Snoop Dogg performs at Rock The Bells in in Mountain View, California on Sunday
Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/ Getty Images

When you initially looked at this year's Rock the Bells Tour lineup, it seemed almost too good to be true. It's not like fans didn't have faith in the outing's promoters, Guerilla Union — they've delivered time and time again. Acts such as Nas, Rage Against the Machine, Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes and two of this year's headliners, A Tribe Called Quest and the Wu-Tang Clan, have all set foot on the main stage in the previous six outings of RTB. Still, the tour this year is more than historic. It's a once-in-a-lifetime epic, as the artists are performing their classic albums in their entireties.

Slick Rick has been performing his The Great Adventures of Slick Rick, Rakim does Paid in Full, Lauryn Hill does selections from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill as well as the Fugees' The Score. Want more? KRS-One perform Boogie Down Productions' Criminal Minded, the Wu do Enter the 36 Chambers, Tribe do Midnight Marauders and Snoop Dogg closes it out with Doggystyle. To see all of those classics, all of those LPs, which could easily make up a Best 10 Rap Albums of All-Time list, be performed within a 12-hour span, is absolutely surreal. The tour kicked off on Saturday night in San Bernardino, California, and for many fans, it was like seeing the soundtrack to their lives right in front of their faces.

"This is something we had thrown around for a while," Chang Weisberg of Guerilla Union, the tour's organizer and promoter, said last week in Los Angeles. "We'd been talking about it for a while with the squad. It became a reality during last year's Smoke Out [festival]. Cypress Hill did Black Sunday in its entirety for the Smoke Out. It went over so crazy, that was the solidifying moment when we said we've definitely gotta do this for Rock the Bells. We talked to managers and artists immediately, seeing if people were really into it. Any time you're sitting around and talking about Rock the Bells, you're talking about what these kids are dreaming about. It's always a question, whose record is better? What's a top-five record? Who's the top-five MC? Then, when you throw it in all together and couple it with what are the most classic records of all time, it was undeniable.

"It's something you see classic rock bands do," Chang added. "Like, you see Pink Floyd do The Wall. Or outside of the hip-hop genre, it's something that might be a lot more common. Here, it's an opportunity to do a whole new reign. Kids are already saying, 'We wanna see Illmatic or Paul's Boutique.' People weren't thinking like that. As a promoter, I don't think I've asked artists 'Would you do this song?' as opposed to 'Would you do this whole record?' Fortunately, we were close enough to these camps that they knew we were serious and it would be an amazing thing if we could pull it off."

Snoop Dogg, who's the last act to perform every night on this year's tour, says he was excited to be a part of this event.

"I was a fan of KRS and Rakim and Eric B and Slick Rick. All the rappers that's getting down before me and whatnot. I'm thinking I'm opening up for them," Snoop, surrounded by Daz, Kurupt, Lady of Rage, DJ Battlecat, Warren G and RBX, said. "I grew up buying their records and being fans of theirs. It's an honor to be on the same stage with them. When [Guerilla Union] asked, I said I'm rolling. They told me what it was. I said I don't want to just get onstage and perform my album, I wanna make it an experience. I wanna bring out the theatrics to the album. Doggystyle is like a journey. I want people to see it and feel it and when they leave be like 'We seen a movie.' "

Snoop definitely goes hard in the paint with mini-movies, a live band and, of course, his crew from the album.

Probably the most surprising act for people to see is Lauryn Hill. For the past decade, her music releases and stage appearances have been kept at a minimum. Chang says he and his company were lucky enough to have close ties with the music legend.

"We were blessed in that we've worked with Lauryn for a number of years and we've stayed close with her and her camp," he explained. "Ultimately, she's in a space where she's excited about music. Her children are old enough where she can hit the road comfortably. We are very fortunate she decided to do it. We always hold Lauryn as one of the best MCs of all time. It was awesome when she said she would do it. She sat with it for a while. At the end of the day, we were fortunate she agreed to do it."

As huge as the talent pool of this year's Rock the Bells is, it originally had yet another timeless act scheduled for the tour.

"The first confirmation for Rock the Bells, it's no secret, it was Run-DMC," Chang revealed. "We had Run-DMC doing Raising Hell. It was going to be Raising Hell at Rock the Bells. It didn't work out, but fortunately [there were] enough other groups to pull off the vision that we felt comfortable with when we made our announcement."

