Latest Release
- Black Sunday · 1993
- Skull & Bones · 2000
- Black Sunday · 1993
- Cypress Hill · 1991
- Black Sunday · 1993
- Black Sunday · 1993
- Cypress Hill · 1991
- III (Temples Of Boom) · 1995
- Stoned Raiders · 2001
- IV · 1998
Essential Albums
- After establishing themselves with their still-revered debut album in 1991, Los Angeles’ Cypress Hill broke through to the masses with their sophomore album. Black Sunday retains all the distinctive qualities of its predecessor, but this time the atmosphere is mellower and the hooks are catchier. The tone is set by “I Wanna Get High,” in which DJ Muggs blends samples from three different songs and creates a sound that evokes billows of smoke. The stoned atmosphere continues with “Legalize It” and “Hits From the Bong” (which makes great use of Dusty Springfield’s “Son of a Preacher Man”), but Black Sunday still has plenty of menace. Songs like “Cock the Hammer,” “I Ain’t Goin’ Out Like That,” and “Lick a Shot” are frenetic party anthems, while the simmering grooves of “3 Lil’ Putos” and “What Go Around Come Around, Kid” strike a low-key pose of gangsta cool. Even when the craziness reaches a fever pitch, the songs are always grounded in Muggs’ rock-solid rhythms. The group’s chemistry peaks on “When the Shit Goes Down” and the immortal “Insane in the Brain,” two hit anthems that exemplify the trio’s strength.
Albums
Artist Playlists
- No need to go insane—we've got all the Cali combo's jams right here.
Live Albums
Compilations
Appears On
- th1rt3en & Pharoahe Monch
- Sadat El3almy & Fifty
More To Hear
- B-Real talks the 30th anniversary of the group's debut album.
- B-Real shares stories as the group's debut album turns 30.
- The legendary LA group premieres “Put Em in the Ground.”
About Cypress Hill
A collision of stoner anthems, rap-rock fusions, and eccentricity, Cypress Hill is a defining voice of West Coast hip-hop. Founded in 1988 by Cuban brothers Senen Reyes (Sen Dog) and Ulpiano Sergio Reyes (Mellow Man Ace), Lawrence Muggerud (DJ Muggs), and Louis Mario Freese (B-Real), the intrepid crew emerged in 1991 with its eponymous debut album. Powered by hazy DJ Muggs production, stark vocal contrasts, and eccentric yet bluntly honest raps, the LP became a landmark. With subsequent albums like Skull & Bones (2000), Cypress Hill only reaffirmed its reputation as an innovator, becoming one of the first hip-hop acts to infuse its songs with Spanish before diving into psychedelia and nu-metal (Stoned Raiders) and inspiring other artists to do the same. With its zany stylings and penchant for genre-surfing, the crew was fluent in an idiosyncratic artistry that made it a legend of the rap game.
- ORIGIN
- South Gate, CA, United States
- FORMED
- 1988
- GENRE
- Hip-Hop/Rap