MTV is ringing in the holiday season by announcing a new special: MTV Unplugged Presents: LL COOL J From the Rock The Bells Festival. The special will premiere on Dec. 5 (10 p.m. ET/PT) in the U.S. and globally.
The hour-long show is taken from LL COOL J’s set at the 2022 Rock the Bells Festival. The Grammy Award winner and Rock and Hall of Fame member performs a string of his classic hits, including “Going Back to Cali,” “Mama Said Knock You Out,” “Rock the Bells” and “All I Have” featuring Jennifer Lopez. See the video teaser HERE.
In an emailed comment, LL COOL J exclusively tells Billboard, “I’m honored to have been part of the inaugural Rock The Bells Festival, a celebration of hip-hop’s roots and its future. This festival carries the same energy that inspired my latest album, THE FORCE. It’s just the beginning of what Rock The Bells is building to elevate the culture we love.”
The inaugural Rock The Bells Festival took place at a sold-out Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, NY. The festival franchise is an offshoot of CEO and founder LL COOL J’s Rock The Bells Radio channel on SiriusXM. The hip-hop legend recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of Def Jam Recordings, his original label home, during the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards. He received his first VMA award for best rap in 1991 and was presented with the show’s Video Vanguard honor in 1997.
MTV Unplugged Presents: LL COOL J From the Rock The Bells Festival is executive produced for MTV by Bruce Gillmer and Vanessa Whitewolf. LL COOL J, Claudine Joseph and Stone Roberts are the executive producers for Rock The Bells TV.