Rock the Bells continued in San Francisco on Sunday night, and this Saturday, the tour stops in New York. The last day of the tour is on Sunday in Washington, D.C. Besides the pioneers on the main stage, the Clipse, Wiz Khalifa, Big Sean, Immortal Technique and Yelawolf are among the acts appearing on the "Paid Dues" stage.

What did you think of this year's Rock the Bells concept? Let us know in the comments!

• Rock The Bells: A Look Back

• Snoop Dogg
• Lauryn Hill
• Slick Rick

Lauryn Hill performs at the 2010 Rock the Bells hip-hop festival in San Bernardino, CA Aug. 21
Photo: MTV News

SAN BERNARDINO, California -- Hip-hop is so spontaneous that you never know where a historic moment might take place. That wasn't the case Saturday night, however: Guerilla Union informed all of us weeks ago that history would be made on August 21, 2010, in San Bernardino.

It was the kickoff of this year's Rock the Bells Tour, and out of its six previous outings, this one was surely the most inspired and ambitious. The lineup was surreal and a fantasy wish list for hip-hop fans, including Snoop Dogg, Wu-Tang Clan, A Tribe Called Quest, Slick Rick, Rakim, KRS-One and a returning Lauryn Hill.

Dope! No, this is beyond that. Unbelievable. And to raise the stakes on this outing, all the legendary artists would be performing a classic album from their catalogs. As for Ms. Hill, well, does it matter what she performs? Just seeing her for the first time in more than a decade (or for the first time period, as was the case for most fans at the concert) was a blessing. (Relive the Rock the Bells Tour kickoff minute-by-minute with our live blog over on RapFix!)

Hill stole our hearts in the mid-'90s, originally as part of the Fugees. In a genre dominated by masculinity, Lauryn stood out from her peers as rap's most unique artist. She was astonishingly talented as a vocalist and as an MC, and she could do both seamlessly. The Fugees' The Score made her an international phenomenon, and her solo debut, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, turned her into an instant legend.

That was 12 years ago, and the new music (as well as concert appearances) have been infamously sparse. On Saturday, even though she came midway through the card, Hill was undoubtedly the must-see event of the night. After Slick Rick performed The Great Adventures of Slick Rick, Rakim tackled Paid in Full and KRS-One dropped his Boogie Down productions masterpiece Criminal Minded, Lauryn took the stage.

Hill started with a can't-miss one-two punch of "Lost One" and "Doo-Wop (That Thing)." Backed by a six-piece band and three backup singers, just about all her selections were remixed variations of her classics, with the tempo sped up. This was not a woman who some reports had labeled "crazy." Lauryn was lucid and dancing and appeared to be enjoying herself.

"It's good to see you, everybody!" she said after "Hurts So Bad."

Then, before "Zion," Hill said: "It was 13 years ago I wrote a song about my son. August 3rd. Can you believe that? It's not necessarily easy, but it's beautiful." Lauryn then instructed the band to "make it bounce."

Hill ended where her career began -- with the Fugees -- rapping "Ready or Not" and "Fugee La." When she exited, an undercurrent of fans chanted "Lauryn, Lauryn!" (Hill's performance is igniting debate over on our RapFix blog!)

A Tribe Called Quest had fans yelling "Thank you!" Q-Tip, Phife Dawg and Ali Shaheed Muhammad performed several selections from their timeless Midnight Marauders and threw in a few surprises. One of the original members, Jarobi, came out for "Can I Kick It?," and Busta Rhymes (accompanied by Spliff Star) made an appearance with his banger "Stop the Party." Q-Tip rapped his lines from "The Scenario" over the beat, then the track switched to the actual "Scenario" beat. Bust went on a rampage during his star-making verse from the song. Rhymes, Spliff and Jarobi stayed onstage for the last two numbers: "Check the Rhyme" and "Award Tour."

Wu-Tang was next with their 36 Chambers LP, and filling in for Ol' Dirty Bastard was the "Young Dirty Bastard," Dirt's eldest son Boy Jones. Jones embodied his pop's mannerisms and rebellious spirit, jumping off the stage and performing "Shimmy Shimmy Ya" with no shirt on. Jones also wore the same hairstyle as Dirty sported on his solo debut cover.

