LL Cool J Announces Summer Tour, His First in 25+ Years
LL Cool J, a hip-hop icon from Long Island, will embark on his first U.S. tour in more than 25 years this summer, he announced this week.
The F.O.R.C.E. Live tour hits the road on June 25, and tickets are now on sale. The acronym stands for Frequencies of Real Creative Energy, and LL Cool J plans to make good on that motto by bringing out a slew of special guests throughout the tour.
“We’re doing the ultimate mashup! One of a kind non-stop beats and rhymes! Special guests and special curation!! Hip-Hop is having a 50th birthday party!! You’re invited! See you there!” he Tweeted on Wednesday.
All F.O.R.C.E. Live tour dates will include musical performances by The Roots, 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,” Livenation, the show’s presenter, says on its website.
Special guests appearing in select cities will include Ice T, De La Soul, Salt-N-Pepa, Queen Latifah, Rakim, Common, MC Lyte, Method Man, and many more.
L Cool J hosted the Grammy Awards in February and led a tribute to 50 years of hip-hop medley that included many of the same performers who will join him on certain tour dates. Some are fellow Long Island natives, such as Rakim, a Wyandanch native, and Method Man, a Hempstead native.
“I’m excited to be on my first Arena tour in 30 years,” LL Cool J said in a statement. “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 tour will be at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on June 27 and the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. on June 28. Tickets are on sale at rockthebells.com/f.o.r.c.e.live.
