news

Queens of Rock: 6 Times Women Ruled at The Rock The Bells Festival

Queens of Rock: 6 Times Women Ruled at The Rock The Bells Festival

Published Sun, August 6, 2023 at 12:00 AM EDT

At the Rock The Bells Festival, women truly commanded the stage, illuminating the event with their potent performances and showcasing the extraordinary depth of female talent in the music industry.


Rather than being limited to one set, dynamic performances from women occurred throughout the entire day, and in front of a sold out, energetic audience, MC Sha-Rock, Roxanne Shanté, Monie Love, Yo-Yo, MC Lyte, Salt-N-Pepa, Queen Latifah and more graced the stage, running through their extensive catalogue of hits and electrifying the crowd.

Here are 6 moments of total domination at the Rock The Bells Festival.

1. When Roxanne Shanté introduced MC Sha-Rock.

Roxanne Shanté, a previous host of the festival and current host of the popular Rock The Bells show, "Have A Nice Day", was the first to perform. After her brief appearance on stage, she welcomed MC Sha-Rock, who marked Hip-Hop’s 50th birthday with a captivating performance, asserting her status as a legendary trailblazer.

MC Sha-Rock, Rock The Bells Festival 2023 MC Sha-Rock, Rock The Bells Festival 2023

2. When Monie Love burst onto the stage to perform “Ladies First.”

Monie is renowned as one of the best live performers in Hip-Hop, regardless of gender. She demonstrated this during her own set with signature tracks like “Monie In the Middle” and “It’s A Shame,” and when she sprinted onto stage to join Queen Latifah during her set to perform the enduring classic, “Ladies First.”

3. When Queen Latifah invited MC Lyte and Yo-Yo on stage to perform the remix version of Brandy’s “I Wanna Be Down.”

Does it get any more iconic? The live performance was a festival highlight, especially when the crowd serenaded Yo-Yo for her birthday without missing a beat in the song.

Yo-Yo Yo-Yo

4. Queen Latifah’s entire set. Queen Latifah’s performance was simply stellar, demonstrating exactly why she’s a megastar. She sang, rapped, and moved effortlessly through classics like “Latifah’s Had 2 Up to Here,” “Just Another Day,” and even the theme song to her hit sitcom Living Single. She also brought out Big Boi and Sleepy Brown, Treach, Rapsody, Remy Ma, MC Lyte, and Yo-Yo, for one of the best moments of the night.

5. “U.N.I.T.Y” - To round off her set, Queen Latifah brought Rapsody, Remy Ma, MC Lyte, Yo-Yo, and Monie Love on stage. Witnessing them all rap along to the empowering classic, especially with Remy holding her daughter on her hip, was a spectacular moment.

6. MC Lyte’s performance. There are few rappers who can outshine MC Lyte, and every performance of hers serves as a reminder of this fact. Her presence electrified the stadium, and her performance highlighted her legendary status as the first solo female rapper to release a full-length album. The crowd passionately sang along to “Cha Cha Cha,” “Ruff Neck,” “Poor Georgie” and more.

Related posts

Monie Love Launches New Rock The Bells Series 'Monie In the Middle'

May 10, 2023

MC Sha Rock's Legacy: 3 Ways She Paved The Way for Women

Jun 27, 2023

The 50 Greatest Rap Songs By Women

Apr 28, 2023

What's new