The set of the night however belonged to the last act: Snoop Dogg performed Doggystyle and brought out his DPGC family Kurupt, Daz, Warren G, Lady of Rage and RBX. The Dogg utilized the big screen onstage to unveil mini-movies for each skit on his album. Dr. Dre appeared on one skit, telling his friend to do an old-school song. Snoop took that opportunity to step out of Doggystyle and do "The Next Episode." The energy for Snoop's set was at a high pitch for every song. Even though some members of the crowd were on their feet for more than 10 hours, everyone showed love.

There was an amazing exchange during "Ain't No Fun" and "Regulate," during which everyone sang Nate Dogg's part ("you better be ready," Snoop laughed, telling Warren G, who wasn't aware the record was in the set list); the gangster crooner is still recovering from multiple strokes.

Other highlights of the Dogg's set included "Doggy Dogg World" and "What's My Name." He started with "Gin and Juice" and "ended" with "What's My Name," but we all know a Dogg Pound party don't stop, so Pharrell Williams appeared on the video screen in a tux singing his parts of "Minnie the Moocher." He then did a call-and-response of Snoop's name with the audience, before Snoop tackled "Drop It Like It's Hot" and "I Wanna Rock."

Were you at the show? What were your favorite moments? Let us know in the comments!

• Rock The Bells: A Look Back

• Lauryn Hill
• Snoop Dogg
• Wu-Tang Clan
• A Tribe Called Quest
• Rakim

Jay-Z
Photo: WireImage

For the third time in four years, Jay-Z has been crowned the "Hip-Hop Cash King" by Forbes. The Brooklyn lyricist topped the business magazine's annual ranking of high-rolling hip-hop stars by earning $63 million over the past 12 months, thanks to business ventures like a high-grossing tour, real estate investments and the successful Broadway production "Fela!"

Jay-Z's income more than doubled the total brought home by 2010 runner-up Diddy, who clocked in at #2 on the list with $30 million earned thanks to endorsement deals and roles in films like "Get Him to the Greek."

Akon came in third, earning $21 million from endorsement deals and his signing of Lady Gaga to his Interscope-backed label KonLive.

Lil Wayne landed at the #4 spot with $20 million in earnings, most of which came through touring; the rapper's tours last year, I Am Music and America's Most Wanted, were the biggest hip-hop outings of 2009.

Dr. Dre came in at #5, earning $17 million through a combination of album royalties from his past projects, executive producing a pair of Eminem releases and income from his headphone line Beats by Dre.

Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, Timbaland, Pharrell and Kanye West rounded out the top 10.

Jay-Z has topped the Forbes list every year since its 2007 inception with one exception; in 2008, 50 Cent came in at #1 when the magazine estimated his income at more than $150 million.

The G-Unit boss came in at a distant #14 this year, and he was tied with his mentor Eminem; both multi-platinum superstars raked in $8 million.

Drake was among those making their debut on the list, ranking #11.

• Jay-Z
• Diddy
• Akon
• Lil Wayne
• Dr. Dre

Justin Bieber
Photo: Stephen Lovekin/ Getty Images

As Spain took home its first-ever FIFA World Cup win on Sunday, stars of all kinds took to Twitter to reflect on the final match of the global soccer tourney.

British songstress Estelle shouted out the Spanish team, tweeting, "Spain were...on dis ting!!!!! Congrats!!!"

Justin Bieber apparently enjoyed the matchup between Spain and the Netherlands, tweeting, "wow...SPAIN!! great game...nothing to be ashamed of." The Spanish team may have reigned victorious but the Canadian teen showed love to the Netherlands as well. "True champions on both sides," Bieber wrote.

Some stars shared their eager anticipation of the final match with their Twitter followers. Paris Hilton, who was still taking in the games after a run-in with local police over alleged marijuana possession, sent out a picture of an illuminated stadium before the match kicked off.

Will.I.Am tweeted his support for the Spaniards before the game: "Spain, please be victorious tonight against Holland...(Pay back for beating my Brazilian team)."

Three hours later, as "La Furia Roja" scored the winning goal in overtime, the Peas producer typed, "Vamos Spain...victory."

