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Hip-hop celebration: LL Cool J headlines 'F.O.R.C.E. Live Tour' at Sandia
Grammy winner LL Cool J will make a stop with the 鈥淔.O.R.C.E Live Tour鈥 at Sandia Resort & Casino on Sunday, Aug. 27.
For 50 years, hip-hop has been interwoven into popular culture.
This is the reason legendary rapper LL Cool J wanted to headline the 鈥淔.O.R.C.E. (Frequencies of Real Creative Energy) Live Tour.鈥
The arena tour makes a stop in Albuquerque at 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 27, at Sandia Resort & Casino.
鈥淭o our knowledge, the Albuquerque show is the only non-arena stop for the tour,鈥 says Adrian Montoya, general manager of Resort Operations at Sandia Resort & Casino. 鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to get this tour, and it鈥檚 a big deal for us. It鈥檚 also a big deal for New Mexico to get this high caliber show at one of the best venues.鈥
LL Cool J is on his first arena tour in 30 years.
He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, alongside fellow new school hip-hop acts Beastie Boys and Run-DMC.
Signed to Def Jam Recordings in 1984, his breakthrough came with his single 鈥淚 Need a Beat鈥 and his landmark debut album, 鈥淩adio鈥 in 1985. He achieved further commercial and critical success with the albums 鈥淏igger and Deffer,鈥 鈥淲alking with a Panther,鈥 鈥淢ama Said Knock You Out,鈥 鈥淢r. Smith鈥 and 鈥淧henomenon.鈥
He鈥檚 also transitioned to film and TV, where he is most known for his role of NCIS Special Agent Sam Hanna in the CBS crime drama series 鈥淣CIS: Los Angeles.鈥
On this stop, the Grammy winner will be joined by The Roots, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Rakim, Big Boi and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.
Montoya says this summer season of music was the first full season since the pandemic.
鈥淲e wanted to have a variety of music this year,鈥 Montoya says. 鈥淲hen we saw that this tour was happening, our team decided to give it a shot. We were very fortunate to get the date and bring hip-hop to Albuquerque.鈥
According to organizers, unlike the traditional 鈥渙pening act 鈥 headliner鈥 format, the show will be a nonstop musical mash up with artist performances interwoven within one continuous musical set backed by The Roots.