rock the bells tour detroit

Rock The Bells & Live Nation Urban Present The F.O.R.C.E. (Frequencies Of Real Creative Energy) Live North American Summer Tour Headlined By LL COOL J

THE ULTIMATE HIP-HOP MASH-UP WILL BE ONE NONSTOP CONTINUOUS SET AND WILL FEATURE THE LEGENDARY ROOTS AS THE MUSICAL BACKBONE, ALONGSIDE DJ JAZZY JEFF & DJ Z-TRIP 

Select cities to feature salt-n-pepa, queen latifah, rakim, common, mc lyte, method man & redman, big boi, bone thugs-n-harmony, ice t, juvenile, doug e. fresh & slick rick, de la soul, rick ross, goodie mob, & jadakiss.

Live Nation Urban  reveals details for a brand new once-in-a-lifetime touring experience and a celebration of Hip-Hop culture –  Rock The Bells & Live Nation Urban Presents  The F.O.R.C.E. (Frequencies of Real Creative Energy) Live  headlined by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame® Inductee, Kennedy Center® Honoree, two time GRAMMY® Award winner, and Hip-Hop icon  LL COOL J .  The historic tour will mark LL COOL J’s first headline arena tour in 30 years. Living up to the acronym  F.O.R.C.E.   ( Frequencies of Real Creative Energy ), the lineup for this tour is personally curated by LL COOL J himself.  

Building off of their amazing performance together on the GRAMMY® Awards earlier this year celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop, all dates will feature collaborative live performances with preeminent Award-winning Hip-Hop band  The Roots , the legendary  DJ Jazzy Jeff , and  DJ Z-Trip . Unlike the traditional “opening act – headliner” format, the show will be a nonstop musical mash up with artist performances interwoven within one continuous musical set backed by The Roots.  In select cities, the bill also boasts a rotating cast of iconic acts, including  Salt-N-Pepa ,  Queen Latifah ,  Rakim ,  Common ,  MC Lyte,   Method Man & Redman ,  Big Boi ,  Bone Thugs-N-Harmony ,  Ice T ,  Juvenile ,  Doug E. Fresh ,  Slick Rick ,  De La Soul ,  Goodie Mob ,  Jadakiss, Rick Ross  and more.

WATCH THE OFFICIAL TOUR TRAILER  HERE

Speaking on the tour, LL COOL J says, “I’m excited to be on my first Arena tour in 30 years. It’s proof that our culture is more viable than ever. Get ready for some non stop beats and rhymes. See you this summer!” 

The F.O.R.C.E .  Live  hits the road on June 25th in Boston, MA at TD Garden before stopping in Brooklyn, NY at Barclays Center on June 27th, rolling through arenas across the U.S. and Canada, and closing out on September 3rd in Los Angeles, CA at Kia Forum.

Verizon  will offer customers an exclusive presale for the tour in the U.S. through Verizon Up. Customers will have access to purchase presale tickets for select shows beginning Tuesday, April 25th at 12PM local time through Thursday, April 27th at 10PM local time. For more details visit  Verizon Up .

Citi  is the official card of the tour. Citi cardmembers will also have access to presale tickets for select shows beginning Tuesday, April 25th at 12PM local time through Thursday, April 27th at 10PM local time through the Citi Entertainment program. For complete presale details visit  www.citientertainment.com . 

On Thursday, April 27th between 10AM-10PM local time, fans may purchase tickets through either the Live Nation presale, Ticketmaster presale, or local venue and radio presales. General on-sale kicks off Friday, April 28th at 10AM local time.  Tickets will be available  HERE . 

There has never been a traveling Hip-Hop extravaganza of this magnitude. Feel  The F.O.R.C.E. Live  in 2023.  This is not a moment, it’s a movement. 

Be on the lookout for more.