Gossip-monger Perez Hilton tweeted a similarly succinct message, typing, "Olé! #ESP," after the team walked away with the win.

Snoop Dogg, who has been active on his Twitter page about the World Cup hullabaloo, apparently wasn't able to catch the game live and tweeted Sunday, "I land at 2:30 pm pst in Vegas need to watch the game when I get there. Hook me up wit the replay or download link for the game."

The Doggfather apparently got a link hook-up and later tweeted a picture of himself onstage with the caption, "Live at the Pokerstars party in Vegas for WSOP and rockin the red n [yellow] spain jersey."

Shakira, who brought her power-shimmy to both the opening and closing concerts at this year's World Cup, tweeted a picture of her and South African native Charlize Theron in a post-game embrace with the caption, "With Charlize Theron celebrating at the end of the world cup!"

Nicky Hilton, who hung out in the African nation with her sister Paris, showed love to the first-time winners but also acknowledged the first-time host country. "Congratulations to South Africa for putting on a brilliant World Cup and being such an amazing host!"

Were you tweeting with your friends during the World Cup? Share your favorite reactions in the comments below.

• Justin Bieber
• Shakira
• Snoop Dogg

Chris Brown on "Larry King Live"
Photo: CNN

After 25 years on one of the most venerable and popular talk shows on television, Larry King is stepping down as the host of "Larry King Live." The 76-year-old King announced on Tuesday that his run as cable's premiere prime-time interrogator will come to a close sometime this fall. "I'm incredibly proud that we recently made the 'Guinness Book of World Records' for having the longest-running show with the same host in the same time slot," King wrote on his blog. "With this chapter closing I'm looking forward to the future and what my next chapter will bring, but for now it's time to hang up my nightly suspenders."

Though his advanced age has made him the butt of more than a few jokes in recent years, King's pop culture credentials have actually been pretty strong lately. Though his show is typically devoted to politicians, newsmakers, activists and victims of heinous crimes, he has spent more and more time chatting with a new generation of pop stars and artists. In the process, he has turned "Larry King Live" into its own headline-grabbing broadcast, bringing a handful of artists out of their respective shells.

Take a look at the five most notable exchanges that King has had with the current generation of pop stars for proof.

Chris Brown
In a history-making piece of television, Chris Brown sat down for an interview on "Larry King Live" back in September 2009. It represented his first public comments since his arrest for assaulting then girlfriend Rihanna the previous February. Flanked by his mother and his lawyer and dressed in a blue bow tie, Brown was quiet and somewhat evasive but remorseful during the hour-long sit-down. "I made a mistake and that's just something I have to live up to and own up to," Brown told King. "And change and become a better person."

Lady Gaga
King's most recent brush with the pop world was an interview he conducted via satellite with Lady Gaga, who not only talked about her upcoming music, her role in the gay community and her struggles with lupus, but who also unveiled a preview of her new video for "Alejandro."

T.I.
Fresh out of jail, Clifford "T.I." Harris sat across the desk from King back in May for a surprisingly hard-hitting conversation about his year behind bars and the crime that put him there. Tip was candid about everything. "In having time to sit and reflect, if you take the time and use it to your advantage, you see [that] even though all those rounds were fired that night, you didn't have a firearm and you're still here," he told King.

The Jonas Brothers
While they weren't discussing their time in prison, their role in the gay community or domestic disputes, the Jonas Brothers' appearance on King's show in June 2009 was no less noteworthy. When King pressed the boys to discuss their love lives, Joe mentioned that his then flame (actress Camilla Belle) was not as public as Nick's girlfriend. "I don't think anybody is as famous as Miley Cyrus," he said, confirming rumors that had been flying around for a while.

Snoop Dogg
While Snoop Dogg's appearance on King's show didn't reveal any hard-hitting facts, it did give King the opportunity to roll with the Dogg. Back in March, the pair hopped into Snoop's 1967 Pontiac Parisienne, for a ride during which Snoop showed off the GPS that featured his own voice and taught King all about low ridin'.

What's your favorite pop culture moment on "Larry King Live"? Let us know in the comments!

• Chris Brown
• Lady Gaga
• Snoop Dogg
• Jonas Brothers
• T.I.

