Reprising their role during the star-packed 50th anniversary of hip-hop segment at the 2023 Grammy Awards, the Roots will serve as the house band for another cast of big names as part of the F.O.R.C.E. (Frequencies of Real Creative Energy) tour this summer.
In his first tour of this size in 30 years, LL Cool J will headline and has personally curated the supporting cast, which will change in each city. Among the guests confirmed so far are Salt-N-Pepa, Queen Latifah, Rakim, Common, MC Lyte, Method Man & Redman, Big Boi, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Ice T, Juvenile, Doug E. Fresh & Slick Rick, De La Soul, Rick Ross, Goodie Mob, and Jadakiss.
“The show will be a nonstop musical mash up with artist performances interwoven within one continuous musical set backed by the Roots,” reads a statement from promoter Live Nation.
DJ Jazzy Jeff and longtime LL Cool J collaborator DJ Z-Trip will also appear at all shows, which get underway June 25 in Boston and have been scheduled in two two-week legs around the Roots’ commitments as the house band on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Here are the F.O.R.C.E. (Frequencies of Real Creative Energy) Tour dates:
June 25: Boston (TD Garden)
June 27: Brooklyn, N.Y. (Barclays Center)
June 28: Newark, N.J. (Prudential Center)
June 29: Toronto (Scotiabank Arena)
July 1: Baltimore (CFG Bank Arena)
July 2: Washington, D.C. (Capital One Arena)
July 4: Atlanta (State Farm Arena)
July 6: Hollywood, Fl. (Hard Rock Live)
July 8: Raleigh, N.C. (PNC Arena)
July 9: Charlotte, N.C. (Spectrum Center)
Aug. 12: Cleveland (Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse)
Aug. 13: Chicago (United Center)
Aug. 18: Detroit (Little Caesars Arena)
Aug. 19: St. Louis (Enterprise Center)
Aug. 20: Indianapolis (Gainbridge Fieldhouse)
Aug. 22: Memphis (FedEx Forum)
Aug. 23: New Orleans (Smoothie King Center)
Aug. 24: Ft. Worth, Tx. (Dickies Arena)
Aug. 25: Houston (Toyota Center)
Aug. 27: Albuquerque, N.M. (Sandia Casino Amphitheater)
Aug. 29: Denver (Ball Arena)
Sept. 1: San Francisco (Chase Center)
Sept. 2: Las Vegas (MGM Grand Garden Arena)
Sept. 3: Los Angeles (KIA Forum)
