Their first album, which was self-titled, was released in August 1991. Its single was "Phuncky Feel One", but it was the B-side "How I Could Just Kill A Man" (formerly "Trigga Happy Nigga") that attracted more airplay on urban radio and college radio. Based on the success of the single and other tracks such as bilingual track "Latin Lingo" and X-rated Spanish track "Tres Equis", the album sold two million copies in the US alone. Subsequently, DJ Muggs produced the first House of Pain album, then worked on other projects like Funkdoobiest. The band 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 on the charts they became the first rap artists 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 cannabis on-air and the band 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, teamed up with Pearl Jam and Sonic Youth.
The band played at the 1994 Woodstock Festival introducing their new member Eric Bobo, formerly a percussionist with the Beastie Boys. Bobo is the son of salsa musician Willie Bobo. Rolling Stone magazine named the band 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 appeared on the The Simpsons episode "Homerpalooza".
Their third album Cypress Hill 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.
Feud With Ice Cube
Ice Cube asked to put "Throw Your Set in the Air" on his Friday soundtrack, but B-Real refused, prompting Cube to record a new song "Friday" with a similar chorus; Cypress Hill responded with the track "No Rest For The Wicked." Westside Connection replied with the diss track "King Of The Hill" and "Cross Em Out & Put a K", to which Cypress Hill replied with "Ice Cube Killa," which uses the same beat as "King Of The Hill" and disses Ice Cube and Mack 10. "Ice Cube Killa" has never been released officially. In 1997 B-Real of Cypress Hill and Ice Cube were invited to a late night talk show in order to reconcile their differences for the benefit of the hip hop community, and the feud thus ended. Cube And B-Real would work together later that year as guest features on the track "Men of Steel" for the soundtrack of Shaquille O'Neal's film Steel. B-Real and Cube did even feature as guests in Warren G's single "Get U Down" which also featured Snoop Dogg.
Continued career
Sen Dog took a break from the band to form a Los Angeles based 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, 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" on Dr. Dre's Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath album, and released an album entitled "The Psycho Realm" from his side project of the same name. Though 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., even though the reviews were somewhat negative,[citation needed] on the backs of hit singles "Tequila Sunrise" and another tribute to smoking cannabis "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/very mature 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. 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 Live at the Fillmore, a concert disc recorded at the Fillmore (in San Fransico) 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.
Cypress Hill recorded "Just Another Victim" for the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as a theme song for Tazz. 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 Rob Aston 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. 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 and Twin of Mobb Deep and producer the Alchemist.
In 2004, the song How I Could Just Kill A Man was included in the popular videogame Grand Theft Auto San Andreas created by Rockstar Games, playing on West Coast hip hop radio station Radio Los Santos. In December of 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". Pharrell Williams produced the track, and originally sang the hook, but because of the video idea, B-Real was asked to sing the hook. Sen Dog is now currently touring with the Kottonmouth Kings, Kingspade and Dogboy on the Joint is on Fire Tour
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, Pharoae 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, and Hangar 18.
Departure from Sony
Having fulfilled their contractual obligations with Sony Music, Cypress Hill will release an as-yet untitled album through a different record label in 2008.
Recently, it was announced that Cypress Hill will be members of the Kannabis Kartel along with the Kottonmouth Kings and Potluck. Their album will be released on Suburban Noize Records.
STYLE
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Production
One of the band's most striking aspects is B-Real's exaggeratedly high-pitched nasal vocals, which fits and emphasizes the lyrics' concentration on parodied gangster stories.
Sen Dog's lyrics are progressively more violent and tend to involve fewer rhyme schemes compared with B-Real's. In addition, as the style is today, some words are emphasized by adding a background voice to say them, however, Sen Dog's emphases are always more prominent, mostly shouted alongside with the rapping.
The sound and groove of their music, produced by Muggs, is also notable for its influence and stoned aesthetic; with its bass-heavy rhythms and odd sample loops ("Insane in the Brain" is notable for having a 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 rapcore group. In IV, there is Lightning Strikes which doesn't truly use electric guitars, but a synthesized version of it. Skull & Bones has an entire disc using such instruments, labeled Bones. As for their later works, their involvement in rock ended with the album Stoned Raiders (the tracks Trouble (also the first single of the album), Amplified and Catastrophe being the songs).
The band's music is constantly subject to change; while the first album follows a more minimalistic and funky sound, Black Sunday, the successor, has a slightly darker side to it. III (Temples of Boom) and IV are mostly influenced by psychedelic music. The band abandoned that on Skull & Bones and got closer to the modern rap as it is today. Stoned Raiders has a more authentic sound than the rest, and Till Death Do Us Part carries reggae influences.