Snoop Dogg
Photo: MTV

He's hooked up with fellow tree enthusiast Willie Nelson for a country tune, indulged his sweet tooth with Katy Perry while wearing a candy suit in "California Gurls," rapped about "MILF Weed" on Showtime's "Weeds" and played a gangsta back from the dead in 2001's "Bones." When Snoop Dogg likes something, no matter the genre or medium, he goes all in with it.

That might explain "Oh Sookie," a new rhyme in which the Doggfather pays homage to the mind-reading, sex-addicted, shape-shifting, bloodsucking and howling residents of Bon Temps, Louisiana, from HBO's vampire series "True Blood."

In the video for the tune unleashed on HBO.com on Thursday, Snoop aims to make the love triangle between vampires Eric (Alexander Skarsgård) and Bill (Stephen Moyer) and mind-scanner Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) a square by offering up his best sexual seduction come-ons while rocking a five-finger "Sookie" ring.

Snoop already gave props to the show in the 2009 song "Gangsta Love" ("It's like True Blood, I sink my teeth in/ I gotta have it, the LB raised me"). And now he seems to be angling to shake things up even more with the hook, "We'll do it in the daytime/ Bill won't know a thing." Showing that his knowledge of the show runs deep, he doesn't just make a move on Sookie; he's also down to party with her bestie, Tara, making a reference to her dearly departed boyfriend with the couplet, "Bring your best friend, Tara/ I got some real Eggs for her to eat."

The video for the song opens with Snoop — who later rocks a giant platinum "Sookie" chain — pulling into Bon Temps in his newly tricked-out Snoopmobile, complete with a "Tru Pimp" license plate and cloves of garlic hanging from the rearview mirror. Wearing a red, pinstriped suit, he urges Sookie to come close because, unlike so many of the creatures in the swampy town, "I'm the dog that don't bite."

The g-funk tune bounces along on a slinky Spandau Ballet-like groove as Snoop drops references to Sookie's telepathy and even offers to buy her a gin and juice at the restaurant where she waitresses, Merlotte's diner. "Bill ain't for real, he ain't true blood/ Snoop is a G, I smoke true bud/ Wanna be a vampire, gotta listen up/ I hit you with the glamour," he raps while hanging outside Merlotte's in a pimp fur and later showing off his own TB product, a package of "True Nutz."

What do you think of Snoop's "Oh Sookie"? Share your comments below.

• Snoop Dogg

Katy Perry
Photo: MTV News

In her "California Gurls" video, Katy Perry and her Gurls must defeat the evil Sugar Daddy (Snoop Dogg) and end his tyrannical reign over Candyfornia. But it's not an easy thing to do, especially since he's flanked by an army of Gummi Bears.

When Perry spoke to MTV News about the video, she said that even though Snoop plays the bad guy, she loved getting the chance to work with the legendary MC.

"OK, first off, Snoop Dogg looks so awesome being the Wizard of Oz, kind of, behind the music video," she said. "He wants to keep all of the girls entrapped in his Candyfornia. He's, like, the ruler, and I am the hero. ... Snoop was amazing to work with."

Perry also loved playing opposite the Gummi Bear army.

"One of the parts that just came up was the Gummi Bears giving the middle finger," she said, while watching the video. "What's funny about Gummi Bears is that they don't have fingers so they just [have] their paw thing. We still had to blur it out. I thought it was really cute, and I like that the Gummi Bears are really evil."

But the Gummis were nothing in the face of Perry's amazing frosting-cannon bra. "These whipped-cream [boobs] were in the music video because that was my only ammo," she said. "I had to slay those Gummi Bears that were very evil. I had to show them who was boss in Candyfornia: the Gurls. The California Gurls, of course."

Will you ever look at Gummi Bears or whipped cream the same after seeing this video? Talk about it in the comments.

• Katy Perry's 'California Gurls': Frame By Frame
• MTV News Extended Play: Katy Perry

• Concept Art For Katy Perry's 'California Gurls'

• Katy Perry
• Snoop Dogg

Katy Perry in "California Gurls"
Photo: Capitol

As if the electric-blue wig, bedazzled bikini and chest-mounted frosting cannons didn't give it away, let me be the first to tell you that Katy Perry's "California Gurls" video is just slightly over-the-top. Like, all the way over it ... with whipped cream and cherry on top.

