Cypress Hill
Encyclopedia
Cypress Hill is an American hip hop
group from South Gate, California
. Cypress Hill was the first Latino hip-hop group to have platinum
and multi-platinum albums, selling over 18 million albums worldwide. It is one of the most well-known groups in West Coast rap and was critically acclaimed for their first two groundbreaking albums.
) and Ulpiano Sergio Reyes (also known as Mellow Man Ace
) are brothers who initially lived in Cypress Park, California. In 1971, their family had immigrated to the United States, settling in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Eagle Rock. In 1988, the two brothers teamed up with Lawrence Muggered (also known as DJ Muggs
) and Louis Freese (also known as B-Real
) to form a hip-hop group named DVX (Devasting Vocal Excellence). The band soon lost Mellow Man Ace to a solo career, and changed their name to Cypress Hill, after a street in North East Los Angeles.
. Their self-titled first album
was released in August 1991. The lead single was the double A-side "The Phuncky Feel One
"/"How I Could Just Kill a Man
" which received heavy airplay on urban and college radio. The other two singles released from the album were "Hand on the Pump" and "Latin Lingo", the latter of which combined English and Spanish lyrics. The success of these singles led to the album selling two million copies in the US alone. The group made their first appearance at Lollapalooza
on the side stage in 1992.
Black Sunday
, the group's second album, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200
in 1993, recording the highest Soundscan for a rap group up until that time. Also, with their debut still in the charts, they became the first rap group to have 2 albums in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 at the same time. With "Insane in the Brain
" becoming a crossover hit, the album went triple platinum in the U.S. and sold about 3.25 million copies.
Cypress Hill was banned from Saturday Night Live
after Muggs smoked a joint on-air and the group trashed their instruments while playing their second single "I Ain't Goin' Out Like That". The band headlined the Soul Assassins
tour with House of Pain
and Funkdoobiest
as support, then performed on a college tour with Rage Against the Machine
and Seven Year Bitch. In 1993, Cypress Hill also had two tracks on the Judgment Night
soundtrack, teaming up with Pearl Jam
on the track "Real Thing" and Sonic Youth
on "I Love You Mary Jane".
The group later played at Woodstock 94, introducing new member Eric Bobo, son of Willie Bobo
and formerly a percussionist with the Beastie Boys
. Rolling Stone magazine named the group as the best rap group in their music awards voted by critics and readers. Cypress Hill played at Lollapalooza
for two successive years, topping the bill in 1995. They also appeared on the "Homerpalooza
" episode of The Simpsons
. Prior to Bobo joining the crew, Panchito "Ponch" Gomez sat in as a percussionist when not acting.
Their third album III: Temples of Boom was released in 1995, selling 1.5 million copies and reaching number 3 on the Billboard 200 on the strength of the hit single "Throw Your Set in the Air". Cypress Hill also contributed a track "I Wanna Get High" to the High Times sponsored Hempilation album to support NORML.
. Meanwhile in 1996, Cypress Hill appeared on the first 'Smokin' Grooves' tour, featuring Ziggy Marley
, The Fugees
, Busta Rhymes
and A Tribe Called Quest
. The band also released a nine track EP Unreleased and Revamped
with rare mixes. In 1997, band members focused on their solo careers. Muggs released Soul Assassins: Chapter 1
featuring contributions from Dr. Dre
, KRS-One
, Wyclef Jean
and Mobb Deep
. B-Real appeared with Busta Rhymes, Coolio
, LL Cool J
and Method Man
on "Hit Em High" from the multi-platinum Space Jam Soundtrack
. He also appeared with RBX
, Nas
and KRS-One on "East Coast Killer, West Coast Killer" off Dr. Dre's Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath
album, and contributed to an album entitled The Psycho Realm
with the band of the same name
. Though the focus that year was not on group efforts, the band played Smokin' Grooves with George Clinton
and Erykah Badu
.
Cypress Hill released IV in 1998 which went gold in the U.S., on the backs of hit singles "Tequila Sunrise" and "Dr. Greenthumb." Sen Dog also released the Get Wood sampler as part of SX-10 on the label Flip. In 1999, Cypress Hill helped with the PC
crime video game Kingpin: Life of Crime
. Three of their songs from the 1998 IV album were in the game ( "16 Men Till There's No Men Left", "Checkmate" and "Lightning Strikes"). B-Real also did some of the voices of the people in the game. Also in 1999, the band released a greatest-hits album in Spanish, Los grandes éxitos en español
. In 2000, Cypress Hill then fused genres with their fifth album, Skull & Bones
, which was a two-disc album. The first disc, "Skull" was composed of rap tracks while "Bones" explored further the group's forays into rock. The album reached the Top 5 on the Billboard 200 and number 3 in Canada. The first single was "Rock Superstar" for rock radio and "Rap Superstar" for urban radio. Following the release of the album, Cypress Hill (along with MxPx
) landed a slot opening for The Offspring
on the Conspiracy of One
tour. The band also released Live at the Fillmore
, a concert disc recorded at the Fillmore
(in San Francisco) in 2000. Cypress Hill continued their experimentation with rock on the Stoned Raiders
album in 2001. However, its sales were a disappointment, as the disc did not even reach the top 50 of the U.S. album charts. In 2001, the group appeared in the film How High
.
. At the time, WWE was using original music for almost all of the wrestlers, so this was an unusual step for the company to take, but it remains one of the more memorable songs to emerge from the wrestling organization. The band released Till Death Do Us Part on March 23, 2004. The album saw the band experiment with reggae
especially on the lead single "What's Your Number". The track features Tim Armstrong
of Rancid
on guitar and backup vocals. It is based on the classic song "The Guns of Brixton
" on The Clash
's London Calling
and has proven to be a success on the modern rock charts. However, the album represented a further departure from the signature sound of their first four albums. The album also features appearances by Damian Marley
, son of Bob Marley
, Prodigy
of Mobb Deep
and producers the Alchemist
and Fredwreck
.
In 2004, the song How I Could Just Kill A Man was included in the popular video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
created by Rockstar Games
, playing on West Coast hip hop
radio station Radio Los Santos. In December 2005 a best of compilation album
titled Greatest Hits From the Bong
was released including 9 hits from previous albums and 2 new tracks. The group's next album was tentatively scheduled for an early 2007 release. In the summer of 2006, B-Real appeared on Snoop Dogg
's single "Vato
", which was produced by Pharrell Williams
.
In 2007 Cypress Hill toured with their full line up as a part of the Rock the Bells
tour, held by Guerilla Union, and headlined with Public Enemy, Wu-Tang Clan
, Nas
, and a reunited Rage Against the Machine
. Other acts included Immortal Technique
, Mos Def
, Talib Kweli
, The Roots
, EPMD
, Pharoahe Monch
, Jedi Mind Tricks
, Erykah Badu
, MF Doom
, Sage Francis
, Brother Ali
, The Coup
, Blue Print, Lucky I Am, Living Legends
, Felt
, Cage, Mr. Lif
, Grouch & Eligh, Slightly Stoopid, and Hangar 18
.
In August 2009, a new song by Cypress Hill, titled "Get 'Em Up", was made available on iTunes. The song is featured on the Madden NFL 2010 video game.
In November 2009, a new version of Guns N' Roses
classic "Paradise City
" performed by Cypress Hill, Slash
and Fergie
was made available as a bonus track to Slash's single "Sahara
" off Slash's solo album Slash.
Cypress Hill's eighth studio album, Rise Up
, features contributions from Everlast
, Tom Morello
, Daron Malakian
, Pitbull
, Marc Anthony
and Mike Shinoda
. The album was released on Priority Records/EMI Entertainment
, as the group was signed to the label by new Creative Chairman Snoop Dogg
on January 15, 2010. The album was finally released on April 20, 2010. The album's introduction single, "It Ain't Nothin'" was released as a free download from the group's official website. The song "Rise Up
" was featured at WWE's pay-per-view, Elimination Chamber, as the official theme song for that event, and was released as the third single for the album, with "Armada Latina" being fourth. The song also appeared in the trailer of the movie The Green Hornet
.
Cypress Hill commenced its Rise Up tour in Philadelphia on April 10, 2010. Julio G
had replaced DJ Muggs for the tour. Muggs had been absent due to working on several other projects, including separate albums with B-Real and Sen Dog. The group was supposed to stop in Tucson, Arizona but canceled the show in protest of the recent immigration legislation. At the Rock en Seine
festival in Paris
on August 27, 2010 they said in an interview that they would wait and see what happens with the legislation
before going back there. Cypress Hill performed at the Reading and Leeds Festivals
in late August 2010, on the 28th at Leeds and the 29th at Reading.
B-Real describes his nasal style, saying his rapping voice is "high and annoying... the nasal style I have was just something that I developed... my more natural style wasn't so pleasing to [DJ Muggs and Sen Dog's] ears" and talking about the nasal style in the book How to Rap
, B-Real says, "you want to stand out from the others and just be distinct... when you got something that can separate you from everybody else, you gotta use it to your advantage." Sen Dog's voice is deeper, more violent and often shouted alongside the rapping; his vocals are often emphasized by adding an additional background/choir voice to say them. Sen Dog's style is in contrast to B-Real's, who says, "[Sen's] voice is so strong", and "it all blends together" when they are both on the same track.
Both B-Real and Sen Dog started writing lyrics in both Spanish and English and B-Real was inspired to start writing raps from watching Sen Dog and Mellow Man Ace
writing their lyrics, and originally B-Real was going to just be the writer for the group rather than a rapper. Their lyrics are noted for bringing a "cartoonish" approach to violence by Peter Shapiro and Allmusic.
The band is also known for involving rock instruments. In their songs – this has caused the band to sometimes be classified as a rap rock
group. The double album Skull & Bones consists of a pure rap album ("Skull") and an entire CD of rap/rock songs ("Bones"). Also in IV, there is "Lightning Strikes" which doesn't truly use electric guitars, but a synthesized version of it. In the live album Live at The Fillmore some of the old classics are played in a rock/metal version, with Sen Dog's band SX-10 and Eric Bobo playing the rock instruments.
The band's music is constantly subject to change: while the first album and Black Sunday follow a more minimalistic and funky sound, III (Temples of Boom) has a very dark, spooky atmosphere and heavy beats, sometimes approaching hardcore rap. IV introduced more diverse sounds on the beats while maintaining the hardcore edge. The first albums are mostly influenced by psychedelic music, but the band eventually got closer to modern rap as it is today while still experimenting with rock from time to time, like on "Skull and Bones" and "Stoned Raiders".
The band involves horns in their songs, and often have guitar and horns together in the instrumentals. "What's Your Number?", "Trouble", "Tequila Sunrise", and "(Rock) Superstar" have become some of the band's most popular songs featuring these elements.
and Stephen Carpenter
of the Deftones. Eric Bobo is also a main member of Cultura Londres Proyecto which is a Spanish Hip Hop group from London, England.
2009 saw the releases of both B-Real and Sen Dog's solo efforts Smoke N Mirrors and Diary of a Mad Dog
. B-Real is also part of a super-group called Serial Killaz with both Xzibit
and his protege Young De
. B-Real started his own production company called Audio Hustlaz, with which he has worked and featured on tracks with Kurupt
, Young De, Xzibit, Adil Omar
, Snoop Dogg
, Bitza
and others, and has also done guest appearances for La Coka Nostra
, Ill Bill
, Prozak
, Akrobatik
, The Outlawz, Nipsey Hussle
and Apathy
.
Other notable side projects include B-Real's rap metal
group Kush
with members from Deftones
and Fear Factory
who are as yet to release any official material.
Sen Dog has released one album with his rap metal group SX-10
.
Muggs has released collaborative albums with Sick Jacken, GZA
, Planet Asia
, Ill Bill
and others.
MTV Video Music Awards Awards
Former Members
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
group from South Gate, California
South Gate, California
South Gate is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The sixteenth largest city in Los Angeles County, it encompasses . South Gate is located just southeast of downtown Los Angeles It is part of the Gateway Cities region of southeastern Los Angeles County...
. Cypress Hill was the first Latino hip-hop group to have platinum
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
and multi-platinum albums, selling over 18 million albums worldwide. It is one of the most well-known groups in West Coast rap and was critically acclaimed for their first two groundbreaking albums.
Formation (1988)
Senen Reyes (also known as Sen DogSen Dog
Sen Dog is a Cuban-American rapper, and member of rap group Cypress Hill. He is the older brother of fellow rapper Mellow Man Ace.Sen Dog has been developing his own solo career in addition to his work with Cypress Hill...
) and Ulpiano Sergio Reyes (also known as Mellow Man Ace
Mellow Man Ace
Ulpiano Sergio Reyes , better known as Mellow Man Ace, is an American rapper. He is best known for his hit single "Mentirosa"...
) are brothers who initially lived in Cypress Park, California. In 1971, their family had immigrated to the United States, settling in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Eagle Rock. In 1988, the two brothers teamed up with Lawrence Muggered (also known as DJ Muggs
DJ Muggs
Lawrence Muggerud , better known as DJ Muggs, is Cypress Hill's DJ and producer. He also produced tracks for Funkdoobiest on the albums Which Doobie U B? and Brothas Doobie.-Cypress Hill :...
) and Louis Freese (also known as B-Real
B-Real
Louis Freese, better known by his stage name B-Real, is an American rapper of Cuban and Mexican heritage, and a film and TV actor...
) to form a hip-hop group named DVX (Devasting Vocal Excellence). The band soon lost Mellow Man Ace to a solo career, and changed their name to Cypress Hill, after a street in North East Los Angeles.
Early works and mainstream success (1989–1995)
After recording a demo in 1989, Cypress Hill signed a record deal with the major label, Columbia RecordsColumbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
. Their self-titled first album
Cypress Hill (album)
Steve Huey of Allmusic calls Cypress Hill's debut "a sonic blueprint that would become one of the most widely copied in hip-hop."In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums...
was released in August 1991. The lead single was the double A-side "The Phuncky Feel One
The Phuncky Feel One
"The Phuncky Feel One" is the second single of rap group Cypress Hill's self-titled debut album. It was released on July 11, 1991 as a single and featured the previous single of the album, "How I Could Just Kill a Man" as a b-side. It's produced by the producer of Cypress Hill, DJ Muggs and is...
"/"How I Could Just Kill a Man
How I Could Just Kill a Man
"How I Could Just Kill a Man" is the debut single by hip hop group Cypress Hill from their eponymous debut album, Cypress Hill, and was their first major hit in 1991. It was released as a double A-side to "The Phuncky Feel One" and the music video featured cameos by A Tribe Called Quest's Q-Tip and...
" which received heavy airplay on urban and college radio. The other two singles released from the album were "Hand on the Pump" and "Latin Lingo", the latter of which combined English and Spanish lyrics. The success of these singles led to the album selling two million copies in the US alone. The group made their first appearance at Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
on the side stage in 1992.
Black Sunday
Black Sunday (album)
Black Sunday is the second album by rap group Cypress Hill. It was released on July 20, 1993. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 selling 261,000 copies in its first week, recording the highest Soundscan for a rap group at the time. The album went Triple platinum in the U.S...
, the group's second album, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
in 1993, recording the highest Soundscan for a rap group up until that time. Also, with their debut still in the charts, they became the first rap group to have 2 albums in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 at the same time. With "Insane in the Brain
Insane in the Brain
"Insane in the Brain" is a hit single by the American hip hop group Cypress Hill. It was released in 1993 and in addition to hitting number 1 on the US rap chart, the song also was a surprise crossover hit, reaching number 19 in the Hot 100 chart in 1994. It was highly successful in other countries...
" becoming a crossover hit, the album went triple platinum in the U.S. and sold about 3.25 million copies.
Cypress Hill was banned from Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
after Muggs smoked a joint on-air and the group trashed their instruments while playing their second single "I Ain't Goin' Out Like That". The band headlined the Soul Assassins
Soul Assassins
Soul Assassins are a loose collective of musicians and graphic artists affiliated to the hip hop group Cypress Hill, formed in the early 1990s. It is also the name of Cypress Hill's publishing company....
tour with House of Pain
House of Pain
House of Pain is an American hip hop group who released three albums in the 1990s before lead rapper Everlast left to pursue his solo career again. The group's name is a reference to the H.G. Wells novel The Island of Dr...
and Funkdoobiest
Funkdoobiest
Funkdoobiest is an American rap group from Los Angeles, California. The original members are Son Doobie , a Puerto Rican rapper, and DJ Ralph M , a Chicano DJ, and Tomahawk Funk of the Lakota nation. The latter left after their second album.Their first two albums were mainly produced by Cypress...
as support, then performed on a college tour with Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...
and Seven Year Bitch. In 1993, Cypress Hill also had two tracks on the Judgment Night
Judgment Night (film)
Judgment Night is a 1993 action thriller film directed by Stephen Hopkins and starring Emilio Estévez, Cuba Gooding Jr., Jeremy Piven and Stephen Dorff as a group of friends on the run from a group of drug dealers after they witness a murder...
soundtrack, teaming up with Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
on the track "Real Thing" and Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
on "I Love You Mary Jane".
The group later played at Woodstock 94, introducing new member Eric Bobo, son of Willie Bobo
Willie Bobo
Willie Bobo was the stage name of William Correa , an American jazz percussionist.-Biography:William Correa grew up in Spanish Harlem, New York City. He made his name in Latin Jazz, specifically Afro-Cuban jazz, in the 1960s and '70s, with the timbales becoming his favoured instrument...
and formerly a percussionist with the Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
. Rolling Stone magazine named the group as the best rap group in their music awards voted by critics and readers. Cypress Hill played at Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
for two successive years, topping the bill in 1995. They also appeared on the "Homerpalooza
Homerpalooza
"Homerpalooza" is the 24th episode of The Simpsons seventh season and originally aired on May 19, 1996. The plot focuses around Homer's depression about aging and no longer being cool, and his quest to become cool again by joining the "Hullabalooza" music festival as a carnival freak. The episode...
" episode of The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
. Prior to Bobo joining the crew, Panchito "Ponch" Gomez sat in as a percussionist when not acting.
Their third album III: Temples of Boom was released in 1995, selling 1.5 million copies and reaching number 3 on the Billboard 200 on the strength of the hit single "Throw Your Set in the Air". Cypress Hill also contributed a track "I Wanna Get High" to the High Times sponsored Hempilation album to support NORML.
Continued career (1996–2002)
Sen Dog took a break from the band to form a Los Angeles based rap rock band SX-10SX-10
SX-10 is an American rap metal band formed in 1996 by rapper Sen Dog.-History:SX-10 was formed in 1996 in Los Angeles, California by Cypress Hill member Sen Dog. According to Sen Dog, SX-10 was formed because he had wanted to perform a different style of music. SX-10 released its debut album, Mad...
. Meanwhile in 1996, Cypress Hill appeared on the first 'Smokin' Grooves' tour, featuring Ziggy Marley
Ziggy Marley
David "Ziggy" Marley is a Jamaican musician and leader of the band Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers. He is the oldest son of famed reggae musician Bob Marley...
, The Fugees
The Fugees
Fugees were a Haitian American hip hop group who rose to fame in the mid-1990s. Their repertoire included elements of Hip hop, soul and Caribbean music, particularly reggae. The members of the group were rapper/singer/producer Wyclef Jean, rapper/singer/producer Lauryn Hill, and rapper Pras Michel...
, Busta Rhymes
Busta Rhymes
Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...
and A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...
. The band also released a nine track EP Unreleased and Revamped
Unreleased and Revamped
Unreleased and Revamped is an EP released by rap group Cypress Hill. It was released in August 1996. This album was certified Gold by the RIAA....
with rare mixes. In 1997, band members focused on their solo careers. Muggs released Soul Assassins: Chapter 1
Chapter 1 (Soul Assassins album)
Soul Assassins, Chapter 1 is the first album by Soul Assassins, group of rappers led by DJ Muggs.-Track listing:...
featuring contributions from Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
, KRS-One
KRS-One
Lawrence Krisna Parker , better known by his stage names KRS-One , and Teacha, is an American rapper...
, Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean is a Haitian musician, record producer, and politician. At age nine, Jean moved to the United States with his family and has spent much of his life in the country...
and Mobb Deep
Mobb Deep
Mobb Deep is an American hip hop duo from Queensbridge, Queens, New York, U.S., that consists of Havoc and Prodigy. The duo is "one of the most critically acclaimed hardcore East Coast hip-hop groups." The group is best known for its dark, hardcore delivery, as exemplified by the single "Shook Ones...
. B-Real appeared with Busta Rhymes, Coolio
Coolio
Artis Leon Ivey Jr. , better known by the stage name Coolio, is an American musician, rapper, actor and record producer.-Late 80s:He recorded two singles in the late 80s, titled "Watcha Gonna Do" and "You're Gonna Miss Me"...
, LL Cool J
LL Cool J
James Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J , is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor...
and Method Man
Method Man
Clifford Smith , better known by his stage name Method Man is an American hip hop artist, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He took his stage name from the 1979 film The Fearless Young Boxer, also known as Method Man. He is one half of the rap duo Method Man...
on "Hit Em High" from the multi-platinum Space Jam Soundtrack
Space Jam (soundtrack)
- Album singles :...
. He also appeared with RBX
RBX
Eric Dwayne Collins, better known by his stage name RBX , is a former rapper and R&B singer from Long Beach, California...
, Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
and KRS-One on "East Coast Killer, West Coast Killer" off Dr. Dre's Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath
Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath
Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath is a compilation album by Dr. Dre. It was released in 1996 after leaving Death Row Records, and was the first release on his then newly established Aftermath Entertainment. In spite of Dr...
album, and contributed to an album entitled The Psycho Realm
The Psycho Realm
The Psycho Realm is the first album of the hip hop group Psycho Realm. At this time the group consisted of Jacken, Duke, and B-Real. Later on B-Real had to leave the group due to his commitment to Cypress Hill...
with the band of the same name
Psycho Realm
Psycho Realm is an american hip hop supergroup started in 1989 by brothers Sick Jacken and Big Duke from the Downtown, Pico-Union area of Los Angeles. The first recorded Psycho Realm song, "Scandalous", was released on the soundtrack of the film Mi Vida Loca in 1994...
. Though the focus that year was not on group efforts, the band played Smokin' Grooves with George Clinton
George Clinton (funk musician)
George Clinton is an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and music producer and the principal architect of P-Funk. He was the mastermind of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic during the 1970s and early 1980s, and launched a solo career in 1981. He has been cited as one of the foremost...
and Erykah Badu
Erykah Badu
Erica Abi Wright , better known by her stage name Erykah Badu , is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Her work includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul sub-genre, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical...
.
Cypress Hill released IV in 1998 which went gold in the U.S., on the backs of hit singles "Tequila Sunrise" and "Dr. Greenthumb." Sen Dog also released the Get Wood sampler as part of SX-10 on the label Flip. In 1999, Cypress Hill helped with the PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
crime video game Kingpin: Life of Crime
Kingpin: Life of Crime
Kingpin: Life of Crime is a first-person shooter developed by Xatrix Entertainment and published by Interplay Entertainment in June 1999. The game begins with the player character wounded and beaten up by the Kingpin's henchmen, and the story follows his thirst for revenge...
. Three of their songs from the 1998 IV album were in the game ( "16 Men Till There's No Men Left", "Checkmate" and "Lightning Strikes"). B-Real also did some of the voices of the people in the game. Also in 1999, the band released a greatest-hits album in Spanish, Los grandes éxitos en español
Los grandes éxitos en español
Los Grandes Éxitos en Español is the title of a 1999 release by Cypress Hill. It was certified Platinum by the RIAA.-Album information:...
. In 2000, Cypress Hill then fused genres with their fifth album, Skull & Bones
Skull & Bones (album)
*Rolling Stone - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "A bipolar breakdown…proving hip-hop is more like T2…capable of morphing into anyone they wanna be."*CMJ - "Proves rather convincingly that Cypress Hill still packs a mighty punch."...
, which was a two-disc album. The first disc, "Skull" was composed of rap tracks while "Bones" explored further the group's forays into rock. The album reached the Top 5 on the Billboard 200 and number 3 in Canada. The first single was "Rock Superstar" for rock radio and "Rap Superstar" for urban radio. Following the release of the album, Cypress Hill (along with MxPx
MxPx
MxPx is a pop punk band from Bremerton, Washington with connections to the Christian punk scene. The band has recorded eight studio albums, four EPs, four compilation albums, a live album, a VHS tape, a DVD and released 20 singles....
) landed a slot opening for The Offspring
The Offspring
The Offspring is an American punk rock band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1984. Known as Manic Subsidal until 1986, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Dexter Holland, lead guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, bassist Greg K. and drummer Pete Parada...
on the Conspiracy of One
Conspiracy of One
-Bonus tracks:-Album length:-Notes:* First pressings in Australia and UK had the track "Huck It" listed as track 14, later reprints have it unlisted as well as the original Mature audiences rating reduced to a PG rating in Australia....
tour. The band also released Live at the Fillmore
Live at the Fillmore (Cypress Hill album)
Live at the Fillmore is a live album by the rap group Cypress Hill recorded at The Fillmore, San Francisco on August 16, 2000.-Reception:*Rolling Stone - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "B-Real, Sen Dog, Bobo and DJ Muggs are in top form here."...
, a concert disc recorded at the Fillmore
The Fillmore
The Fillmore Auditorium is a historic music venue in San Francisco, California, made famous by Bill Graham. Named for its original location at the intersection of Fillmore Street and Geary Boulevard, it lies on the boundary of the Western Addition and the Pacific Heights neighborhoods.In 1968,...
(in San Francisco) in 2000. Cypress Hill continued their experimentation with rock on the Stoned Raiders
Stoned Raiders
Stoned Raiders is the sixth studio album by rap group Cypress Hill. It was recorded and released in 2001.-Album information:This album is best-known for two of its songs - Trouble and Lowrider. The song Kronologik also summarizes Cypress Hill's career from their debut in 1991 until the album was...
album in 2001. However, its sales were a disappointment, as the disc did not even reach the top 50 of the U.S. album charts. In 2001, the group appeared in the film How High
How High
How High is a 2001 stoner comedy starring Method Man and Redman, written by Dustin Lee Abraham, and director Jesse Dylan's debut feature film. Entertainment Weekly rated it third in their "Best Stoner Movie" top ten list...
.
Till Death Do Us Part (2003–2007)
Cypress Hill recorded "Just Another Victim" for WWE as a theme song for TazzTazz
Peter Senerchia is a retired American professional wrestler and current color commentator best known by his ring name Tazz, originally Tazmaniac and later shortened to simply Taz...