The band is also known to involve 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 bands most popular songs featuring these elements. Cypress Hill's experimenting in different genres of music even includes reggaeton in their track "Latin Thugs" which features Tego Calderon.
Some fans feel that the band has drifted somewhat from the values of their earlier albums. For example in "Strictly Hip Hop" from Temples of Boom, the band complain about hip hop artists who have an album of hardcore tracks but have one or two pop songs which just so happen to be the singles. Cypress have arguably fallen into this trap with the single "What's You Number?"
The sound contribitions of DJ Muggs seems to be clearly influenced by marijuana consumption. Since one of the effects of a cannabis high is an altered audio sensual perception, the often slow paced and deep bass can be better appreciated. Furthermore, psychedelic sequences underly some parts of certain tracks such as "I Wanna Get High" for example. This is an interesting feature of their music, that had also been used before, especially during the 60's and 70's (e.g. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles).
Lyrics
The lyrics of tracks like "How I Could Just Kill A Man" offer an insight into the cultural expression of social stratification in L.A. at that point in history. Many other songs have cited topics such as police brutality, racial profiling, gang violence and anecdotes about invasion of privacy by police.
Furthermore the celebration of marijuana consumption is what they are often associated with in songs like "I Wanna Get High", "Stoned Is The Way Of The Walk" or "Hits From The Bong", the themes of recreational use of marijuana are prevalent.
Many of their songs also protest the current marijuana laws and voice their opinions on the hypocrisy of drug enforcement institutions.
Their lyrics often reflect the hip hop culture of Los Angeles in their earlier work such as their self-titled album and Black Sunday, which were very influential not only to Latino hip hop of the time but to many other hip hop groups around the world as well.
Throughout their career they have commonly incorporated Spanish into their lyrics as well as slang used by some Latinos in Los Angeles on songs like "Latin Lingo". Their album "Los Grandes Exitos En Espanol" features Spanish translations of many of their hit songs.
Years active 1987 - present.
Can I Get A Hit
Cypress Hill Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You know, motherfuckers need to have some weed etiquette
True, true
You see, motherfuckers try to come up and bogart your weed
At the club, and they don't want to share theirs
Can I get a hit of your weed
You know I hate it when I roll a joint and give it to somebody
Laughing and giggling, sipping on a Heinie
Son you need a Tic Tac your breath is gonna blind me
Talking about you want to hit, spitting in my eardrum
Oh you new in the cypher, step to the rear son
Still they manage to hit it, and put they grip on it
That's when they wet the tip and put they lips on it
Then when you get it, forget it, it's been wetted
Who gonna hit it now, not me, you got me
Thinking about these fucking jokers, double tokers
Smokers who hit it like they sucking a dick, fuckers
Flipping it, loving it, smoking it to the head
Giving it to me half way down, "thanks again"
Then when you see 'em later smoking they own stash
When you ask 'em for a hit, they say, "sorry this is my last"
I shared some with you, "Sorry that's not my problem
Talk to the hand but I got plenty if you want to buy some"
These people piss me off, this is true indeed
But nothing's worse when someone's asking for some weed
What do I look like a tree where the bud grows
Here pick my left nut and smoke it in the bol
Or better grow your own leave mine alone
Here I'll give you a clone now raise up outta my zone
I know I got the best weed, but don't make me
Make your burnt chest bleed what you need
Is weed etiquette, please don't be offended
'Cause the weed costs money I'm the one who has to spend it
And that's just the way it is man
Y'all motherfuckers need to learn
You just can't come, asking for some shit and not giving none in return
What the fuck is that man? We going into 2000 motherfucker
You need to learn how to smoke some weed with people
Pass it to the left motherfuckers
Can I get a hit of your weed
The lyrics of Cypress Hill's song Can I Get A Hit are a commentary on the etiquette of smoking weed, particularly in social situations. B-Real starts off by criticizing people who don't have weed but want to be part of the party and tag along with others who have it, with the expectation of freeloading on their stash. He hates it when people beg for a hit, then slobber all over the joint without even offering some back. B-Real thinks that smoking weed should be a shared experience, where everyone gets to participate equally. He stresses on the importance of weed etiquette - not bogarting, sharing to the left, and not taking more than you can handle.
The song is a mix of humor and truth, with B-Real's rhyming commentary poking fun at the tactics people use to get a toke. The lyrics are relatable, not only to people who smoke weed but also to anyone who has been in a situation where someone tries to take advantage of them. The song's message is clear - while sharing weed might seem like fun and games, it still costs money and should be appreciated, much like any other commodity.
