Thousands of hip-hop fans crowded into the National Orange Show events center for this year's star-studded Rock the Bells festival over the weekend.
While the dry San Bernardino heat hovered around the triple-digit mark, the main stage saw the likes of Slick Rick, Rakim, KRS-ONE, DJ Premiere, Lauryn Hill (her first comeback performance), A Tribe Called Quest, Wu-Tang Clan and LA's own Snoop Dogg. A second stage called the Paid Dues stage saw the likes of Yelawolf, Big Sean, DJ Rocky Rock, DJ Muggs (with Ill Bill), Supernatural, Jedi Mind Tricks, Brother Ali, Immortal Technique, Clipse, Wiz Khalifa, Murs (with 9th Wonder) and Street Sweeper Social Club (with Tom Morello, formerly of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, and Boots Riley of The Coup).
Screen Grabs: Rock the Bells 2010
Rock the Bells is known for showcasing great artists, but this year was a little different, and the fans were in for a treat: Six of the main artists performed best-selling albums in their entirety, with Slick Rick selecting The Great Adventures Of; Rakim, Paid in Full; KRS-ONE, Criminal Minded; A Tribe Called Quest (with special guest Busta Rhymes), Midnight Marauders; Wu-Tang Clan (with special guest Boy Jones, the late O.D.B's first-born son), Enter the 36 Chambers; and Snoop Dogg (with special guests Tha Dogg Pound, Warren G, RBX and Lady of Rage) performing Doggystyle.
VIP areas were set up with their own food and drink vendors, a lounge area and fans that also sprayed mist (very popular in that unbearable heat). The stage areas were wide open, with vendors selling everything from clothing to lemonade filling up the rest of the events-center grounds.
The fans were treated to a great lineup, well worth the long lines to get in and price of admission.
