There are certain things that feel ritualistic about growing
up in Southern California. When you listen to KROQ 106.7, you begin to think
that certain bands are the biggest thing in the world. I don’t know any other
station that is as in love with Sublime’s dub rock style as much as KROQ. Most
stations settle for “Santeria,” but they go for the deeper cuts. Similarly, So
Cal punk bands like Pennywise, Rancid, and Bad Religion used to have more of a
footing on the station that was inescapable. If you wanted to hear that type of
music, this was where you went.
With all of this said, it’s amazing to notice how
unintentionally racist radio used to be. KROQ billed itself as a “rock” station
first and foremost. This meant that they catered to it with open arms. BUT when
it came to the rise of rap, they were more selective. While they were fine
interviewing Snoop Dogg every other month it seemed, it doesn’t seem likely that
they would play his latest jam. Back in the day, I never once heard “Drop It Like
It’s Hot” on there. That was just not common for the station.
However, it does become interesting to note that KROQ wasn’t
entirely above playing rap music. They were just selective about what they
played. If you looked at their line-up, it included The Beastie Boys, House of
Pain, and Eminem predominantly. Yes, they had more of a rock sensibility, but
they also were white guys which, as Eminem would say “do black music so
selfishly/and use it to make myself wealthy.” (Eminem - “Without Me”)
Then there was Cypress Hill. They were the outlier even in
this subgenre of programming. I can’t exactly explain why, but they felt like
your stoned friends who just showed up whenever they wanted. I remember them
previewing songs from “Til Death Do Us Part” in 2004 in between an interview.
It felt like they were backstage at every radio-sanctioned event, cracking
jokes with whatever band of the year was there. It’s the main reason that I
know “Insane in the Membrane” so well. Then again, it has become one of those
omnipresent rap songs of the 90s that I may be generous in my description.
But it only feels right to spend 4/20 with Cypress Hill.
While I had never heard one of their albums before, I probably have smelled it
blazing up on the radio. The more that I read in on them, the more that I
realized that they were a pioneer of two things. The most important is (arguably) becoming the first Latin hip-hop group to have an album top the Billboard Top
200 as well as one of the first rap groups to have TWO albums in the Top 10.
Their second album, “Black Sunday,” was a phenomenon that garnered three
million copies sold internationally, and “Insane in the Membrane” as a single
sold over 500k copies.
But, if we’re being honest, they were the first rap group to wave the marijuana leaf flag high and proud. They didn’t want to be sold as
a Latin hip-hop group in the early 90s because that was still seen as a niche market.
Maybe that explains why they shifted their focus more towards the stories that
they told, of growing up in the hood and living those familiar violent stories.
Their debut, “Cypress Hill” was more violence oriented since drugs were seen as
taboo. Any reference had to be coded. Marijuana was seen as dangerous as heroin
in terms of media discussion.
For whatever reason, the time between their first album in
1991 and “Black Sunday” in 1993 saw a change in how Sony handled them.
Suddenly Cypress Hill were given carte blanch to do whatever they wanted. Well,
their brand literally went to pot as they teamed up with High Times, Jack
Herer, and NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws). They
became advocates who spoke proudly of consuming weed.
This was so much the case that “Black Sunday” wasn’t just
going to have lyrics about getting baked out of your gourd, it came with a
sheet of facts that could be shared. Cypress Hill believed that it was a great
way to positively share information about the drug and change a judgmental
American culture that had been fighting the “War on Drugs” as Nancy Reagan
taught kids to “Just say no.” Not only that, but Cypress Hill claims that their
advocacy eventually got Dr. Dre to change his mind on marijuana. I guess that
means that they’re responsible for “The Chronic” being what it is so… you’re
welcome?
I suppose that the best way to start discussing the album is
by what makes Cypress Hill unique in the world of rap. They had the coveted
crossover appeal, and you can find it in “Insane in the Membrane.” Featuring
samples that included James Brown, Lee Dorsey, and Sly & the Family Stone,
it was a song crackling like a vinyl, already rich with this feel of being
faded, stoned. According to member B-Real, it was actually a diss song in
response to Chubb Rock. There was this darker gang affiliation (the title refers
to a term that The Crips used) under the surface and the nasally vocals
mixed with deeper accompaniment on the chorus reflected their innocuous gift
for bilingual surrealism. Nobody sounded like them, and their craft even in the
sample department had this laidback chaos to it all.
When they have everything in place, there was nothing like them.
You could feel like you were wandering around their South Gate, CA stomping ground
and see the danger that they sang about. However, their shameless endorsement
of marijuana was brought up to a comedic peak on this album. It could be that
in 2020 it’s far less controversial, but it’s one of those details that sound
silly. Maybe it’s because Cypress Hill helped to normalize it, but then again
every song on this should come with a checklist that includes references to
drugs and street violence.
It’s the type of shameless that opens with the least
subtle song on the album: “I Wanna Get High.” B-Real sings it over the melody
as it builds, the background a horn reminiscent of a prison break alarm. You’re
being drawn into his calmness, forming a mentality that you can only understand
after a contact high.
What starts as triumphant is borderline parodic by the end.
