The Rock the Bells 2012 hip hop festival has announced it’s line up and the expansion of dates.

What used to be a single day with multiple stages at a venue will now be two days so fans don’t have to choose between their favorite acts on at the same time.

Wiz Khalifa, Nas, J Cole, Missy Elliott, Kid Cudi, Timbaland, Atmosphere and a reunion of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony are on the line up.

Three stops have been announced: San Bernadino, CA on August 19 & 20th at the NOS Events Center; Mountain View, CA on August 25th & 26th at the Shoreline Amphitheatre and the final shows are in Newark, New Jersey on September 1st & 2nd at the PNC Arts Center.

Head to the official site at Rock the Bells 2012 for more info.

[image: WENN]

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Happy Birthday to everyone celebrating today, July 1st, including:

1916 – Olivia de Haviland, actress
1931 – Leslie Caron, actress
1934 – Jamie Farr, actor
1939 – Karen Black, actress
1941 – Twyla Tharp, choreographer
1942 – Andrae Crouch, singer
1945 – Debbie Harry, singer
1951 – Fred Schneider, singer
1952 – Dan Aykroyd, actor
1961 – Carl Lewis, athlete
1962 – Andre Braugher, actor
1967 – Pamela Anderson, actress
1970 – Henry Simmons, actor
1971 – Missy Elliot, rapper
1971 – Julianne Nicholson, actress
1972 – Claire Forlani, actress
1977 – Liv Tyler, actress

July 1st marks the anniversary of Princess Diana’s birthday. She would have been 50, this year.

[image: Michael Carpenter/WENN]

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Missy Elliot has been struggling with Graves disease for a few years, unbeknownst to her fans, until now.

The 38 year-old rap star received the diagnosis in 2008 and has been undergoing treatment for the disorder.

Graves affects the thyroid and in Elliot’s case, she said she had dizzy spells, severe mood swings and bulging eyes. She also suffered from tremors which made it impossible for her to drive or write.

“I couldn’t keep the brake down and almost crashed,” she tells People, adding that she couldn’t “even use a pen.”

Radiation, thyroid replacement therapy and surgery can all be used to correct the imbalance in the thyroid and in Elliot’s case, a course of radiation has enabled her to manage the symptoms, although the disease has no cure.

“My thyroid is functioning, so I haven’t had to take medication in about nine months. [But] you live with it for the rest of your life.”

Elliot will be the subject of the season premiere of VH1‘s Behind The Music on June 29th.

[image: Ivan Nikolov/WENN]

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Missy Elliott‘s had a lot of female cohorts (and I promise, I’m really trying hard to resist any lesbianic inferences here)… from Aaliyah to Tweet, and Nelly Furtado to Trina. Meet Jazmine Sullivan, her latest protege: a chestnut-toned, island-tinged R&B crooner who’s conquering the urban radio market with her crossover single “Need You Bad” – combining the riddims of Patra (think Rihanna‘s predecessor, minus the American crossover) mixed with Mary J. Blige circa 1996 and a little garnish of Keyshia Cole.

The catch? She’s no island girl at all, but a Philly native, and graduate from Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts.

Check out her debut music video right here.

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