The high energy Rock The Bells Hip Hop Festival charges into the intimate Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theatre on Tuesday, September 13th at 8PM featuring Ghostface, Raekwon (performing Only Built 4 Cuban Linx) and Mobb Deep (performing The Infamous). This is part of the Cruzan Concert Series.
The Rock The Bells festival features seminal hip-hop artists performing their classic albums, a tradition started last year.
A quick check of his resumé makes it clear that Ghostface’s music always makes a splash. From his 1996 debut Ironman, to 2000’s epic Supreme Clientele, to Wallets, Ghost has more front-to-back classic albums than most rappers have singles. Add his appearances from the Wu-Tang galaxy of hits on songs like “Can It Be All So Simple,” and “Ice Cream” and it’s no idle boast when Ghost describes himself as “one of the most creative niggas in the game.” Armed with his latest heat rock of an album, Fish Scale, which boasts production from MF DOOM, Pete Rock, J.Dilla, MadLib, and many others, the broad shouldered Ghost stands ready and willing to carry the Wu Tang’s burden and return rap to it’s proper course. Over 10 years deep in the game Ghost remains one of the genre’s few immovable, revered creators.
Raekwon may not have achieved the solo stardom of some of his fellow Wu-Tang Clan mates, but along with Genius/GZA and frequent partner Ghostface Killah, he’s done some of the most inventive, critically acclaimed work outside the confines of the group. Raekwon joined the
Staten Island, NY-based Wu-Tang collective and played an important role on their groundbreaking debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang. Following his debut single, “Heaven and Hell,” his own solo debut, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx (which he performs in the show), appeared; which earned him a reputation in the hip-hop underground. Moreover, the album received near-unanimous critical praise for its evocative, image-rich storytelling and cinematic Mafia obsession (on some tracks, he adopted the guise of gangster Lex Diamonds). Also notable was Raekwon’s crackling chemistry with heavily featured collaborator Ghostface Killah, who enjoyed something of a coming-out party with all the exposure.
As golden age rap suddenly gave way to West Coast gangsta, an East Coast variety of hardcore rap arose in turn, with Mobb Deep initially standing tall as one of New York’s hardcore figureheads on the basis of their epochal album The Infamous (which they will perform at the show). On The Infamous, Mobb Deep (comprised of Prodigy and Havoc) set the tone for future generations of hardcore New York rappers, from G-Unit to Dipset. The Infamous was more hardcore than its two key stylistic predecessors, Illmatic and Ready to Die (from Nas and Notorious B.I.G.); the beats were darker and harder-hitting while the rhymes were downright threatening yet still inventive and crafty. Moreover, there were no crossover hits. In fact, there were no light moments at all. The Infamous was an uncompromising album for the streets, and it was championed as such.
General Admission tickets are $30.00 in advance and $33.00 day of show. Limited Reserved Seat tickets are also available for $45.00. They go on sale Friday, July 15th / 10AM at LiveNation.com or charge by phone 800-745-3000 and at the Fillmore Box Office during normal business hours (Mon. – Fri., 11AM – 6PM and during show days).
All dates, acts and ticket prices are subject to change without notice. All tickets are subject to applicable taxes, parking and service and handling charges.