It’s not just that marijuana plays differently now. It’s that Cypress Hill
pretty much have one mode of operation. B-Real’s nasally voice sounds goofy
about the 20th time that he talks about pulling out his glock for protection.
Songs like “Hand on the Glock” have this ridiculous quality where pairing lines
like “My homeboy got shot” with “Lalalalalalalala” sounds like nuance is
missing. They are intimidating to an extent, but the sound has such a
distinction that you either love or hate it, and for me hearing this nasally
guy get interrupted by Sen Dog, himself a bit wheezy, makes it sound like an
urban James Cagney impersonation. All that’s missing is B-Real dropping the
beat and having reverb as he yells “Top of the world ma!” to reach full
consciousness.
Then there’s the drug references. It’s the hill that they’re
going to die on. Why else would they include that fun facts page on marijuana?
Anyways, this album is considered groundbreaking for how open they were about
endorsing weed. That’s not a terrible thing in hindsight, but it does feel like
they only have one move after a point. If they’re not rapping about gun
violence on the songs “Lick a Shot,” “Cock the Hammer,” “A to the K,” or “Hand
on the Glock” (they weren’t great at titles), they had their attention on
drugs.
I suppose the big moment on this album is “Hits from the
Bong,” which is a straightforward anthem in their catalog. Throughout the song,
they highlight their drug use in vivid detail, creating this love affair with a
bong over the more traditional spliffs. The second verse finds B-Real going
so far as explaining how to use one:
Let’s smoke that bowl, hit the bong
And then take that finger off of that hole
Plug it, unplug it, don’t strain
I love you Mary Jane
Rarely has the act of hitting a bong been presented so
literal in music form. Whereas marijuana may be considered a gateway drug, this
song feels like a gateway to Cypress Hill’s bigger mentality. They’re here to
do one thing and one thing only: get high. If you’re into that, “Black Sunday”
is a coming out party. You have enough stoned-out tunes to keep you vibing
through that high.
For everyone else, it’s an interesting collision of the
underground culture becoming something more mainstream. Before Snoop Dogg,
there was Cypress Hill. It was a triumphant moment in music history simply because
Latin culture hadn’t been represented in the genre as prominently before, and
here was a moment where that was slowly going to change. It’s a detail that’s
largely buried underneath the fact that they preferred getting high (so high)
and that they were fine touring with rock bands, thus leading to the rap-rock
phenomenon later that decade.
But it didn’t stop on the record. No, they had so much of a
presence in the zeitgeist at the moment that they were everywhere. This
included an appearance on The Simpsons in the episode “Homerpalooza.” They
starred opposite bands like The Smashing Pumpkins, Sonic Youth, and Peter
Frampton. If you thought they wouldn’t reference drugs on their highest profile
gig ever, you’d be wrong. Not only does B-Real claim that he wants to get
“nicely toasted,” but there’s a memorable accusation that Cypress Hill bought
the London Symphony Orchestra to do a cover of “Insane in the Membrane.” When
asked about the appearance, B-Real claims that it helped them appeal to a
younger audience that has stayed with them. That is… discouraging.
It didn’t stop there. The band also had a coveted spot on
Saturday Night Live. Their reputation preceded them as they were told backstage
not to light up a joint. The second song was the single “I Ain’t Going Out Like
That” and if you asked B-Real, they weren’t going out like that with a joint. However,
things went differently for Sen Dog, who decided to light up on stage and
create one of the most controversial moments in the show’s history. While the
group says that they got praise from the cast at the after party, this lead to
a permanent ban that has yet to be lifted.
Having listened to “Black Sunday,” I can admit that I
understand its appeal, especially if you’re a young kid trying to find music
that feels dangerous. Hearing these songs about drugs and violence are so
lively that you feel cool. Even the fact that there’s a track called “Legalize
It” that’s essentially a speech with B-Real yelling “legalize it” over the top
makes you seem cutting edge. This isn’t your parents music. Nancy Reagan who?
We’re going to legalize drugs and take the world by storm!
 |
Tim Sinclair's Entertainment Weekly
review is a MASTERPIECE
|
Though if you try to take this any more seriously than the
comical fantasy, it becomes silly. You can argue this is rap as activism, but
it lacks a deeper substance. This isn’t the equivalent of police brutality
commentary that N.W.A. or Public Enemy were making. These were more flashy
stories lacking anything beyond base impulse. It’s not bad. Not all music has
to feel important, but this record is so in love with marijuana that it’s both
ambitious and half-baked. Music wouldn’t be the same after this, and I guess we
can thank Cypress Hill for that.
Though I don’t know if I’m necessarily a convert wanting to
check out another album. I get the impression that they’ll likely just have
more songs about weed. As a Sober Sammy, there’s only so much appeal in
listening to people get high. Sure it works as a fantasy, but otherwise I
wouldn’t have cared if the music wasn’t fun and bouncy. This is a good record, maybe
even important, but there’s not much to it. It’s nowhere near as creative with
its shameless stonerisms as Method Man was, which makes one wonder what the
bigger point of writing a song about getting high is, especially if you’re
trying to be taken seriously.
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