For the first clip in long time, a full lineup of rap will ring through the Gorge. Rock the Bells is coming to Washington.
The Rock the Bells festival is well-known to hip-hop fans from California, where it originated as club shows; now's it's evolved into one of the highest-grossing live events in North America. This year, Rock the Bells is ranking with huge money, live-music events like Coachella, Lollapalooza and the Radiohead turn, according to concert industry magazine Pollstar.
In 2007 it became a national touring festival, and this year, Rock the Bells has gone ball-shaped, with dates in Europe and Japan. And this is the first time the rap fest has spread to the Northwest. Around 10,000 fans are expected at the Saturday Gorge concert.
"It's quite an a feat," said Chang Weisberg, flop of the festival. "You get a whole year of hip-hop in nonpareil day."
A lineup of legends
At the Gorge, hip-hop heavyweights like Nas, Mos Def and Method Man will perform, along with favorites A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul. There may also be guest stars, like Jay-Z, who appeared alongside former nemesis Nas at the New York stop before this month.
In addition to increasing its reach, Rock the Bells has a record for reviving golden-era rap, reuniting groups like Wu-Tang Clan, A Tribe Called Quest and Rage Against the Machine. This year, it's the Pharcyde. The Los Angeles jazz-influenced hip-hop chemical group hasn't played together for 11 years.
Weisberg's company, Guerilla Union, "is known for bringing back classic rap, groups that broke up," said Derrick Stewart, aka Fatlip of the Pharcyde. "They had to do Pharcyde. It had to happen."
The East Coast jazz-rap group A Tribe Called Quest reunited at a Rock the Bells testify in Anaheim back in 2004.
"There's a community kind of vibe to it," said Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest. "Everybody's enjoying each others' adjust, having a good time and expenditure the summertime with each other, so it's a good thing."
Also on the lineup is Northwest darling and hometown hip-hop heroes the Blue Scholars.
"I was blown away that a crew out of Seattle has such a dedicated fan base," said Weisberg. "How could we go in and do a show at the Gorge and not include Blue Scholars there? I think we would get hatred mail."
Blue Scholar MC Geologic is motionless in awe.
"I've only been to things like that as a fan," aforesaid Geologic, 28, currently on tour with Hieroglyphics. "Essentially, we'll be in the presence of people I grew up listening to."
Blue Scholars has toured and played high profile gigs at Bumbershoot and Sasquatch, just this will be the first time the local favorites will share the same phase with such big timers, "when everybody gets to lay it all out on the line," aforesaid Weisberg.
Safety first
But along with the lineup comes the bad tap. In 2002 there was a shooting when Summer Jam, a popular R&B and pat show by KUBE-FM (93.3), was at the Gorge. Since 2005, the show has gone to the White River Amphitheatre.
Weisberg wasn't mindful of the shooting, only he is taking precautions.
"After the first base few eld of Rock the Bells, with people's stereotypes or preconceived notions of what it substance to take a tap show or hip-hop show, we truly have been very diligent in doing our contribution in mitigating people's negative perceptions ... everything from the security pat down to the PR approach, and informing fans what you can and can't add to the show, all the path to the type of acts we're booking," said Weisberg. "If you get 10, 15, 30, 40 thousand people together in a parkland, there's leaving to be issues no matter what, and the issues that we've been dealing with are no better or worse than going to a Giants baseball game."
For example, at the first arena establish in the Bay Area back in 2006, the Concord Pavilion was against the festival serving inebriant because, "They thought a hip-hop usher was all bad and horrible. It ended up being just fine," said Weisberg.
MURS, wHO partnered with Weisberg to program the indie level of the festival, wants the concert to be safe enough for parents to drop their kids off.
"I hope we privy bring a peaceful representation of our culture to the Gorge," said the Los Angeles rapper.
Growth of a festival
The festival started out as a series of club shows in 2003, founded on tierce R's: "represent, respect, recognize."
"What we're trying to do is come from a place of integrity," aforementioned Weisberg, 34. "Artists recognise it, and I'm certain a plenty of that fans do too."
And the festival is more than just a concert, said Weisberg � it's a platform for artists.
"A lot of artists on our bill are unable to be on radio, MTV or get the type of exposure that say a Kanye West mightiness get right now, or a Lil Wayne. But through our PR efforts, our marketing, our promotion, all our media partners, the type of exposure is slightly similar to what a major-label artist would be getting."
Independence is really important to Weisberg, who became his have boss later on graduating college, producing a music powder store out of his chamber. While promoting his publication, "Industry Insider," at a concert, he met up with whack group Cypress Hill. He suggested that they could sell more than music through a festival for fans, rather than by playing private shows for the press.
Together they promoted the Cypress Hill Smokeout. In the number one year, 10,000 fans turned out.
"It became the model for artists to become their own impresario," said Weisberg.
Weisberg continued to do corner festivals like Smokeout, simply at the same metre, wanted to cater to the entire hip-hop biotic community, mirroring the spirit of the Los Angeles underground hip-hop shows, which showcased artists like Wu-Tang Clan, Eminem and Mos Def before they played the big arenas.
"Where it was just a cipher [a circle of artists rapping], just like the sweaty dirty clubhouse with four hundred to 500 kids, and two turntables and a microphone," aforesaid Weisberg. "Like the nastier and sweatier it was, the better the vibe."
The stage, he envisioned, would be like a pugilism ring, for artists to battle rap. And with that in mind � and in light of a Dec. 26 start date � LL Cool J's call title fit perfectly. And "Rock the Bells" was named.
Living the dreams
As for the card, Weisberg started making a list of all the artists wHO produced the soundtrack of his happiest moments in life.
"Have you ever sat down and dreamed what your