6/25     Boston, MA                     TD Garden

6/27     Brooklyn, NY                   Barclays Center

6/28     Newark, NJ                      Prudential Center

6/29     Toronto, ON                  Scotiabank Arena

7/1       Baltimore, MD                CFG Bank Arena

7/2       Washington, DC             Capital One Arena

7/4       Atlanta, GA                     State Farm Arena

7/6       Hollywood, FL                 Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood

7/8       Raleigh, NC                     PNC Arena

7/9       Charlotte, NC                  Spectrum Center

8/12     Cleveland, OH                Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse           

8/13     Chicago, IL                      United Center

8/18     Detroit, MI                     Little Caesars Arena

8/19     St. Louis, MO                  Enterprise Center

8/20     Indianapolis, IN              Gainbridge Fieldhouse                       

8/22     Memphis, TN                  FedEx Forum

8/23     New Orleans, LA            Smoothie King Center

8/24     Ft. Worth, TX                  Dickies Arena

8/25     Houston, TX                   Toyota Center

8/27     Albuquerque, NM         Sandia Casino Amphitheater

8/29     Denver, CO                    Ball Arena

9/1       San Francisco, CA           Chase Center             

9/2       Las Vegas, NV                MGM Grand Garden Arena

9/3       Los Angeles, CA              Kia Forum

ABOUT  LIVE   NATION  ENTERTAINMENT 

Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live NationConcerts, and Live Nation Media & Sponsorship. For additional information, visit  www.livenationentertainment.com .

Live Nation Urban (LNU) is a partnership with Live Nation Entertainment, the world’s leading live entertainment company. Specifically focusing on Hip-Hop, R&B and Gospel, LNU builds platforms, events, and festivals globally and develops dynamic content strategies based upon the live properties created. LiveNation Urban considers itself the most powerful source for live urban music. For additional information, visit  www.livenationurban.com . 

ABOUT  ROCK THE BELLS

Rock The Bells is the preeminent voice for timeless Hip-Hop. Founded in 2018 by LL COOL J and Geoff Yang, Rock The Bells focuses on content, commerce and experiences that honor the CULTURE and the core elements of Hip-Hop — MCs, DJs, Breakers, Graffiti Artists — and more. Rock The Bells is the bridge between OG’s and those inspired by their groundbreaking influences on the culture. Visit us at www.RockTheBells.com, stream LL COOL J’s Rock The Bells Radio on SiriusXM Channel 43, and follow us on Instagram @RockTheBells.

(LL COOL J press photo, credit: Peter Yang — download  HERE )

ABOUT LL COOL J

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, two-time Grammy® Award-winning Hip-Hop icon, Kennedy Center Honoree, recording artist, actor, author, NAACP Image Award winner, entrepreneur, philanthropist and founder and CEO of Rock The Bells, LL COOL J has created one of the most multifaceted careers and brands in entertainment and continues to display his wide range of talents with every project. Three decades after he first burst onto the scene, LL COOL J continues his vibrant, trailblazing career.

LL COOL J began in the nascent, burgeoning rap and Hip-Hop scene of the 80’s, which developed into the musical and cultural phenomenon that is today’s Hip-Hop. All the while, LL COOL J has remained a musical and cultural force, a living icon and a significant, relevant artist. In March 2018, LL launched his own SiriusXM timeless Hip-Hop channel entitled “LL COOL J’s Rock The Bells Radio,” garnering millions of daily listeners. The channel features a wide range of timeless Hip-Hop content, music, interviews and in-depth retrospectives curated, programmed and presented by the award-winning artist. Since its founding, Rock The Bells has developed into a global platform that has become the preeminent voice for timeless Hip-Hop.

Live Nation Urban Press Contacts: 

Carleen Donovan, The Oriel Co. 

[email protected]

Nina Lee, The Oriel Co. 

Lily Sanders, The Oriel Co. 

Valeska Thomas, Live Nation Urban 

Monique Sowinski, Live Nation Urban 

LL COOL J Personal PR Contacts:

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Ll cool j to headline the f.o.r.c.e. live tour presented by rock the bells.

The 24-date trek will kick off in June of this year before concluding in September.

By Amber Corrine

Amber Corrine

Staff Writer, News

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In celebration of Hip-Hop , LL Cool J will be headlining his first tour in over 30 years with Rock The Bells and Live Nation Urban ‘s The F.O.R.C.E. (Frequencies of Real Creative Energy) Live. The multi-award winning Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and Hip-Hop icon will give lovers of the genre “not a moment, but a movement.”