. At the time, WWE was using original music for almost all of the wrestlers, so this was an unusual step for the company to take, but it remains one of the more memorable songs to emerge from the wrestling organization. The band released Till Death Do Us Part on March 23, 2004. The album saw the band experiment with reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
especially on the lead single "What's Your Number". The track features Tim Armstrong
Tim Armstrong
Timothy Lockwood Armstrong is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, best known for his work with punk rock bands Rancid, Operation Ivy, Downfall, and the Transplants. He is also the owner and operator of Hellcat Records.-Personal life:Armstrong was born November 25, 1965 and was...
of Rancid
Rancid (band)
Rancid is an American punk rock band formed in Berkeley, California in 1991. Founded by Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, both of whom previously played in the ska punk band Operation Ivy, Rancid is credited—along with Green Day and The Offspring—for reviving mainstream interest in punk rock in the...
on guitar and backup vocals. It is based on the classic song "The Guns of Brixton
The Guns of Brixton
"The Guns of Brixton" is a song by the English punk rock band The Clash. It was written and sung by bassist Paul Simonon, who grew up in Brixton, south London...
" on The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
's London Calling
London Calling
London Calling is the third studio album by the English punk rock band The Clash. It was released in the United Kingdom on 14 December 1979 through CBS Records, and in the United States in January 1980 through Epic Records...
and has proven to be a success on the modern rock charts. However, the album represented a further departure from the signature sound of their first four albums. The album also features appearances by Damian Marley
Damian Marley
Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley is a Jamaican reggae artist who has won three Grammy awards. Damian is the youngest son of Bob Marley....
, son of Bob Marley
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
, Prodigy
Prodigy (rapper)
Lance Albert Johnson Banks, better known as Prodigy, is an American rapper and one half of the hip-hop and rap duo Mobb Deep....
of Mobb Deep
Mobb Deep
Mobb Deep is an American hip hop duo from Queensbridge, Queens, New York, U.S., that consists of Havoc and Prodigy. The duo is "one of the most critically acclaimed hardcore East Coast hip-hop groups." The group is best known for its dark, hardcore delivery, as exemplified by the single "Shook Ones...
and producers the Alchemist
The Alchemist (producer)
Alan Daniel Maman , better known as The Alchemist, is an American hip hop producer, DJ and rapper. He hails from Beverly Hills, California...
and Fredwreck
Fredwreck
Farid Karam Nassar, better known as Fredwreck is a record producer from Los Angeles, California. He got his big break when he became a producer for Dr. Dre's newly founded Aftermath Records label, and went on to work with Snoop Dogg's record label Dogghouse Records and became a known producer on...
.
In 2004, the song How I Could Just Kill A Man was included in the popular video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a 2004 open world action video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the third 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise, the fifth original console release and eighth game overall...
created by Rockstar Games
Rockstar Games
Rockstar Games is a major video game developer and publisher based in New York City, owned by Take-Two Interactive following its purchase of UK video game publisher BMG Interactive. The brand is mostly known for Grand Theft Auto, Max Payne, L.A...
, playing on West Coast hip hop
West Coast hip hop
West Coast hip hop is a hip hop music subgenre that encompasses any artists or music that originates in the westernmost region of the United States, as opposed to East Coast hip hop, based originally in New York alone...
radio station Radio Los Santos. In December 2005 a best of compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
titled Greatest Hits From the Bong
Greatest Hits From the Bong
Greatest Hits from the Bong is the greatest hits CD by the hip-hop group Cypress Hill, it was released on December 13, 2005.-Album information:...
was released including 9 hits from previous albums and 2 new tracks. The group's next album was tentatively scheduled for an early 2007 release. In the summer of 2006, B-Real appeared on Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
's single "Vato
Vato (song)
"Vato" is the first single by Snoop Dogg from his album Tha Blue Carpet Treatment. The song features B-Real and was produced by The Neptunes. The word "Vato" is Chicano slang for "homie".The music video for Vato premiered on BET on August 30, 2006...
", which was produced by Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams , commonly known simply as Pharrell, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, composer, and fashion designer. Williams and Chad Hugo make up the record production duo The Neptunes, producing hip hop and R&B music...
.
In 2007 Cypress Hill toured with their full line up as a part of the Rock the Bells
Rock the Bells
Rock the Bells is an annual hip hop festival that originally took place in Southern California only, but has since toured throughout the world. The concert features a lineup of high-profile alternative hip hop artists, often headlined by a more mainstream artist...
tour, held by Guerilla Union, and headlined with Public Enemy, Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
The Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop group from Staten Island that consists of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. They are frequently joined by fellow childhood friend Cappadonna, a quasi member of the group...
, Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
, and a reunited Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...
. Other acts included Immortal Technique
Immortal Technique
Felipe Andres Coronel , better known by the stage name Immortal Technique, is an American rapper of Afro-Peruvian descent as well as an urban activist. He was born in Lima, Peru and raised in Harlem, New York. Most of his lyrics focus on controversial issues in global politics...
, Mos Def
Mos Def
Dante Terrell Smith is an American actor and Emcee known by the stage names Mos Def and Yasiin Bey. He started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, which...
, Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli Greene , better known as Talib Kweli, is an American hip-hop artist and poet from Brooklyn, New York. His first name in Arabic means "student" or "seeker" ; his in Swahili means "true"...
, The Roots
The Roots
The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
, EPMD
EPMD
EPMD is an American hip hop group from Brentwood, New York. The group's name is a concatenation of the members' name "E" and "PMD" or an acronym for "Erick and Parrish Making Dollars", referencing its members, emcees Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith...
, Pharoahe Monch
Pharoahe Monch
Pharoahe Monch is an American hip hop artist. He is known for his complex lyrics, complex delivery, and internal and multisyllabic rhyme schemes.-Biography:...
, Jedi Mind Tricks
Jedi Mind Tricks
Jedi Mind Tricks is a hip hop duo with Vinnie Paz from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Jus Allah from Camden, New Jersey. The group was founded by two high school friends, rapper Vinnie Paz and former producer/DJ Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind...
, Erykah Badu
Erykah Badu
Erica Abi Wright , better known by her stage name Erykah Badu , is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Her work includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul sub-genre, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical...
, MF Doom
MF Doom
Daniel Dumile is a hip hop artist who has taken on several stage names in his career, most notably MF DOOM, where the "MF" stands for metal face, and for tracks he has produced, metal fingers...
, Sage Francis
Sage Francis
Paul "Sage" Francis is a hip-hop artist from Providence, Rhode Island.-Biography:Born Paul Francis in Miami, Florida, Sage Francis is a rapper/writer/performer from Providence, Rhode Island. He is the founder and CEO of the independent hip-hop record label Strange Famous Records...
, Brother Ali
Brother Ali
Ali Newman , better known by the stage name Brother Ali, is an American hip hop artist signed to Rhymesayers Entertainment.-Personal life:...
, The Coup
The Coup
The Coup is a political hip hop group based in Oakland, California. It formed as a three-member group in 1992 with emcees Raymond "Boots" Riley and E-Roc along with DJ Pam the Funkstress. E-Roc left on amicable terms after the group's second album but appears on the track "Breathing Apparatus" on...
, Blue Print, Lucky I Am, Living Legends
Living Legends
Living Legends is a rap group composed of eight hip hop artists from California. Beginning in the early 1990s, the crew garnered a following by recording, promoting, and performing their music independently...
, Felt
Felt
Felt is a non-woven cloth that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing woollen fibres. While some types of felt are very soft, some are tough enough to form construction materials. Felt can be of any colour, and made into any shape or size....
, Cage, Mr. Lif
Mr. Lif
Mr. Lif is an American hip hop artist from Boston, Massachusetts. Often noted for his political lyrics, he has released two studio albums on El-P's Definitive Jux label and one on Bloodbot Tactical Enterprises. Mr...
, Grouch & Eligh, Slightly Stoopid, and Hangar 18
Hangar 18 (band)
Hangar 18 is an American core hip hop group signed to Definitive Jux Records. The group consists of rappers Alaska and Windnbreeze, and is produced by DJ paWL...
.
Departure from Sony and Rise Up (2008–present)
On July 25, 2008, Cypress Hill performed at a benefit concert at the House of Blues Chicago, where a majority of the proceeds went to the Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness.In August 2009, a new song by Cypress Hill, titled "Get 'Em Up", was made available on iTunes. The song is featured on the Madden NFL 2010 video game.
In November 2009, a new version of Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
classic "Paradise City
Paradise City
-Personnel:* Axl Rose - lead vocals, synthesizer, whistle* Izzy Stradlin - rhythm guitar, backing vocals, percussion* Slash - lead guitar, backing vocals* Duff McKagan - bass, backing vocals* Steven Adler - drums-Live:...
" performed by Cypress Hill, Slash
Slash (musician)
Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
and Fergie
Stacy Ferguson
Stacy Ann Ferguson , better known by her stage name Fergie, is an American singer-songwriter, fashion designer and actress. She was a member of the children's television series Kids Incorporated and the girl group Wild Orchid. She is the female vocalist for the hip hop group The Black Eyed Peas...
was made available as a bonus track to Slash's single "Sahara
Sahara (Slash song)
"Sahara" is the first single from Slash's self titled album. It was released as the first single of the album in Japan only. It has been awarded "Single of the Year" by the Japanese recording industry.-Information:...
" off Slash's solo album Slash.
Cypress Hill's eighth studio album, Rise Up
Rise Up (Cypress Hill album)
Rise Up is the eighth studio album by Cypress Hill, which was released on April 20, 2010. It is their first album of new material in six years, following 2004's Till Death Do Us Part, and their first to be released on EMI's Priority Records, their first venture away from Columbia, who handled all...
, features contributions from Everlast
Everlast (musician)
Erik Francis Schrody , better known by his stage name Everlast, is a Grammy Award-winning American rapper and songwriter, known for his solo hit "What It's Like" and as the front-man for rap group House of Pain. He is also part of the hip-hop supergroup La Coka Nostra, which consists of members of...
, Tom Morello
Tom Morello
Thomas Baptiste "Tom" Morello is a Grammy Award-winning American guitarist best known for his tenure with the bands Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, his acoustic solo act The Nightwatchman, and his newest group, Street Sweeper Social Club...
, Daron Malakian
Daron Malakian
Daron Vartan Malakian is an Armenian-American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He is best known as the guitarist, songwriter, and occasional vocalist of the heavy metal band System of a Down and as the lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and songwriter of the alternative...
, Pitbull
Pitbull (rapper)
Armando Christian Pérez , better known by his stage name Pitbull, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and record producer. His first recorded performance was from the Lil Jon album Kings of Crunk in 2002, after which he released his debut album in 2004 titled M.I.A.M.I. under TVT Records...
, Marc Anthony
Marc Anthony
Marc Anthony is an American singer-songwriter, actor and producer. Anthony is the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time. The two-time Grammy and three-time Latin Grammy–winner has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. He is best known for his Latin salsa numbers and ballads...
and Mike Shinoda
Mike Shinoda
Michael "Mike" Kenji Shinoda is an American musician, record producer, and artist. He is best known as the rapper, principal songwriter, keyboardist, vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Linkin Park, along with his co-frontman and lead singer Chester Bennington, and as a solo rapper in...
. The album was released on Priority Records/EMI Entertainment
Priority Records
Priority Records is an American record label, owned and operated by EMI, which has made a name for itself dealing primarily in hip hop, pop and world...
, as the group was signed to the label by new Creative Chairman Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
on January 15, 2010. The album was finally released on April 20, 2010. The album's introduction single, "It Ain't Nothin'" was released as a free download from the group's official website. The song "Rise Up
Rise Up (Cypress Hill song)
"Rise Up" is the second single from Cypress Hill's eighth studio album, Rise Up . It features guitarist Tom Morello. This song is featured in the 2011 film The Green Hornet. It is also the home theme song for the Los Angeles Clippers, and it served as the official theme song of WWE Elimination...
" was featured at WWE's pay-per-view, Elimination Chamber, as the official theme song for that event, and was released as the third single for the album, with "Armada Latina" being fourth. The song also appeared in the trailer of the movie The Green Hornet
The Green Hornet (2011 film)
The Green Hornet is a 2011 American superhero action-comedy film based on the character of the same name that had originated in a 1930s radio program and has appeared in movie serials, a television series, comic books, and other media...
.
Cypress Hill commenced its Rise Up tour in Philadelphia on April 10, 2010. Julio G
Julio G
Julio G is an influential West Coast hip hop DJ who was born and then raised in Lynwood, CA, and is credited for being responsible for the rise of gangsta rap as part of the KDAY radio station on-air talent in Los Angeles, CA. Following KDAY, he was a DJ at 92.3 The Beat...
had replaced DJ Muggs for the tour. Muggs had been absent due to working on several other projects, including separate albums with B-Real and Sen Dog. The group was supposed to stop in Tucson, Arizona but canceled the show in protest of the recent immigration legislation. At the Rock en Seine
Rock en Seine
The Rock en Seine festival is a two or three-day Rock 'n roll festival, held at Domaine National de Saint-Cloud, Château de Saint-Cloud's park West of Paris, inside the garden designed by Le Nôtre...
festival in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
on August 27, 2010 they said in an interview that they would wait and see what happens with the legislation
Legislation
Legislation is law which has been promulgated by a legislature or other governing body, or the process of making it...
before going back there. Cypress Hill performed at the Reading and Leeds Festivals
Reading and Leeds Festivals
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend, sharing the same bill. The Reading Festival is held at Little John's Farm...
in late August 2010, on the 28th at Leeds and the 29th at Reading.