Yes, the "Gurls" video — which premiered Tuesday (June 15) on MTV.com — is three minutes and 54 seconds of deliciously gaudy, delightfully ridiculous eye candy, a sugar-coated overload of confectionery gone haywire, cotton-candy clouds, gingerbread paths and Gummi Bears with bad attitudes. It is bright and brash and very likely to give you a toothache. Like the song, there is nothing understated about it.

Directed by Mathew Cullen of the production company known as Motion Theory, "California Gurls" re-imagines the Golden State as "Candyfornia," a magical, cavity-inducing land where Sunset Boulevard becomes "Sundae Blvd" and the Hollywood sign rests on a whipped-cream mountain (the iconic Capitol Records building is also slyly inserted, constructed entirely of what appear to be vanilla wafers). Perry is the queen, parading down pastoral candy landscapes (which resemble the surrealist, saccharine work of artist Will Cotton, who actually worked as the artistic director on the video). All appears to be well until Snoop Dogg -- who plays the evil Sugar Daddy -- begins to pull strings, in an attempt to wrest control of Candyfornia away from Queen Katy.

From there, we have a battle between good and evil, as Perry attempts to free her Candyfornia cohorts from a variety of sweet traps (bubblegum, Jell-O, etc.) while Snoop readies his army of loyal Gummi Bears for the final showdown. Of course, there's also time for KP to ascend into the heavens, strip naked, suggestively nibble cotton candy and perform a dance routine with her Gurls — because what kind of pop video would this be if there weren't? Eventually, she climbs to Snoop's castle to do battle, vanquishing him and his minions by firing frosting from her chest, in a scene that plays out in gratuitous slow-motion, basically for the heck of it.

And then, at the clip's end, Snoop is buried up to his neck in sand, surrounded by Perry and her Gurls. Not surprisingly, everything ends happily ever after ... the Queen of Candyfornia is returned to her throne, the evil Sugar Daddy is banished, and dentists around the world rejoice, dreaming of the business this super-saccharine video will surely create. Brush twice a day, kids.

What do you think of the new "California Gurls" video? Share your reviews in the comments.

• Katy Perry
• Snoop Dogg

Snoop Dogg
Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage

No one can say Snoop Dogg doesn't go hard for his city. Although his beloved Los Angeles Lakers currently are down three games to two against the Boston Celtics in the NBA finals, Snoop has taken to the Internet to voice his support for the Cali team in the NBA finals. He's even taken on boy-bander and hard-core Boston fan Donnie Wahlberg and challenged the Celtics supporter to a bet over which team will take home the trophy.

Snoop lays down the gauntlet in a video posted on his website, calling out Wahlberg and offering $20,000 to the charity of the winner's choice.

"What it do, Big Snoop Dogg, Lakers fan #1. Wahlberg what it do? Y'all want that bet? Let's get it crackin'," Snoop says. "20 Gs to your favorite charity, Lakers beat the Celtics, that's what it do!"

Comedian Mike Epps also reps for the Lakers and goes at Beantown fans in the video. "Boston, y'all ain't got nothin' on 'em," Epps jeered. "That cabbage green ain't got sh-- on that banana yellow, bitch!"

Snoop ropes in Donnie's brother Mark Wahlberg and Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White as well in another online video where he demands, "I need some free UFC tickets to all the upcoming fights and I need to be on 'Entourage,' I need to get in a movie with you, Marky Mark."

The Doggfather and the New Kids on the Block singer also have been going at it on Twitter. After putting up the $20,000 wager, Snoop upped the stakes, tweeting to @DonnieWahlberg, "Letz turn thiz up. Loser has to wear the winners colors for a week too!"

For his part, Wahlberg isn't taking Snoop's taunts lying down. Wahlberg tweeted on Friday that they should exchange the check onstage at Radio City Music Hall when NKOTB perform there this week. "I'll pay for the flight, rooms & expense. The loser steps on stage in the other [team's] jersey to hand over the check!"

But after the Celtics beat the Lakers in Game 5 on Sunday, Snoop Dogg kept it gentlemanly, tweeting, "Aight @donniewahlberg congrats green came strong but we goin 7 games!"