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As Hip-Hop continues to be celebrated 50 years later , the F.O.R.C.E tour aims to be unique. “Unlike the traditional ‘opening act – headliner’ format, the show will be a nonstop musical mash up with artist performances interwoven within one continuous musical set backed by The Roots,” per announcement.

“I’m excited to be on my first Arena tour in 30 years,” the Rock The Bells founder stated in a press release. “It’s proof that our culture is more viable than ever. Get ready for some non stop beats and rhymes. See you this summer!” 

The 24-date tour will begin on June 25 in Boston, MA at TD Garden and hit the major cities of Brooklyn, NY, Newark, NJ, Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New Orleans and Las Vegas before concluding on September 3 in Los Angeles at the Kia Forum.

Starting Thursday (April 27) at 10AM ET, fans can start purchasing tickets via Live Nation presale, Ticketmaster presale, or local venue and radio presales. General tickets go on sale starting Friday (April 28).

6/25       Boston, MA                       TD Garden

6/27       Brooklyn, NY                     Barclays Center

6/28       Newark, NJ                       Prudential Center

6/29       Toronto, ON                      Scotiabank Arena

7/1         Baltimore, MD                  CFG Bank Arena

7/2         Washington, DC               Capital One Arena

7/4         Atlanta, GA                        State Farm Arena

7/6         Hollywood, FL                   Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood

7/8         Raleigh, NC                        PNC Arena

7/9         Charlotte, NC                    Spectrum Center

8/13       Chicago, IL                         United Center

8/18       Detroit, MI                         Little Caesars Arena

8/19       St. Louis, MO                     Enterprise Center

8/20       Indianapolis, IN                Gainbridge Fieldhouse                       

8/22       Memphis, TN                    FedEx Forum

8/23       New Orleans, LA               Smoothie King Center

8/24       Ft. Worth, TX                     Dickies Arena

8/25       Houston, TX                       Toyota Center

8/27       Albuquerque, NM           Sandia Casino Amphitheater

8/29       Denver, CO                        Ball Arena

9/2         Las Vegas, NV                    MGM Grand Garden Arena

9/3         Los Angeles, CA                Kia Forum

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Rock The Bells (Soulful Experience)

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LL Cool J to Headline ‘The F.O.R.C.E.’ Tour in US + Dates Announced

* LL Cool J is bringing a once-in-a-lifetime touring experience and a celebration of Hip-Hop culture to a city near you this summer. 

Live Nation has announced dates for the Rock The Bells & Live Nation Urban Presents The F.O.R.C.E. (Frequencies of Real Creative Energy) Live tour headlined by two-time GRAMMY Award winner. The historic tour will mark LL Cool J’s first headline arena tour in 30 years.

The lineup features a rotating cast of iconic acts, including Salt-N-Pepa, Queen Latifah, Rakim, Common, MC Lyte, Method Man & Redman, Big Boi, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Ice T, Juvenile, Doug E. Fresh, Slick Rick, De La Soul, Goodie Mob, Jadakiss, Rick Ross and more.

According to the press release: “All dates will feature collaborative live performances with preeminent Award-winning Hip-Hop band The Roots, the legendary DJ Jazzy Jeff, and DJ Z-Trip. Unlike the traditional “opening act – headliner” format, the show will be a nonstop musical mash up with artist performances interwoven within one continuous musical set backed by The Roots.”

READ MORE:  LL Cool J’s Rock the Bells Inks First-Look Deal with Paramount Global

Speaking on the tour, LL Cool J said, “I’m excited to be on my first Arena tour in 30 years. It’s proof that our culture is more viable than ever. Get ready for some non-stop beats and rhymes. See you this summer!” 

The F.O.R.C.E. Live kicks off June 25th in Boston, MA at TD Garden before closing on September 3rd in Los Angeles, CA at Kia Forum.

