Rock The Bells 2011 Kicks Off With Nas, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Slaughterhouse & More

by Andres Vasquez

This year's Rock The Bells Festival kicked off in San Bernardino, California yesterday with Nas performing "Illmatic," Ms. Hill performing "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" and much more.

“This will be the biggest production that Rock the Bells has ever put on. I guarantee that.” When Guerilla Union president Chang Weisberg announced the Rock the Bells lineup they had planned for 2011 back in May in this manner, fans were forewarned about the production value going up for this year’s festival. Those in attendance at the kickoff Rock the Bells show in San Bernardino, California this past Saturday found that he was being sincere.

In a welcome return to the San Manuel Amphitheater, the festival lived up to the bar they set for themselves in past years. Newcomers and veterans took stages with fans of old and new rocking along to it all. The afternoon saw its fair share of excitement and drama, with Mac Miller bringing Pittsburgh to California and Curren$y unfortunately breaking his leg during his performance (he would be carried out of the venue by two associates).

In between both acts, Slaughterhouse took the stage without Royce Da 5’9 (who couldn’t attend due to a conflicting performance with Eminem at this year’s V Festival). Nevertheless, Slaughterhouse moved on with their set and represented for Royce, keeping the Detroit shout alive as part of their homages to their hometowns. During the set, Ron Artest, also now known as Metta World Peace, surprised fans in attendance. He joined the group for quick greetings and a salute to the crowd before retreating and allowing the Slaughter set to continue, as Crooked proudly said, "He's a [Los Angeles] Laker."

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