Cypress Hill

The popularizers of stoner rap, Cypress Hill were also hip-hop's first significant Latino crew. The group was founded in 1988 by Senen (Sen Dog) Reyes and Ulpiano Sergio (Mellow Man Ace) Reyes, brothers who'd emigrated from Cuba to South Gate, California, with Lawrence (DJ Muggs) Muggerud and Louis (B-Real) Freese. Ace dropped out early and was finally replaced in 1994 by Eric Bobo, son of salsa star Willie Bobo. Though their pro-pot stance was the obvious hook, the songs also touched on other issues, with the hit "How I Could Just Kill a Man" including references to police brutality (and a quote from the Suicidal Tendencies cult hit "Institutionalized"). Their self-titled 1991 debut was an immediate hit, making trademarks of B-Real's nasal voice and Muggs' dense production and slow-moving, stoned-sounding beats. The latter would become a defining feature of West Coast rap; Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg would evince a Cypress Hill influence. The group's second album Black Sunday showed more of a rock/metal influence via Black Sabbath; "Insane in the Brain" and "Hits From the Bong" would both strike a chord with the stoner audience. Cypress Hill made a number of successful rock/rap crossover moves, touring with Rage Against the Machine in 1993 (and again in 2007) and later recutting the Guns 'n' Roses hit "Paradise City" with members of that band. Their 2000 album, Skull & Bones, included one disc of rap and one of rock-oriented material, with the single "Superstar" recorded in each style. The group also maintained its popularity with a number of pop culture tie-ins, including songs in video games and a World Wrestling Entertainment theme with "Rise Up" in 2010. The same year, longtime supporter Snoop Dogg got them signed to his label Priority. Despite some temporary splits, with Sen Dog and Muggs both going solo in the late '90s, A new album, Elephants on Acid, was set for 2016 release.