On Thursday, April 27th between 10AM-10PM local time, fans may purchase tickets through either the Live Nation presale, Ticketmaster presale, or local venue and radio presales. General on-sale kicks off Friday, April 28th at 10AM local time. Tickets will be available HERE .

TOUR DATES:

6/25 Boston, MA  – TD Garden 6/27 Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center 6/28 Newark, NJ – Prudential Center 6/29 Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena 7/1 Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena 7/2 Washington, DC – Capital One Arena 7/4 Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena 7/6 Hollywood, FL-  Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood 7/8 Raleigh, NC – PNC Arena 7/9 Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center 8/12 Cleveland, OH – Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse 8/13 Chicago, IL – United Center 8/18 Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena 8/19 St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center 8/20 Indianapolis, IN – Gainbridge Fieldhouse 8/22 Memphis, TN – FedEx Forum 8/23 New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center 8/24 Ft. Worth, TX – Dickies Arena 8/25 Houston, TX – Toyota Center 8/27 Albuquerque, NM – Sandia Casino Amphitheater 8/29 Denver, CO – Ball Arena 9/1 San Francisco, CA – Chase Center 9/2 Las Vegas, NV –  MGM Grand Garden Arena 9/3 Los Angeles, CA  – Kia Forum  

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LL Cool J announces Rock The Bells North American tour

Ll will headline with support from the roots, dj jazzy jeff, dj z-trip, and a rotating cast of high-profile hip-hop acts..

Last August, LL Cool J pulled off his first Rock The Bells in the aftermath of a lawsuit in which he won the trademark rights to the popular New York hip-hop festival, named for a 1985 cut from his debut album, Radio . Today, he’s announced that he’ll be taking Rock The Bells on the road this summer, joining powers with Live Nation to present a “once-in-a-lifetime touring experience and a celebration of Hip-Hop culture” called “The F.O.R.C.E. (Frequencies of Real Creative Energy).”

LL will headline the festival himself, with support from The Roots , DJ Jazzy Jeff , DJ Z-Trip , and a rotating, city-specific cast of rap legends: Salt-N-Pepa , Queen Latifah , Rakim , Common , MC Lyte , Method Man & Redman , Big Boi , Bone Thugs N Harmony , Ice-T , Juvenile , Doug E. Fresh , Slick Rick , De La Soul , Goodie Mob , Jadakiss , Rick Ross , and others. The 24-date run will kick off in Boston and June 25 and finish in Los Angeles on September 3. View its lineup poster and full schedule below.

Read Next: Ms. Lauryn Hill and Diddy to headline Roots Picnic 2023

“the f.o.r.c.e live”.

June 25 - Boston, MA - TD Garden June 27 - Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center June 28 - Newark, NJ - Prudential Center June 29 - Toronto, ON - Scotiabank Arena July 1 - Baltimore, MD - CFG Bank Arena July 2 - Washington, DC - Capital One Arena July 4 - Atlanta, GA - State Farm Arena July 6 - Hollywood, FL - Seminole Hard Rock Hotel July 8 - Raleigh, NC - PNC Arena July 9 - Charlotte, NC - Spectrum Center

August 12 - Cleveland, OH - Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse August 13 - Chicago, IL - United Center August 18 - Detroit, MI - Little Caesars Arena August 19 - St. Louis, MO - Enterprise Center August 20 - Indianapolis, IN - Gainbridge Fieldhouse August 22 - Memphis, TN - FedEx Forum August 23 - New Orleans, LA - Smoothie King Center August 24 - Ft. Worth, TX - Dickies Arena August 25 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center August 27 - Albuquerque, NM - Sandia Casino Amphitheater August 29 - Denver, CO - Ball Arena September 1 - San Francisco, CA - Chase Center September 2 - Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Garden Arena September 3 - Los Angeles, CA - Kia Forum

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LL Cool J  

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LL Cool J is a rapper and actor hailing from Bay Shore, New York, U.S who was born on the 14th of January 1968. He is known for being one of the first rappers to achieve genuine mainstream success and has released 14 albums since his debut in 1984.

James Todd Smith grew up in Hollis, Queens, one of the true birthplaces of hip-hop as a whole. His parents, James and Ondrea Smith, split up when he was four so from then on he lived with his grandparents. Smith grew up around music in all shapes and forms but it was hip-hop that truly captured his imagination, and he was writing his own raps and making his own mixtapes by the time he was nine. Fortunately his grandfather, a jazz saxophonist, was as supportive as it gets to the young Smith, and when his grandson was eleven years old, he got him $2,000 worth of kit to get him started, including his first set of turntables, an amplifier and a mixer.

Smith was already making mixtapes under the name LL Cool J, his nickname at school (which stands for Ladies Love Cool James, proving that he somehow went to a school where you could pick your own nickname), before he’d been given the equipment. Once he had it he was able to make these tapes to a nigh on professional level of quality and produce a number of them at a time, and he started sending them out to some of the nascent hip-hop labels around the Queens area. The label that signed Smith in the end was one that had been started the very same year by a producer called Rick Rubin and a manager and promotor called Russell Simmons. Its name? Def Jam Recordings.

Smith’s first single “I Need A Beat” was released the very same year, when Smith himself was barely 17 years old and it was a surprise hit, selling 100’000 copies in its first year. Along with the Beastie Boys’ first single “Rock Hard”, it was enough to get Def Jam a distribution deal with Columbia Records in 1985, effectively making the label just as much as the label made them. 1985 saw the release of his debut album “Radio”, which became an unprecedented hit in the hip-hop world of that time. It sold 500’000 copies in its first five months and continued to sell by the truckload, going platinum in 1989.

Smith also saw success on the singles chart as well, with both “I Can’t Live Without My Radio” and “Rock The Bells” colonising the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart around the same time. Smith was a star, and he, along with Run-DMC and label-mates The Beastie Boys were bringing Hip-Hop to the masses like no-one had ever done before. Ever since then, he’s been nothing if not a controversial figure within Hip-Hop and not always for the right reasons, as many have questioned the materialistic nature of some of his tracks, or feel like he focuses too much on his acting career and not the music.

The truth is, those people need to keep their mouth shut and remember just how revolutionary the likes of “Mama Said Knock You Out”, “I Need Love” and “Loungin’” were at the time of their release, and how much they still hold up to this day. Without LL Cool J, Hip-Hop would be a very, very different place, and for his influence, his skill at the mic, and his hand at giving the world Def Jam Recordings, he still comes highly recommended.

Live reviews

He needs to be the Sexiest Man Alive every year and on stage well he's even sexier. I saw Mr. LL Cool J at DTE Energy Music Theatre in Auburn Hills (still Pine Knob to me and always will be) and I was lucky enough to be able to get a seat in the auditorium and not out on the lawn.

Don't get me wrong, I love this venue, I usually like to see concerts and have lawn seats so I can sit and chill with the crowd. But not for LL, I needed to be up close and personal to see this man. After all these years performing he still has game. I have adored him from the beginning and loved him more and more over the years.

As soon as he stepped on that stage, he owned it. It's not an overly big stage either, but with him on it it seemed small. LL's charisma and perfection penetrated every single one of us that night. By the end of his show there wasn't one person not moving at least a little bit. The lights moved with every beat and the DJ was scratchin' the records like it was 1985 again.

I was hypnotized and giddy like a school girl. This was just a fun and exciting concert done by one of Hip Hop's greatest.

Report as inappropriate

James Todd Smith better known as LL Cool J simply oozes charisma and confidence when he performs live. I mean you have to be a pretty confident guy in general to be bold enough to make your stage name abbreviate to Ladies Love James. Luckily for the rapper the strength of his music seems to support the bravado as away from all the showmanship, Jay is very skilled when it comes to spitting lyrics.

The crowd jumps as one to the bass beats of '4, 3, 2, 1' as Cool J stands proudly onstage commanding the stage and bringing them in for sing/jump along choruses. The largest cheers are reserved for the nostalgic values of 'I Need Love' which is shouted back by the entire venue. James capitalises this and attempts to smooth every single lady inside simultaneously to the sounds of high pitched cheers and unimpressed male accompaniments. The whole crowd are in high spirits though for a finale of 'Rock the Bells' which sounds as fresh as ever, having been reimagined by the man himself.