Wahlberg graciously accepted the props and gave Snoop a friendly tip about how the Lakers could take it all. "Thanks for the congrats @snoopdogg! I think it could go 7 but somebody, besides KOBE, needs to step up for LA or we will win it all in 6!"

• Snoop Dogg

Snoop Dogg
Photo: Daniel Boczarski/ Redferns

Snoop Dogg, A Tribe Called Quest and DJ Premier have been added to the 2010 Rock the Bells bill, joining a lineup that already includes such legendary acts as the Wu-Tang Clan, Rakim, KRS-One, and Slick Rick.

As part of a novel concept this year, all of the participants will perform one seminal album from their catalog in its entirety, with the exception of Premier, who will instead lead a tribute to his late Gangstarr music partner, Guru. (The MC died in April of cancer-related causes.)

Also joining the festivities is Lauryn Hill. The former Fugees frontwoman was announced as a "special guest" last month, but Hill's involvement in the show was clarified on Tuesday (June 8). Hill is slated to perform her now-classic debut album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. The singer will be featured on the Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C. legs of the four-city trek.

The Rock the Bells Tour spans four U.S. cities, kicking off on August 21 at the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino, California, then making stops at the Shoreline Amphitheater outside San Francisco on August 22, Governors Island in New York on August 28 and closing at Merriweather Post Pavilion, in the D.C. area, on August 29.

Among the albums set to be performed from start to finish are Snoop's Doggystyle, ATCQ's Midnight Marauders, the Wu's Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) and KRS-One and Boogie Down Production's Criminal Minded. Slick Rick's The Great Adventures of Slick Rick and Eric B. and Rakim's Paid in Full will also get a full performance.

"That's gonna be interesting to see these cats do some of the records that really bust hip-hop's cherry open," Raekwon told MTV News about the concept earlier this month.

"I can't wait to see this because I never seen it like that before. The concept is great. It gives fans the opportunity to go back and rewrite their history, go back and check it out, see what made dudes who they are. ... This [tour] is gonna allow races to come together and have fun for one night. This is gonna be the event of events. This is gonna be the Royal Rumble of hip-hop. I'm sure that everybody is gonna come out and represent this. It's gonna be right. I can't wait."

Also filling out the bill are Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello's side project with the Coup's Boots Riley, Street Sweeper Social Club, as well as Murs & 9th Wonder, Wiz Khalifa, the Clipse, Immortal Technique, Brother Ali, Jedi Mind Tricks, Supernatural, DJ Muggs with Ill Bill, Big Sean, Yelawolf and DJ Rocky Rock.

If you could choose any hip-hop act to perform their album in its entirety, who would you pick and which album? Tell us in the comments!

• Snoop Dogg
• A Tribe Called Quest
• DJ Premier

Lauryn Hill Rocks The Bells With Special Guests In NYC

• Lauryn Hill
• Jay-Z
• Alicia Keys
• Swizz Beatz
• Busta Rhymes

Concept Art For Katy Perry's 'California Gurls'

• Katy Perry
• Snoop Dogg

MCs And Their Hometown Stadiums

• Jay-Z
• Eminem
• Rick Ross (Hip-Hop)
• Kanye West
• Snoop Dogg

The Evolution Of: Snoop Dogg

• Snoop Dogg

Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Calle 13, More At Los Premios MTV

• 50 Cent
• Snoop Dogg
• Calle 13

Soulja Boy, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg And More At The 2009 BET Hip Hop Awards

• Soulja Boy Tell'em
• Ludacris
• Snoop Dogg
• Goodie Mob
• OutKast

Young Jeezy, Lil Wayne At America's Most Wanted Stop In Cincinnati

• Lil Wayne
• Young Jeezy
• Snoop Dogg
• Soulja Boy Tell'em

Nine Inch Nails, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Many More At Bonnaroo 2009

• Nine Inch Nails
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs
• Erykah Badu
• Snoop Dogg
• MGMT

On The Set Of DJ Drama's "Daydreamin' " Video Shoot

• DJ Drama
• T.I.
• Akon
• Snoop Dogg

Total Finale Live: Performances

• Beyoncé
• Fall Out Boy
• 50 Cent
• Snoop Dogg
• Ludacris