Rapping
One of the band's most striking aspects is B-Real's exaggeratedly high-pitched nasal vocals. In the book Check the TechniqueCheck the Technique
Check the Technique: Liner Notes for Hip-Hop Junkies is a book by music journalist Brian Coleman that covers the making of thirty-six classic hip hop albums, based on interviews with the artists who created them, also providing a track-by-track breakdown for each album entirely in the words of the...
B-Real describes his nasal style, saying his rapping voice is "high and annoying... the nasal style I have was just something that I developed... my more natural style wasn't so pleasing to [DJ Muggs and Sen Dog's] ears" and talking about the nasal style in the book How to Rap
How to Rap
How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC is a book on hip-hop music and rapping by Paul Edwards. It is compiled from interviews with 104 notable rappers who provide insights into how they write and perform their lyrics.- Publication :...
, B-Real says, "you want to stand out from the others and just be distinct... when you got something that can separate you from everybody else, you gotta use it to your advantage." Sen Dog's voice is deeper, more violent and often shouted alongside the rapping; his vocals are often emphasized by adding an additional background/choir voice to say them. Sen Dog's style is in contrast to B-Real's, who says, "[Sen's] voice is so strong", and "it all blends together" when they are both on the same track.
Both B-Real and Sen Dog started writing lyrics in both Spanish and English and B-Real was inspired to start writing raps from watching Sen Dog and Mellow Man Ace
Mellow Man Ace
Ulpiano Sergio Reyes , better known as Mellow Man Ace, is an American rapper. He is best known for his hit single "Mentirosa"...
writing their lyrics, and originally B-Real was going to just be the writer for the group rather than a rapper. Their lyrics are noted for bringing a "cartoonish" approach to violence by Peter Shapiro and Allmusic.
Production
The sound and groove of their music, produced by Muggs, is notable for its spooky sounds and stoned aesthetic; with its bass-heavy rhythms and odd sample loops ("Insane in the Brain" is notable for having a pitched-altered horse neigh looped in its chorus), it carries a psychedelic value, which lessened in the later albums.The band is also known for involving rock instruments. In their songs – this has caused the band to sometimes be classified as a rap rock
Rap rock
Rap rock is a cross-genre fusing vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop with various forms of rock. Rap rock is often confused with rap metal and rapcore, subgenres that include heavy metal-oriented and hardcore punk-oriented bands, respectively....
group. The double album Skull & Bones consists of a pure rap album ("Skull") and an entire CD of rap/rock songs ("Bones"). Also in IV, there is "Lightning Strikes" which doesn't truly use electric guitars, but a synthesized version of it. In the live album Live at The Fillmore some of the old classics are played in a rock/metal version, with Sen Dog's band SX-10 and Eric Bobo playing the rock instruments.
The band's music is constantly subject to change: while the first album and Black Sunday follow a more minimalistic and funky sound, III (Temples of Boom) has a very dark, spooky atmosphere and heavy beats, sometimes approaching hardcore rap. IV introduced more diverse sounds on the beats while maintaining the hardcore edge. The first albums are mostly influenced by psychedelic music, but the band eventually got closer to modern rap as it is today while still experimenting with rock from time to time, like on "Skull and Bones" and "Stoned Raiders".
The band involves horns in their songs, and often have guitar and horns together in the instrumentals. "What's Your Number?", "Trouble", "Tequila Sunrise", and "(Rock) Superstar" have become some of the band's most popular songs featuring these elements.
Side and solo projects
Eric Bobo is part of the group Sol Invicto with producer Richie LondresRichie londres
Richie Londres, is an English musician, hip hop record producer, lead guitarist and multi-instrumentalist and runs Altered Beats Records. Londres has worked with Deftones and Cypress Hill on various projects...
and Stephen Carpenter
Stephen Carpenter
Stephen Carpenter is an American musician known as the co-founder and lead guitarist of the alternative metal band Deftones. His guitar technique makes use of both ringing open strings and dissonant chord voicings, as well as stock power chords in polyrhythms...
of the Deftones. Eric Bobo is also a main member of Cultura Londres Proyecto which is a Spanish Hip Hop group from London, England.
2009 saw the releases of both B-Real and Sen Dog's solo efforts Smoke N Mirrors and Diary of a Mad Dog
Diary of a Mad Dog
Diary of a Mad Dog is the solo debut album of Sen Dog which was released September 30, 2008 via indie label Suburban Noize Records.-Making of the album:According to the rapper, it is his most personal music creation to date...
. B-Real is also part of a super-group called Serial Killaz with both Xzibit
Xzibit
Alvin Nathaniel Joiner , better known by his stage name Xzibit , is an American rapper, actor, and television host. He is known as the host of the MTV show Pimp My Ride, which brought him mainstream success...
and his protege Young De
Young De
Demrick Shelton, better known by his stage name Young De, is a rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, currently residing in Los Angeles, California. He is known for his collaborations with high profile artists such as Xzibit, Kurupt, Snoop Dogg, Too $hort and B-Real of Cypress Hill...
. B-Real started his own production company called Audio Hustlaz, with which he has worked and featured on tracks with Kurupt
Kurupt
Ricardo Emmanuel Brown , better known by his stage name Kurupt, also known as Kurupt Tha Kingpin, Kurupt Young Gotti or Young Gotstra is an American rapper and former Executive Vice President of Death Row Records...
, Young De, Xzibit, Adil Omar
Adil Omar
Adil Omar is a rapper and singer-songwriter from Islamabad, Pakistan. He is one of the few hip-hop artists from Pakistan and musicians from the region to write and perform in English. He has also collaborated with mainstream artists such as Cypress Hill, Xzibit, Everlast, Kool G Rap, DJ Lethal of...
, Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
, Bitza
Bitza
Biță is a Romanian rapper and urban soul musician.He was born in Bucharest, the capital of Romania. His first album was Sevraj in 2004 and...
and others, and has also done guest appearances for La Coka Nostra
La Coka Nostra
La Coka Nostra is an American hip hop group composed of Everlast, DJ Lethal, Danny Boy, Ill Bill and Slaine.- Biography :Founded in late 2005 with no intention to record an album, La Coka Nostra was more a loose collective of artists connected through Danny Boy than a group...
, Ill Bill
Ill Bill
William Braunstein, better known as Ill Bill, is a American rapper and record producer from Brooklyn, New York. Having gained notoriety in the underground hip hop group Non Phixion, Ill Bill is known for his hardcore lyrics and as the producer, founder and CEO of Uncle Howie Records...
, Prozak
Prozak (rapper)
Steven T. Shippy, better known by his stage name Prozak, is an independent rapper and film director from Saginaw, Michigan. He is signed to Tech N9ne's Strange Music label through a distribution deal, as well as being a member of the rap groups Project: Deadman and Bedlam...
, Akrobatik
Akrobatik
Akrobatik is a rapper from the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. He has collaborated numerous times with many fellow Boston rappers , and recently formed a hip hop collective named The Perceptionists with Mr. Lif and DJ Fakts One....