This was an awesome concert. I enjoyed myself. I wish I had closer seats though. Not too happy with the lay out of the place. There should be big screen monitors to see the performers closer for those that have higher seats.

Posters (16)

Find out more about LL Cool J tour dates & tickets 2024-2025

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• Las Vegas (8)
• Chicago (7)

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• De La Soul (41)
• Public Enemy (39)
• Ice Cube (34)
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Event starts {{ data.showing_start_time }}, "the f.o.r.c.e. live" with special guests the roots, dj jazzy jeff, dj z-trip, common, mc lyte, bone thugs-n-harmony, ice t and more.

Live Nation Urban reveals details for a brand new once-in-a-lifetime touring experience and a celebration of Hip-Hop culture – Rock The Bells & Live Nation Urban Presents The F.O.R.C.E. (Frequencies of Real Creative Energy) Live headlined by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame® Inductee, Kennedy Center® Honoree, two time Grammy® Award winner, and Hip-Hop icon LL COOL J at Little Caesars Arena on Friday, August 18 at 8 p.m. The historic tour will mark LL COOL J’s first headline arena tour in 30 years. Living up to the acronym F.O.R.C.E. (Frequencies of Real Creative Energy), the lineup for this tour is personally curated by LL COOL J himself.

Building off of their amazing performance together on the Grammy® Awards earlier this year celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop, all dates will feature collaborative live performances with preeminent Award-winning Hip-Hop band The Roots, the legendary DJ Jazzy Jeff, and DJ Z-Trip. Unlike the traditional “opening act – headliner” format, the show will be a nonstop musical mash up with artist performances interwoven within one continuous musical set backed by The Roots. In Detroit, the bill also boasts a rotating cast of iconic acts, including Common, MC Lyte, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Ice T and more. Lineup subject to change.

WATCH THE OFFICIAL TOUR TRAILER HERE .

Speaking on the tour, LL COOL J says, “I’m excited to be on my first Arena tour in 30 years. It’s proof that our culture is more viable than ever. Get ready for some non-stop beats and rhymes. See you this summer!”

The F.O.R.C.E. Live hits the road on June 25 in Boston, MA at TD Garden before stopping in Brooklyn, NY at Barclays Center on June 27, rolling through arenas across the U.S. and Canada, and closing out on September 3 in Los Angeles, CA at Kia Forum.

In select cities, the bill also boasts a rotating cast of iconic acts, including Salt-N-Pepa, Queen Latifah, Common, MC Lyte, Method Man & Redman, Big Boi, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Ice T, Juvenile, Doug E. Fresh, Slick Rick, De La Soul, Goodie Mob, Jadakiss, Rick Ross and more.

There has never been a traveling Hip-Hop extravaganza of this magnitude. Feel The F.O.R.C.E. Live in 2023. This is not a moment, it’s a movement.

Be on the lookout for more.

Rock The Bells Cruise

The First Wave is HERE!

Join Jadakiss, E-40, Rakim, Talib Kweli and more for 4 days of non-stop Hip-Hop performances and parties. See the first wave of talent and stay tuned for a second wave very soon!

The Best Immersive Hip-Hop Experience at Sea

In between unforgettable live performances, run around to an onboard Meet & Greet Autograph Session, try your hand at a Domino & Spades Tournament, Sip & Paint, and more!

4 Day Dream Vacation

Round trip cruise from Miami to Great Stirrup Cay & Nassau aboard the magnificent Norwegian Gem featuring first class amenities including 10 restaurants, 8 bars, casino, basketball court, spa, gym, outdoor track and much more.

Explore Great Stirrup Cay & Nassau

Spend time exploring Nassau's gorgeous beaches and charming pastel-colored architecture. Swim with the dolphins, snorkel with colorful fish, or find some of the best duty-free shopping on Bay Street.

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How to get good deals on L.L. Cool J tickets for shows in Detroit, Chicago and Cleveland

• Updated: Apr. 28, 2023, 9:10 a.m. |
• Published: Apr. 28, 2023, 9:10 a.m.

L.L. Cool J. Image provided by: Stubhub

• Anneice Coady | [email protected]

Live Nation Entertainment announces, “The F.O.R.C.E Live North American Summer Tour kicks off with L.L. Cool J’s first arena tour in 30 years.”

L.L. Cool J will “Rock the Bells” during his tour stop in Detroit, Friday August 18 at Little Caesars Arena. Get tickets at Stubhub, and Vividseats.

Stubhub and Vividseats also have tickets for stops in Chicago and Cleveland.

L.L. Cool J is a hip-hop icon, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee, Kennedy Center Honoree, and two-time Grammy Award Winner.

“The historic F.O.R.C.E. (Frequencies of Real Creative Energy) tour curated by L.L. Cool J, hits the road on June 25th in Boston, MA at TD Garden before stopping in Brooklyn, NY at Barclays Center on June 27th, and closing out on September 3rd in Los Angeles, CA at Kia Forum.” (Livenationentertainment.com) .

Expect appearances by, “ The Roots , the legendary DJ Jazzy Jeff , and DJ Z-Trip .” Unlike the traditional “opening act – headliner” format, “In select cities, the bill also boasts a rotating cast of iconic acts, including Salt-N-Pepa, Queen Latifah, Rakim, Common, MC Lyte, Method Man & Redman, Big Boi, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Ice T, Juvenile, Doug E. Fresh, Slick Rick, De La Soul, Goodie Mob, Jadakiss, Rick Ross and more.”

Get tickets from Stubhub, and Vividseats .

Detroit - Friday, Aug. 18 at Little Caesars Arena, MI

Cleveland - Saturday Aug. 12 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, OH

Chicago - Sunday Aug. 13 at United Center, IL

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Proof: forever the mayor of detroit.

“I put my soul through the ink/Bless a pad with thoughts, add my faults, before I grow extinct.” 

One of the biggest roadblocks to stardom in the late 90s and early 2000s was coming up under  a juggernaut. As artists like Nelly, Ludacris and 50 Cent brought their respective teams (The St. Lunatics, DTP and G-Unit) with them, it was hard for the groups to shake the stigma of their career solely being a result of a fortuitous friendship. 

For Eminem it was no different. As acclaimed as Royce Da 5’9” has become, both by fans and critics, many people forget that even he had to fight the stigma of being “Eminem’s man.” As far as D12 went, the sentiment that they were given careers as a favor was so strong, they made it the topic of their debut single “My Band.” 

The group was often with Eminem but no one was by Slim Shady’s side more than his best friend, partner in rhyme and go-to hype man for shows, DeShaun Dupree Holton, known to the rap world as Proof. 

The two men will forever be linked, which is as it should be. Proof always pushed Eminem to never quit and as a result of that perseverance, a rap juggernaut was introduced to the world with Dr. Dre behind him. 

Proof’s career as a solo artist was not especially notable. His only major label LP, The Search For Jerry Garcia (named for its release date which happened to be the ten year anniversary of Garcia’s passing), debuted at #65 on the Billboard 200 charts, and aside from it’s lead single “Gurls Wit da Boom,” never made waves on radio. 

What would have become of his mainstream status is moot, but the reason Proof’s legacy is an inexorable part of the city he came up in, is more a function of simply who he was. 

“He was the mayor of Detroit. Point blank, period,” noted Marcel Williams. As a Hip-Hop journalist that grew up in Detroit and lived in the Motor City during D12’s run, Marcel equated Proof’s status to another legend taken from us too soon. “From the standpoint of what he meant for the community, Proof was to Detroit what Nipsey Hussle was going to be: The glue,” he added. 

In the early 2000s there was a lot of tension among artists in Detroit. Eminem was feuding with Insane Clown Posse, Esham was going at Em’ and D12. Friends even became foes as Royce and the "Purple Pills" rappers turned adversarial. 

With all of the news clips that highlighted Proof’s closeness with Eminem, Marcel says the part that got swept under the rug was the unity he was bringing to the city’s artists at the time of his passing. 

