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.
The Funky Cypress Hill Shit
Cypress Hill Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stuff I invents to make you feel real loose
No you don't drink it, just let it sink it
Then start feelin' it (The Funky Cypress Hill Shit!)
People ask, "Why do you sound so funny?"
They must be talkin' 'bout my funky nasal vocal money
I take control, no need to blow my nose
Just click on the chumpy and feel the funky flows
You don't like it? Here's my dick, bite it
There's nuttin you can do about the real one
It's a ill sum with the ill juice, I'm The Phuncky Feel One
Sen'll Psycobeta, blast ya if he has to
Tell 'em Sen (I'm the Psycobeta master!)
Strikin' ya (hittin' ya) buckin' ya (Fuckin' ya)
Like my buddha plant boy, I'm gonna keep pluckin' ya
Pickin' ya, then I'm gonna roll you up and light ya
Despite your booty in sight to take my joint
To get to my point, I'm talkin' about a ill trip
The Funky Cypress Hill Shit
The Funky Cypress Hill Shit!
The Funky Cypress Hill Shit!
The Funky Cypress Hill Shit!
The Funky Cypress Hill Shit!
Let me tell you what happens when you squeeze, you're juiceless
You can't get loose, so now you're useless
Can't feel the funk so I guess I'll pump the wrist
How 'bout this mug, kiss my blunt?
Right into ya, now you're feelin', the chemicals vibin'
Are you realizin', that, it's gettin' better?
Surprisin' you, whether or not, your shit's together
From the high-pitched levels (Comin' from my huevos)
Cypress Hill imported it, boiled it in steam
But yo everything ain't what it seems
'Cause the Cypress Hill material luxurious superior
Glory or memorial, historical physical
Ingredients, gettin' that immediate blend
Yo Sen take aim, and let the juice now extend
Yeah I'm still comin' atcha, but you don't need to duck down
'Cause this is somethin' different than a Psychobetabuckdown!
The Funky Cypress Hill Shit!
The Funky Cypress Hill Shit!
The Funky Cypress Hill Shit!
The Funky Cypress Hill Shit!
Kick that shit B-Real!
Intellect filthy umm lingo
Dissed you, I control elements, suck on slow
(To get you all jazzed) From here to Tallahassee
This ain't Florida, so put away the O.J
Never in your life will you wet this
This crazy business, now you're thinkin' ay que pinga
Tremenda, re cinda it's good like some cheeba
The formula will run ya I'll start takin' up a list
So you can get blitzed and you feel your head's twisted
Now insisted, you feel it to the brim
Yo I ain't him, I could never be them
This ain't poison, so let's go out on a limb
For the boys and girls who haven't had it yet
If you get too much, and roll it too straight
Yo it's a fatal blow, somethin' like a K.O.
Yeah it'll sting ya, fria cojones
See ya, I'm on it, somethin' for the blunted
Just what you wanted, so you can feel the high
Smokin' the buddha thai
Lungs expandin' and now you're feelin' it
Yeah, The Funky Cypress Hill Shit!
The Funky Cypress Hill Shit!
The Funky Cypress Hill Shit!
The Funky Cypress Hill Shit!
The Funky Cypress Hill Shit!
The lyrics to the song "The Funky Cypress Hill Shit" by Cypress Hill speak about a new type of juice that is not meant to be drunk but instead is invented to make a person feel loose. The song tells the listener that by clicking on the chumpy, that person can feel the funky flows of The Phuncky Feel One. The lyrics are filled with references to drugs, with lines like "Pickin' ya, then I'm gonna roll you up and light ya." The song seems to be a celebration of the effects of drugs and the high that one feels while under their influence.
Furthermore, the song also features a lot of wordplay and clever rhyming, for example, "Intellect filthy umm lingo, Dissed you, I control elements, suck on slow." The lyrics of "The Funky Cypress Hill Shit" also reference the band's own music, such as when they mention "Psychobetabuckdown," which is a reference to one of their earlier songs. Ultimately, the song is about the experience of being high, and how it can make one feel loose, funky, and free.
Line by Line Meaning
I came to introduce a new type of juice
I have brought something new and exciting to the scene, which will make you feel relaxed.
Stuff I invents to make you feel real loose
I've created something that will help you loosen up.
No you don't drink it, just let it sink it
You don't need to consume it in the traditional sense, just let it take effect.
Then start feelin' it (The Funky Cypress Hill Shit!)
Then you'll start to experience what I call 'The Funky Cypress Hill Shit.'
People ask, 'Why do you sound so funny?'
People often question my unique and distinctive vocal style.
They must be talkin' 'bout my funky nasal vocal money
They must be referring to my nasal and expressive vocal tone, which is a key element of my sound and success.
I take control, no need to blow my nose
I'm not bothered by my nasal voice and I don't need to use nasal sprays or other remedies to control my sound.
Just click on the chumpy and feel the funky flows
All you need to do is listen to my music and get caught up in the funky rhythms and beats.
For you and your bros, him and his hoes
My music is for everyone to enjoy, whether you're with your friends or significant other.
You don't like it? Here's my dick, bite it
If you don't like my music, then you can take it or leave it, I don't care.
There's nuttin you can do about the real one
There's nothing you can do to change who I am or what I create, it's the real deal.
It's a ill sum with the ill juice, I'm The Phuncky Feel One
My music is a unique and powerful blend of elements, and I am The Phuncky Feel One.
Sen'll Psycobeta, blast ya if he has to
Sen is a powerful force in the music scene, and he will do what he has to in order to get noticed.
Tell 'em Sen (I'm the Psycobeta master!)
Sen is a master at what he does, and he's not afraid to tell people.
Strikin' ya (hittin' ya) buckin' ya (Fuckin' ya)
Our music is powerful and has the ability to hit you emotionally and physically.
Like my buddha plant boy, I'm gonna keep pluckin' ya
I'll keep creating new and exciting things for you to experience, just like plucking a bud from a marijuana plant.
Pickin' ya, then I'm gonna roll you up and light ya
I'll take my creations and turn them into something that you can enjoy, just like rolling and smoking a joint.
Despite your booty in sight to take my joint
Despite the temptation to focus on other things, our music will always be there for you to enjoy.
To get to my point, I'm talkin' about a ill trip
My goal is to take you on an exciting, unique and memorable journey with my music.
The Funky Cypress Hill Shit
This is what I call my unique, exciting and powerful music - The Funky Cypress Hill Shit!
Let me tell you what happens when you squeeze, you're juiceless
If you don't allow yourself to enjoy and experience new things, you'll be missing out on a lot of fun and excitement.
You can't get loose, so now you're useless
If you're not open to new experiences and ideas, you're missing out on something valuable and fun.
Can't feel the funk so I guess I'll pump the wrist
If you're not feeling the music, then I'll have to work harder to create something that you'll love.
How 'bout this mug, kiss my blunt?
If you're having a hard time enjoying the music, then maybe you should try smoking some weed with me instead.
Right into ya, now you're feelin', the chemicals vibin'
Once you're in the right mindset and have opened yourself up to new experiences, you'll start to feel the excitement and energy of the music.
Are you realizin', that, it's gettin' better?
As you start to feel and experience the music more fully, you'll start to realize how amazing it is.
Surprisin' you, whether or not, your shit's together
Our music has the power to surprise and excite you, regardless of what's going on in your life.
From the high-pitched levels (Comin' from my huevos)
Our music comes from deep within us, at a higher and more intense level than most.
Cypress Hill imported it, boiled it in steam
We've taken our music to the next level, refining and improving it to make it even more powerful and exciting.
But yo everything ain't what it seems
Despite the fact that we've worked hard to make our music great, there's always more to explore and discover.
'Cause the Cypress Hill material luxurious superior
Cypress Hill's music is of the highest quality and is unmatched by any other musician or group.
Glory or memorial, historical physical
Our music has a rich history and is something that people will remember and cherish for generations to come.
Ingredients, gettin' that immediate blend
We've put together a perfect mix of elements to create music that is immediately engaging and enjoyable.
Yo Sen take aim, and let the juice now extend
Sen is a master at creating music that extends beyond our initial vision - he'll take aim and make it even better.
Yeah I'm still comin' atcha, but you don't need to duck down
We'll keep creating new and exciting music, and you don't need to be intimidated or afraid to experience it.
'Cause this is somethin' different than a Psychobetabuckdown!
Our music is a completely unique and exciting experience that can't be compared to anything else.
Intellect filthy umm lingo
My language may be rough and unpolished, but I have a lot of intelligence and insight to offer.
Dissed you, I control elements, suck on slow
Although I may have offended you, I have complete control over the elements of my music and will keep creating.
(To get you all jazzed) From here to Tallahassee
Our music is designed to get you excited, regardless of where you are or what you're doing.
This ain't Florida, so put away the O.J
Don't expect our music or our lifestyle to be like what you'd find in Florida or any other specific location.
Never in your life will you wet this
You'll never experience anything like this in your life.
This crazy business, now you're thinkin' ay que pinga
Our music is something that's hard to describe, but it's definitely exciting and unforgettable.
Tremenda, re cinda it's good like some cheeba
Our music is powerful, exciting, and addictive - just like smoking some high quality marijuana.
The formula will run ya I'll start takin' up a list
Our music is created with a specific formula, which will take some time to understand and appreciate.
So you can get blitzed and you feel your head's twisted
Our music is designed to make you feel relaxed, yet excited and energized at the same time.
Now insisted, you feel it to the brim
Once you've given our music a chance and opened yourself up to it, you'll feel it completely.
Yo I ain't him, I could never be them
We are unique and distinctive, and our music is something that nobody else could create.
This ain't poison, so let's go out on a limb
Our music is completely safe and non-toxic, so why not go out on a limb and give it a try?
For the boys and girls who haven't had it yet
Our music is for everyone, especially those who haven't had the chance to experience it yet.
If you get too much, and roll it too straight
If you experience too much of our music all at once, it might overwhelm you.
Yo it's a fatal blow, somethin' like a K.O.
Our music can be powerful and intense, like a knockout punch in a boxing match.
Yeah it'll sting ya, fria cojones
Our music can be intense and carry a certain sting, much like a 'cold shower.'
See ya, I'm on it, somethin' for the blunted
Our music is designed for those who are relaxed and open, and we'll keep creating new and exciting things for them to enjoy.
Just what you wanted, so you can feel the high
Our music is exactly what you've been looking for, something that will take you to new heights and make you feel incredible.
Smokin' the buddha thai
Our music is perfect to listen to while enjoying some high quality marijuana.
Lungs expandin' and now you're feelin' it
As you listen to our music, you'll feel your lungs expand and your whole body come alive with excitement.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: JOSEPH ARTHUR ESPINOSA, JOHN GONZALEZ, LOUIS FREEZE, LARRY MUGGERUD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind