The Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival is getting a healthy dose of hip-hop and R&B this year. The three-day concert, normally dominated by indie and rock acts, will see appearances from Lauryn Hill, Cee Lo Green, Erykah Badu, Wiz Khalifa, and a headlining set from Kanye West this April.

The 2011 festivities kick off on Friday, April 15, with performances from Cee Lo Green and Lauryn Hill, noted on the flyer as Ms. Lauryn Hill. The former Fugees member has been playing intimate shows in the U.S. and abroad over the past year following an extended absence from music.

On Saturday, April 16, Erykah Badu, Raphael Saadiq, and Lil’ B will take the stage at Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif., along with dozens of other acts including Arcade Fire.

Wiz Khalifa, Nas and Damian Marley, M.I.A. protégée Rye Rye, and U.K. import Tinie Tempah will sweat it out in the desert sun on Sunday, April 17, while Kanye West closes out the festival at night. Although he performed in 2006, the G.O.O.D. Music rapper has never headlined. He joins the rare company of Jay-Z and the Beastie Boys of hip-hop acts who have headlined in the past.

Other artists on this year’s bill include Kings of Leon, The Strokes, Duran Duran, Robyn, and The Black Keys. Click here for the full lineup.

Posted in Coachella, Kanye West, Lauryn Hill | Permalink

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