“He was on a peace mission during his last days, which made it hurt so much more the way he died: In his city at the hands of someone who, had the circumstances been different, he probably would have looked out for,” remembered Marcel. “A lot of people know the story Royce has told, how they ran into each other downtown, both had guns ready to draw down, got popped and wound up in the same holding cell as each other. They spent the whole night talking and patched their relationship up. That helped bring Royce and Em’ to the table and got them talking, as well as the rest of D12.”

He continued: 

"Proof’s  He put his beef with Evidence and Dilated Peoples to the side, made amends with them, he made amends with Everlast, with ICP. He was going around and making peace everywhere there wasn’t [previously] throughout his career. That part was never talked about. I interviewed Mikey Epstein, D12’s tour manager and he was telling me how a lot of the issues they had with other people early in their career, Proof solved them over bowling. He had a league. Other rappers had teams, Everlast had one. They would all meet up and bowl and that solved a lot of differences.”

Hip-Hop celebrated Proof for being an integral part of Eminem’s early success and perseverance. In Detroit, the reverence goes much deeper. In a city not characterized by the support of their own artists, Proof truly was as the 2008 mixtape suggested, The Mayor of Detroit.

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LL Cool J Announces “The F.O.R.C.E. Live” Tour with The Roots, De La Soul, and More

• Oops! Something went wrong. Please try again later. More content below

The post LL Cool J Announces “The F.O.R.C.E. Live” Tour with The Roots, De La Soul, and More appeared first on Consequence .

Hip-hop heads, rejoice: LL Cool J  is about to embark on his first headline arena tour in 30 years, and he’s bringing a particularly stacked crew along with him. The rapper has curated the “F.O.R.C.E. (Frequencies of Real Creative Energy) Live” tour, an upcoming traveling concert — a bit like his iconic Rock the Bells festival — that also promises performances from The Roots, De La Soul, Rick Ross, and many more.

Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, “The F.O.R.C.E. Live” tour will feature 18 shows each with a rotating cast of supporting acts. Each night will bring LL Cool J, The Roots, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and DJ Z-Trip to the stage, playing alongside a rotating cast of acts that include Salt-N-Pepa, Queen Latifah, Rakim, Common, MC Lyte, Method Man & Redman, Big Boi, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Ice T, Juvenile, Doug E. Fresh, Slick Rick, Goodie Mob, Jadakiss, and more. (Many of whom will also appear on the Rock the Bells Cruise going down this November.)

“The F.O.R.C.E. Live” tour begins on August 11th in Baltimore, with further dates scheduled in Cleveland, Chicago, Toronto, Atlanta, Memphis, Denver, Las Vegas, Charlotte, and beyond. Prior to the start of the tour, LL Cool J will headline the Rock the Bells Festival in Queens, New York.

Tickets are available via StubHub , where orders are 100% guaranteed through StubHub’s FanProtect program. StubHub is a secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand.

See a trailer for “The F.O.R.C.E. Live” tour and its full schedule below.

Earlier this year, LL Cool J participated in a massive medley at the Grammys celebrating half a century of hip-hop.

Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to reflect the tour’s re-routed dates

“The F.O.R.C.E. Live” 2023 Tour Dates: 08/05 – Queens, NY @ Rock the Bells 08/11 – Baltimore, MD @ CFG Bank Arena 08/12 – Cleveland, OH @ Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse 08/13 – Chicago, IL @ United Center 08/18 – Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena 08/19 – Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena 08/21 – Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena 08/22 – Memphis, TN @ FedEx Forum 08/24 – Ft. Worth, TX @ Dickies Arena 08/25 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center 08/27 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sandia Casino Amphitheater 08/29 – Denver, CO @ Ball Arena 09/01 – San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center 09/02 – Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand Garden Arena 09/03 – Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum 09/09 – Charlotte, NC @ Spectrum Center 09/10 – Raleigh, NC @ PNC Arena 10/15 – Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena 11/19 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden

LL Cool J Announces “The F.O.R.C.E. Live” Tour with The Roots, De La Soul, and More Abby Jones

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