hope you pick me!!!!!! please please please
I sooo need to go to this concert. My two best friends went just this Sunday in MD and they came back with pictures and stories of how they met de la soul and were able to touch method man! my best bud even blogged about it here
http://blaquedawl.blogspot.com/2008/07/hip-hop-is-exhausting.html
Anyway, I am so consumed with jealousy. I looooove Mos Def and would do anything to see him as well as Nas who I heard tore it up! Miami is my favorite stateside vacation spot so I would hve no problem hopping on a plane and going to see the show my friends can’t and will not stop talking about! Please make it happen for me Ms. Bella. I’d be more then appreciative=)
damn <_< i`m in philly.
i would LOVE to see mos def and a tribe called quest. id probably lose my voice singin “check the rhime”. that song is a classic. ooohhh…and method man and redman perform “da rockwilder”. i wouldnt have a voice after that concert. that would be a great vacation since i havent gotten to have one in about a year.
Wow, it’s so funny that you have this giveaway going on because I was wondering earlier how I could possibly get tickets to this amazing show!
I am EXTREMELY excited to see Mos Def and ATCQ!
I love that ATCQ has influenced hip hop and ALL music to such an extent. They were years ahead of their time and today, we still haven’t reached their level. They are still a relic of what hip hop should strive to become – lyrically, production wise and in all aspects. There are so many songs that I loveee.. I have all of them in the iPod and I listen on a daily basis. Never in my life did I think I could have a chance to see them perform together!! I might faint. My faves of theirs are “Find My Way,” of course “Electric Relaxation” and “Luck of Lucien” among several others.
Mos Def. What can I say?? He is a musical and lyrical genius. So talented. I love everything from his work with Talib in Blackstar to his solo work, but I prefer Mos when he’s in collaboration with another artist. I can’t forget “Beautiful” with Mos, Talib & Mary J. Those lyrics are seared in my memory, among others.
Basically, I love, adore and am deeply inspired by classic and conscious hip hop/rap and would have a mild heart attack out of sheer joy if I could win these tickets! I would never EVER forget this show! I, too, am a live music enthusiast, and out of all the concerts I’ve been to (Mariah, John Legend, etc.) my favorite has been Common (he’s the only one missing from this lineup!) because his words spoke to me. I know that all the artists that are on this lineup will do the same for me… this is a concert of a lifetime!
::crosses fingers & prays…HARD.::
-Aly
Bella I’m Jealous!!! and Upset!! That they are not making a stop in NC. Only two stops in the South, I mean there are some real Hip Hop Fans like myself that are love all hip hop, not just down south rappers like TI and Jeezy.
I also saw the show outside of D.C./Baltimore. It was the best hiphop show ever!!!!!! this made up for every hiphop concert I missed back in the day. I still can’t stop thinking about it. I have great pics too. I’ve been downloading so many songs since then. Pay for the best seats or the pit up front because it is worth it! It was worth all the humidity and aching feet too. I was there about 8 hours and never ate because I didn’t want to miss anything standing in line. Anyway, I’m also happy I got to see Rakim. I’ll take him over LB any day. Although, A.S. Muhammad didn’t make it :(.
Vivrant Thang: we are in the same meetup group!
I was front and center at the DC/MD show and it was indeed incredible. If you’re like me (in your early-mid 30’s) and grew up on this music, do yourself a favor and buy your tickets today! Or better yet, win a couple of free ones from afrobella!
Shawna Renee
Hey Shawna Renee, I used to listen to your show. I’m meeting everybody on this blog today.
My husband and I have tickets to the NY show, I’m so freaking EXCITED!!!!!! Can you tell? 🙂
Me and my friend will be in Miami this weekend only and we’d love to go to a concert! Nas & Mos Def are mos definately the ILLest!! lol
Mos Def. He’s got charisma, talent, and subtle appeal. Thank you.
just saw the show in DC 7/27 and out of all the artists De LA shut it down!!!! I was also excited to see Rakim and Mos for the first time…excellent show.
Yo! good to see you are down with ROCK THE BELLS….
I had the privilege to cover Rock The Bells San Francisco. I will be posting up a nice Gallery of pictures there in a week or so….
Check it out at the HIP-HOP SPOT
here: (http://www.thehiphopspot.net/emcee)