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
______________________________________________________________________________________________
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.
Last Laugh
Cypress Hill Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Reflections of my own life flash like a fire
Powder burns the memories life seems a bad dream
Fall for cenetries physical and the mental
When I crashed through work
I was cursed but still I
Quit my curse found my hustle
Feeling the dream, don't be a hater son
Think you the greater one
Gotta put you on the fader son
Cut your a** up see you later
Gotta drop till your praying n****
You ain't a player hust a frail n****
I'm the slayer in your nightmares
Unstoppable
When you see me on the street
Call a audible
I got you covered, face it
And you can't dodge this bullet baby
This ain't the matrix
Got to put you in your placement
Hide your body in the basement
Your boys wonder where your face went
[Chorus: x2]
Homey we keet those on us
Smoke like mufflers
To calm down/I sell
But still explode
Those things so fast/they know not to gas they self
They can't f*** with us, we laugh last
[Verse Two]
Backbreakers of the game
Many many musical
Legendary criminal destined to be professional
I rain supreme
Ever since my days you rock vest just to push your range
No doubt about it
We grew up in the cloud
Read up in your magazine just to see what were about
Peep into the case, see me, ask
Why that black a** n**** flow over the piano
Droppin it good
For that hoody in the front row
that's my good pro down for the juggalo
Three guns busted for the battle man
Shoot the whole scene make the motherf***er rattle
Duece, double o, slow
Church folk say we ain't got too many more
Either man rush I'm gonna hit em with the head rush
So be careful on what you trusting
[Chorus: x2]
[Verse Three]
Yo
I was walking on the block
Heard a couple shots
Caught one in the leg
And I know who did it
They gonna get it
Wrap up my leg
Bounced upstairs and got strapped up
I love that drama s***
I'm all ga**ed up
I lit that kush up and got doughed up
And thought about all the foul s*** I did
I can't help it, I was this way since a kid
Then I slide out the crib
Hunt down my pray
The look in my eyes like I sniffed some yay
Ran up on homes
And blast away
He pa**ed away twin got the last laugh today
Anybody front I keep that on me
You had to die homey that's part of the game
I got guns put n****z don't know how to aim
I'm in the shooting range mastering the art
[Chorus: x2]
The Cypress Hill song "Last Laugh" featuring Prodigy and Twista is a reflection of the artists' own past and present lives, with lyrics that touch upon themes of struggle, success, and violence. The first verse references the struggles of life and the physical and mental toll that they can have, but the artist eventually overcomes these obstacles and achieves success. He warns those who may try to bring him down that he is unstoppable, and that they cannot escape their fate. The chorus of the song emphasizes the idea of staying prepared for any situation, with weapons and other forms of protection.
The second verse is all about the artists' legendary criminal past, specifically mentions gang-related activity and gun violence. With lyrics about chasing down those who have wronged him with the intent of causing them harm, the verse gives listeners a glimpse into the dark side of the lifestyle that these artists have lived. However, there is also a sense of pride that comes with this kind of life, with the artists boasting about their ability to master the art of the shooting range.
The final verse describes a violent encounter, where the artist gets shot but ultimately retaliates against his attacker, resulting in a death. The lyrics suggest that violence is simply a part of the game and that those who do not grasp this concept will not survive. Overall, the song offers a glimpse into a dark and dangerous world that is driven by power, violence, and survival.
Line by Line Meaning
Reflections of my own life flash like a fire
I am experiencing vivid memories of my past
Powder burns the memories life seems a bad dream
The negative experiences of my past leave a lasting impression on me
Fall for centuries physical and the mental
I have been pushing myself mentally and physically for a long time
When I crashed through work
I overworked myself and reached a breaking point
I was cursed but still I
Despite my struggles, I persisted
Quit my curse found my hustle
I gave up my negative habits and focused on making money
Stack paper made it world wide
I have achieved financial success on a global scale
Feeling the dream, don't be a hater son
I am living my dream and don't want anyone to undermine it
Think you the greater one
You believe you are better than me
Gotta put you on the fader son
I will shut you down and make you disappear
Cut your ass up see you later
I will harm you and you will never be seen again
Gotta drop till your praying n****
I will hurt you until you are begging for mercy
You ain't a player hust a frail n****
You are not as tough as you think, just weak
I'm the slayer in your nightmares
I am the one who will haunt your dreams and bring you down
Unstoppable
Nobody can stop me from achieving my goals
When you see me on the street
My presence commands attention
Call a audible
You must quickly change your plans when you see me
I got you covered, face it
I am in control and will protect you
And you can't dodge this bullet baby
You cannot avoid my wrath
This ain't the matrix
This is real life, not a movie
Got to put you in your placement
I will put you where you belong
Hide your body in the basement
I will dispose of your body
Your boys wonder where your face went
Your associates will be left wondering where you went
Backbreakers of the game
We are the ones who dominate the industry
Many many musical
We have made a lot of music
Legendary criminal destined to be professional
Our reputation as criminals has made us even more successful as musicians
I rain supreme
I reign over everyone else
Ever since my days you rock vest just to push your range
I have been relevant for a long time, unlike others who have faded into obscurity
No doubt about it
There is no denying my success
We grew up in the cloud
We came up in the music industry and achieved fame and fortune
Read up in your magazine just to see what were about
People are curious about our lives and want to know more
Peep into the case, see me, ask
People try to scrutinize us and find out more information
Why that black a** n**** flow over the piano
They wonder how someone like us has made it in the music industry
Droppin it good
We make great music
For that hoody in the front row
Our true fans are the ones who appreciate our music the most
that's my good pro down for the juggalo
We are respected and admired in the music community
Three guns busted for the battle man
We are prepared for any kind of conflict
Shoot the whole scene make the motherf***er rattle
We can shut down anyone who opposes us with our music and influence
Duece, double o, slow
We will take our time and do things our way
Church folk say we ain't got too many more
People doubt our ability to continue our success for much longer
Either man rush I'm gonna hit em with the head rush
I will take out anyone who tries to come at me
So be careful on what you trusting
Don't trust anyone who might turn against you
I was walking on the block
I was out on the streets
Heard a couple shots
I heard gunshots
Caught one in the leg
I was shot in the leg
And I know who did it
I know who shot me
They gonna get it
I will seek revenge on the person who shot me
Wrap up my leg
I tended to my wound
Bounced upstairs and got strapped up
I armed myself with a gun
I love that drama s***
I thrive on dangerous situations
I'm all ga**ed up
I am ready for anything
I lit that kush up and got doughed up
I smoked marijuana and became relaxed
And thought about all the foul s*** I did
I reflected on my past actions
I can't help it, I was this way since a kid
My personality and behavior have been consistent since childhood
Then I slid out the crib
I left the house
Hunt down my prey
I went after the person who shot me
The look in my eyes like I sniffed some yay
I had an intense and determined look in my eyes
Ran up on homes
I approached the person who shot me
And blast away
I shot him
He pa**ed away twin got the last laugh today
His twin brother will now have to live with his brother's death
Anybody front I keep that on me
I will always be armed for protection
You had to die homey that's part of the game
Death is often a result of the lifestyle I lead
I got guns put n****z don't know how to aim
Others may have guns, but they are not as skilled with them as I am
I'm in the shooting range mastering the art
I am constantly practicing and improving my shooting skills
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JANIE BRADFORD, LOUIS M FREEZE, ALBERT JOHNSON, GLORIA JONES, JAMAL RAHEEM, SENEN REYES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind