The Cool Kids, Kid Sister Set to Rock the Bells

By Marcus Gilmer in Arts & Entertainment on Apr 23, 2008 4:45PM

Rock The Bells, a "world-class hip hop platform" that kicks off its 2008 tour right here in Chicago on July 19th, announced their main lineup yesterday, which includes local acts The Cool Kids, Kid Sister, and Kidz in the Hall. Ironically, The Cool Kids and Kid Sister (both playing Coachella this weekend) aren't listed on the Chicago itinerary, though they are listed for subsequent shows. We don't know if it's an oversight or not, but here's hoping they're added for the hometown gig. (Ed. note: They might be excluded due to the blackout around the Lollapalooza dates.) Even without the local acts, the lineup is pretty solid already, with hip-hop legends A Tribe Called Quest, Nas, and De La Soul (returning a year after their triumphant Pitchfork set) leading the charge along with one of our personal favorites, Mos Def, and a few Wu Tang members thrown in for good measure. Additional acts will be announced in the near future.

The festival began as a one-day show in California in 2004, featuring a reunited Wu Tang Clan, and has slowly grown to include multiple stages and cities. This year's festival will be its largest so far, hitting 10 cities in all. In addition to the currently announced popular acts, the festival has become known for also featuring more underground hip hop artists like MF Doom, Jedi Mind Tricks, Sage Francis, and a big chunk of the Def Jux roster (Murs, Mr. Lif, Cage, Del the Funky Homosapien).

The venue for the Chicago show has not been announce, nor has ticket information, so we recommend signing up for info at the website. The current Chicago lineup is listed after the jump.

A Tribe Called Quest
Nas
Mos Def
De La Soul
Rakim
Method Man & Redman
Immortal Technique
dead prez
Murs
Jay Electronica
WALE
B.O.B.
Kidz In The Hall
Special Guests: The Pharcyde