Cypress Hill

Posted on 02.7.2000

Cypress Hill
B Real (June 2, 1970)
Sen Dog (Nov 20, 1965)
Dj Muggs (Jan 28, 1968)
Formed : 1988 Los Angeles, CA

Cypress Hill Biography:
Cypress Hill, one of the most influential and durable names in the world of hip-hop, was formed in southeastern Los Angeles in by Italian New York City transplant DJ Muggs (Larry Muggerud) ; Mexican-Cuban South Gate, Calif. native B-Real (Louis Freeze) and fellow Cuban Sen Dog (Senen Reyes), taking their name from Cypress Avenue, a street which runs through their neighborhood. The group began pioneering a fusion of Latin and hip-hop slang, developing their own style by the time Mellow Man Ace left the group in 1988.

They recorded early versions of songs like "Real Estate," "Light Another," "Phunky Feel One," and "Trigga Happy Nigga" which later became "How I Could Just Kill A Man," attracting the attention of several labels, including Ruffhouse, who signed them to a $65,000 album deal through Columbia/Sony in 1990. After the militancy and radicalism of Public Enemy and NWA, Cypress Hill were advocating escapism via blunts, and making it sound very attractive indeed, particularly
to the all important white alternative rock audience.

Their self-titled debut album came out in 1991, with re-recorded versions of old songs and some new ones, including "Stoned Is The Way of the Walk," "Latin Lingo" and "Hand on the Pump." On the strength of college radio play, "How I Could Just Kill A Man," the B-side of the first single, "Phunky Feel One," was added to New York’s WBLS, becoming the station’s No 1 requested song and prompting the record label to rush out a video. With songs like "Light Another" and "Blunted," the band became spokesmen for the legalization of hemp, hooking up in ’91 with the National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws (NORML) and in the words of High Times, "igniting a revolution".

Cypress Hill appeared on the second Lollapalooza tour in 1992 and played with bands like Pearl Jam, exposing them to a whole new "alternative rock" audience. Spurred by the hit single, "Insane In The Brain," the band’s second album, Black Sunday, came out in the summer of ’93, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard charts. They also recorded tracks with Pearl Jam ("Real Thing") and Sonic Youth ("I Love You Mary Jane") for the movie Judgement Night. Their breakthrough in the UK came when they supported House Of Pain on dates through 1993, after which they achieved a string of Top 20 singles.

Cypress Hill’s audience became predominantly white, collegiate suburbanites, which caused them to lose some support in the hip-hop community.

The group didn’t help matters much in 1995, when they added a new member, drummer Bobo, and toured with the fifth Lollapalooza prior to the release of their third album, Cypress Hill III : Temples of Boom.

Sen took a break from the band to form punk-rap band SX-10. 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 Muggs Presents ... the Soul Assassins featuring contributions from Wu-Tang Clan members, Dr. Dre, KRS-One, Wyclef Jean and Mobb Deep. B-Real appeared with Busta Rhymes, Coolio, L.L. Cool J and Method Man on "Hit Em High" from the multi-platinum Space Jam Soundtrack. He also appeared with Dr. Dre, Nas and KRS-One on "East Coast Killer, West Coast Killer" on Dr. Dre’s Aftermath album, and released an album entitled "The Psycho Realm" from his side project of the same name. Through the focus that year was not on Cypress Hill, 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 single "Tequila Sunrise" and another tribute to smoking marijuana "Dr. Greenthumb." Sen Dog also released the Get Wood sampler as part of SX-10 on Jordan Schur’s Flip label.

In 1999, Cypress Hill helped with the PC crime/very mature video game Kingpin: Life Of Crime. 3 of their songs from the 1998 IV album were in the game. 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. Cypress Hill then fused genres with their two-disc release, Skull & Bones, in 2000. The first disc, "Skull" was comprised 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. The band also released a Live at the Fillmore disc in 2000.

Cypress Hill continued their experimentation with rock on The Stoned Raiders album on 2001. However, its sales were a disappointment, as the disc did not even reach the top 50 of the U.S. album charts.

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 bass and Rob Ashton of The Transplants on backup vocals. It is based on the classic song "Guns of Brixton" on The Clash’s London Calling and has proven to be a success on the modern rock charts. The album also features appearances by Damian Marley, son of Bob Marley, Twin and Prodigy of Mobb Deep and producer the Alchemist.

Cypress Hill Discography

Cypress Hill Albums

Cypress Hill : Cypress Hill
Released: August 19, 1991

Cypress Hill : Black Sunday
Released: July 20, 1993

Cypress Hill : III : Temples of Boom
Released: October 31, 1995

Cypress Hill : Unreleased and Revamped
Released: August 13, 1996

Cypress Hill : IV
Released: October 6, 1998

Cypress Hill : Los grandes éxitos en español
Released: October 19, 1999

Cypress Hill : Live at the Fillmore
Released: December 12, 2000

Cypress Hill : Skull & Bones
Released: April 25, 2000

Cypress Hill : Stoned Raiders
Released: December 4, 2001

Cypress Hill : Stash
Released: 2002

Cypress Hill : Till Death Do Us Part
Released: March 23, 2004

Cypress Hill : Greatest Hits From the Bong
Released: December 13, 2005

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