Cypress Hill HHV Records 34 Items

Hardcore Beats and Marijuana

If there is one rap crew deemed indispensable on the West Coast, it’s Cypress Hill. The Latin American pioneers of gangsta rap have proved themselves an unstoppable force in the world of hip-hop in the 90s, delivering one classic after another with a series of million-selling records. The spectacle began with the Cuban-born brothers Sen Dog and Mellow Man Ace, who, at the age of 21, teamed up with Californian B-Real and New Yorker DJ Muggs to form the crew DVX – short for Devastating Vocal Excellence. The group stood out vocally from the start, thanks in part to B-Real’s unique nasal rap voice that has set milestones in the genre. After Mellow Man Ace’s departure and the renaming inspired by a California street into Cypress Hill, the group quickly found a label home at Ruffhouse Records, who took on their debut album. The self-titled record hit the mark upon its release in August 1991, selling over two million copies and making the trio a rap sensation. The uncompromising hardcore beats and Cypress Hills’ openness to the subject of marijuana were notable, as no one in the States seemed to want the green stuff legalized as much as Sen Dog and B-Real.

Crossover Hits and Street Credibility

In 1993, Black Sunday became an even greater success, securing the crew the number one spot on the Billboard charts. The weed-smoking gangsta rappers expanded the success formula of their debut, with tracks like Insane in the Brain making waves outside of hip-hop and making them equally appealing to alternative rockers. The aesthetic overlap was not coincidental – I Ain’t Goin‘ Out Like That sampled the heavy metal icons Black Sabbath, and even the album cover resembled that of harder rock albums. The intriguing genre mix continued with the Sonic Youth collaboration I Love You Mary Jane, and the group collaborated with Pearl Jam as well. Their crossover successes eventually led them on tour with Rage Against the Machine and Seven Year Bitch – the punk-rap fusion was official. But Cypress Hill didn’t lose their street credibility; Wu-Tang legends U-God and RZA appeared on the album III, and after DJ Muggs lit a joint on Saturday Night Live, the group was forever banned from the show. Despite this, Grammy nominations poured in, and in 1994, percussionist Eric Bobo joined as a new member.

The Zeitgeist Doesn’t Matter

With Skull & Bones, the rock-rappers offered an album that further highlighted their crossover interest by combining electric guitars with DJ Muggs’ beats. The crew also embraced Jamaican influences, inviting Damian Marley on their 2004 album Till Death Do Us Part. As an avid fan of The Clash, DJ Muggs sampled the classic The Guns of Brixton, once again creating hit potential with the track What’s Your Number? However, the beatmaker increasingly distanced himself from the group to focus on other projects, resulting in a sparse output from Cypress Hill in the mid-2000s. With a slew of producers behind them, the album Rise Up was released in 2010 under Priority Records, showing the rappers more aggressive than ever, a formula that proved successful in their live shows. DJ Muggs made a full return to the group with Elephants on Acid in 2018, resulting in new sound ideas, unheard concepts, and a commitment to rap music rarely seen nowadays. The Zeitgeist doesn’t concern these visionaries: “We’re staying 100 per cent true to ourselves, and we’re evolving in our own style, as opposed to evolving to someone else’s style.”