, The Outlawz, Nipsey Hussle
Nipsey Hussle
Ermias Asghedome , better known by his stage name Nipsey Hussle. He is a Westcoast rapper from Los Angeles, California.-Music career:...
and Apathy
Apathy (rapper)
Chad Bromley , better known as Apathy is an underground rapper and producer from Willimantic, Connecticut. He attended high school at various schools in Connecticut. He is a re-founding member and unofficial leader of the Demigodz crew...
.
Other notable side projects include B-Real's rap metal
Rap metal
Rap metal is a subgenre of rap rock which fuses vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop music with heavy metal.-History:Rap metal originated from rap rock, a genre fusing vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop with rock...
group Kush
Kush (band)
Kush is an American rap metal band formed in 2000 by rapper B-Real, Deftones guitarist Stephen Carpenter and former Fear Factory members Raymond Herrera and Christian Olde Wolbers.-History:...
with members from Deftones
Deftones
Deftones are an American alternative metal band from Sacramento, California, founded in 1988. The band consists of Chino Moreno , Stephen Carpenter , Chi Cheng , Frank Delgado , and Abe Cunningham . Currently Sergio Vega is standing in on bass while Cheng recovers from a car accident...
and Fear Factory
Fear Factory
Fear Factory is an American industrial metal band. Formed in 1989, they have released seven full-length albums and a number of singles and remixes. Over the course of their career they have evolved from a succession of styles, as well as steadily pioneered a combination of the styles death metal,...
who are as yet to release any official material.
Sen Dog has released one album with his rap metal group SX-10
SX-10
SX-10 is an American rap metal band formed in 1996 by rapper Sen Dog.-History:SX-10 was formed in 1996 in Los Angeles, California by Cypress Hill member Sen Dog. According to Sen Dog, SX-10 was formed because he had wanted to perform a different style of music. SX-10 released its debut album, Mad...
.
Muggs has released collaborative albums with Sick Jacken, GZA
GZA
Gary Grice , better known by his stage names GZA and The Genius, is an American hip hop artist and founding member of the seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan. He has also appeared on his fellow clan members' solo projects and has maintained a successful solo career...
, Planet Asia
Planet Asia
Planet Asia aka King Medallions is an underground hip hop MC from Fresno, California who is a member of hiphop groups the Cali Agents, and Skhool Yard...
, Ill Bill
Ill Bill
William Braunstein, better known as Ill Bill, is a American rapper and record producer from Brooklyn, New York. Having gained notoriety in the underground hip hop group Non Phixion, Ill Bill is known for his hardcore lyrics and as the producer, founder and CEO of Uncle Howie Records...
and others.
Discography
- 1991: Cypress HillCypress Hill (album)Steve Huey of Allmusic calls Cypress Hill's debut "a sonic blueprint that would become one of the most widely copied in hip-hop."In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums...
- 1993: Black SundayBlack Sunday (album)Black Sunday is the second album by rap group Cypress Hill. It was released on July 20, 1993. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 selling 261,000 copies in its first week, recording the highest Soundscan for a rap group at the time. The album went Triple platinum in the U.S...
- 1995: Cypress Hill III: Temples of BoomCypress Hill III: Temples of Boom-Samples:*"Spark Another Owl"**"Get Out of My Life, Woman" by The New Apocalypse**"The Beautiful and Omniprescent Love" by Azar Lawrence*"Killafornia"**"Pacified" by Rita Jean Bodine*"Illusions"**"Las Vegas Tango" by Gary Burton...
- 1996: Unreleased and RevampedUnreleased and RevampedUnreleased and Revamped is an EP released by rap group Cypress Hill. It was released in August 1996. This album was certified Gold by the RIAA....
- 1998: Cypress Hill IVCypress Hill IVCypress Hill IV is the fourth album by the rap group Cypress Hill. It was released on October 6, 1998. It was certified Gold by the RIAA. It is one of their most varied releases and one that DJ Muggs is most fond of...
- 2000: Skull & BonesSkull & Bones (album)*Rolling Stone - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "A bipolar breakdown…proving hip-hop is more like T2…capable of morphing into anyone they wanna be."*CMJ - "Proves rather convincingly that Cypress Hill still packs a mighty punch."...
- 2001: Stoned RaidersStoned RaidersStoned Raiders is the sixth studio album by rap group Cypress Hill. It was recorded and released in 2001.-Album information:This album is best-known for two of its songs - Trouble and Lowrider. The song Kronologik also summarizes Cypress Hill's career from their debut in 1991 until the album was...
- 2004: Till Death Do Us Part
- 2010: Rise UpRise Up (Cypress Hill album)Rise Up is the eighth studio album by Cypress Hill, which was released on April 20, 2010. It is their first album of new material in six years, following 2004's Till Death Do Us Part, and their first to be released on EMI's Priority Records, their first venture away from Columbia, who handled all...
Awards and Nominations
Grammy Awards| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 Grammy Awards of 1994 The 36th Grammy Awards were held in 1994. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Whitney Houston is the Big Winner winning 3 awards including Record of the Year and Album of the Year.-Award winners:*Record of the Year... |
"Insane in the Brain" | Best Rap Performance by a Group or Duo | |
| 1995 Grammy Awards of 1995 The 37th Grammy Awards were presented March 1, 1995. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year.-Award winners:*Record of the Year**Bill Bottrell & Sheryl Crow for "All I Wanna Do"*Album of the Year... |
"I Ain't Goin' Out Like That" | Best Rap Performance by a Group or Duo | |
| 1996 Grammy Awards of 1996 The 38th Grammy Awards were held on February 28, 1996. The awards recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Alanis Morissette was the night's big winner, scoring four trophies, including Album of the Year.-Award winners:... |
"Throw Your Set in the Air" | Best Rap Performance by a Group or Duo |
MTV Video Music Awards Awards
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 Grammy Awards of 1994 The 36th Grammy Awards were held in 1994. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Whitney Houston is the Big Winner winning 3 awards including Record of the Year and Album of the Year.-Award winners:*Record of the Year... |
"Insane in the Brain" | Best Rap Video |
Band Members
Current Members- B-Real – lead rapping (since 1988)
- DJ Muggs – turntables, production (since 1988)
- Eric Bobo – drums, percussion (since 1994)
- Sen Dog – rappingRappingRapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
(since 1988)
Former Members
- Mellow Man Ace - rapping (only 1988)
External links
- Official Website
- Cypress Hill interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' April 2010
- Cypress Hill interview, August 2010, Radio France InternationaleRadio France InternationaleRadio France Internationale was created in 1975 as part of Radio France by the Government of France, and replaced the Poste Colonial , Paris Mondial , Radio Paris , RTF Radio Paris and ORTF Radio Paris...
- Cypress Hill on Velvet Hammer Site
- Cypress Hill at Legacy Recordings (Sony Music)
- Eric Bobo video interview