Line by Line Meaning
Handle it, handle it
People should learn how to share weed appropriately
You know, motherfuckers need to have some weed etiquette
Other people lack the basic understanding of how to share weed
You see, motherfuckers try to come up and bogard your weed
People always try to take other people's weed without sharing their own weed
At the club, and they don't want to share theirs
There are individuals who go to clubs and refuse to share their weed
Can I get a hit of your weed [Repeats]
The chorus refers to people who ask for a hit of someone else's weed without contributing any of their own
You know I hate it when I roll a joint and give it to somebody
The singer dislikes when someone who doesn't have weed acts like they contributed and enjoys the weed
Who ain't got weed but they want to be up in the party
Individuals who show up empty-handed want to participate in the festivities
Laughing and giggling, sipping on a Heinie
The artist is uncomfortable with someone enjoying a beer and laughing without contributing anything
Son you need a Tic Tac your breath is gonna blind me
The artist is annoyed by someone's bad breath, making it difficult to enjoy the weed
Talking about you want to hit, spitting in my eardrum
Someone talking about wanting a hit of the weed is annoyingly close, and their spitting and breath makes it worse
Oh you new in the cypher, step to the rear son
Newcomers to the group should wait their turn in the rotation when sharing weed
Still they manage to hit it, and put they grip on it
People somehow get access to the weed, even without contributing
That's when they wet the tip and put they lips on it
The singer is disgusted by people who wet the joint and put their lips on it
Then when you get it, forget it, it's been wetted
Once the joint has been wetted, trying to smoke it is pointless
Who gonna hit it now, not me, you got me
The singer is saying they would rather not smoke a joint that has been wetted by someone else's spit
Thinking about these fucking jokers, double tokers
The artist is annoyed by people who take multiple hits without contributing
Smokers who hit it like they sucking a dick, fuckers
People who smoke the weed in an unpleasantly exaggerated way are not welcome
Flipping it, loving it, smoking it to the head
People who take larger hits and use excessive amounts of weed without sharing are irritating
Giving it to me half way down, "thanks again"
People who pass the joint with too little weed remaining are seen as rude
Then when you see 'em later smoking they own stash
Those who don't share their weed while simultaneously smoking their own are frustrating
When you ask 'em for a hit, they say, "sorry this is my last"
People who refuse to share their weed are using the excuse that they are running out of it
I shared some with you, "Sorry that's not my problem
People who refuse to share their weed divert blame instead of being generous
Talk to the hand but I got plenty if you want to buy some"
The singer does not want to part with their weed, but are willing to sell it to those who ask
These people piss me off, this is true indeed
The artist is justifiably irritated by those who refuse to share their weed
But nothing's worse when someone's asking for some weed
The singer finds it annoying when people ask for weed without thinking of sharing back
What do I look like a tree where the bud grows
The singer is annoyed by those who believe they can freeload off others' weed
Here pick my left nut and smoke it in the bowl
The singer is mockingly offering something absurd instead of sharing their weed
Or better grow your own leave mine alone
The artist suggests growing one's own weed instead of asking for handouts
Here I'll give you a clone now raise up outta my zone
The artist is willing to offer a cutting but asks the recipient to leave afterward
I know I got the best weed, but don't make me
The singer is proud of their weed but doesn't want to be taken advantage of because of it
Make your burnt chest bleed what you need
The singer thinks that those who refuse to share their weed will encounter karmic consequences
Is weed etiquette, please don't be offended
Having good weed etiquette can prevent arguments and tension among friends
'cause the weed costs money I'm the one who has to spend it
The artist is reminding others that buying weed takes money, and they may not be willing to share it with everyone
And that's just the way it is man
The artist is explaining that it's frustrating but this is how it is for them
Y'all motherfuckers need to learn
The singer thinks people need to learn to contribute their fair share when smoking weed
You just can't come, asking for some shit and not giving none in return
The artist is explaining that it's unfair to ask for weed and not share any back
What the fuck is that man? We going into 2000 motherfucker
The singer finds it uncool to still be freeloaders in a new century
You need to learn how to smoke some weed with people
The singer wants people to enjoy weed together, but fairly
Pass it to the left motherfuckers
The singer is suggesting that others share the weed around evenly
Can I get a hit of your weed [Repeats]
The chorus repeats, emphasizing the artist's frustration with those who don't share their weed
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Larry Muggerud, Louis M. Freeze
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Terrence Bowden
The Mighty Cypress Hill forever 🔥🔥
My favorite rap group of all time.
ANDERSON marca
Me encanta esta canción 🎶
Shriaz Hennessey
Only true stoners know🤫😁
Felipe Mendoza
this is song is from the best musical group of hip hop of the worl'd...cypress hill is the better
Kel
2021 and Still 🔥
gizzosavala
2021 an beyond
Patrick Straub
fck yeah old school music is the best one :)
Ranji Amer
We are Down with you too.. THE GREAT CYPRESS HILL.. From: Manila B-)
Aldo Torres
Nice Song!
gizzosavala
2021 an beyond love cypress