Cypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California, formed in 1988. They have sold over 20 million albums worldwide, and they have obtained multi-platinum and platinum certifications. The group has been critically acclaimed for their first five albums. They are considered to be among the main progenitors of West Coast hip hop and 1990s hip hop. All of the group members advocate for medical and recreational use of cannabis in the United States. In 2019, Cypress Hill became the first hip hop group to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Licensed to Ill is the debut studio album by American hip hop group Beastie Boys. It was released on November 15, 1986, by Def Jam and Columbia Records. The album became the first rap LP to top the Billboard album chart, and was the second rap album to become a platinum album. It is one of Columbia Records' fastest-selling debut records to date and was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America in 2015 for shipping over ten million copies in the United States. The album received critical acclaim for its unique musical style, chemistry between the group members, and their stylized rapping. Since its release, Licensed to Ill has been ranked by critics as one of the greatest hip hop and debut albums of all time.
Radio is the debut studio album by American rapper LL Cool J. It was released on November 18, 1985, by Def Jam Recordings and Columbia Records. It was also Def Jam's first full-length album release.
Kevin Smith, best known by his stage name Lovebug Starski, was an American MC, musician, and record producer. He began his career as a record boy in 1971 as hip hop first appeared in the Bronx, and he eventually became a DJ at the Disco Fever club in 1978. He is one of two people who may have come up with the term "hip-hop". Starski claimed that he coined the phrase, while trading the two words back and forth, while improvising lines with Keef Cowboy of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, at a farewell party for a friend who was headed into the Army. In an interview with Dave Hill in the newspaper The Observer, Starski explained, "I picked up the mic and just started saying ‘a hip hop, hip hop, de hibbyhibbyhibbyhibby hop’. The people couldn’t believe it but it stuck."
Black Sunday is the second studio album by American hip hop group Cypress Hill. It was released on July 20, 1993, by Ruffhouse and Columbia Records. The album proved to be a massive success just like their debut, Cypress Hill. The album debuted at #1 on the US Billboard 200, selling 261,000 copies in its first week of sales and became the highest Soundscan recording for a hip hop group at the time. Also, with their previous album, Cypress Hill, still in the charts, they became the first hip hop group ever to have 2 albums in the Top 10 of the U.S. Billboard 200 at the same time. The album went four-times platinum in the U.S. with 3.4 million units sold.
Hard Core is the debut studio album by American rapper Lil' Kim, released on November 12, 1996, by Undeas Recordings, Big Beat Records, and Atlantic Records. After achieving success with the hip hop group Junior M.A.F.I.A. and their album Conspiracy (1995), Kim began working on her solo album with the Notorious B.I.G. serving as the executive producer. She collaborated with a number of producers, such as Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, Stevie J., David "Ski" Willis and Jermaine Dupri, among others. Other rappers, including Jay-Z, Lil' Cease and Puff Daddy were featured on the album.
Lawrence Muggerud professionally known by his stage name DJ Muggs, is an American DJ, audio engineer and record producer. He has been a member of Cypress Hill, a member of the trip hop band Cross My Heart Hope To Die and the leader of hip hop and art collective Soul Assassins.
Cypress Hill III: Temples of Boom is the third studio album by Latin-American hip hop group Cypress Hill. It was released on October 31, 1995, by Ruffhouse and Columbia Records. It was the first album to feature Eric Bobo as an official member of the group. The album featured a stylistic change, as the group turned towards a darker, tranquil, slower, and spookier sound with their beats. The album went Platinum in the U.S. with 1 million units sold.
Live at the Fillmore is a live album by American band Cypress Hill. It was recorded at The Fillmore in San Francisco on August 16, 2000 and released on December 12, 2000 through Ruffhouse/Columbia Records. Production was handled by member DJ Muggs. It contains several songs performed from the group's previous studio albums: Cypress Hill, Black Sunday, IV and Skull & Bones with the exception for the songs from III: Temples of Boom. It features contributions from members of SX-10. In the United States, the album peaked at No. 119 on the Billboard 200 and No. 72 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. It also reached No. 47 in Austria and No. 82 in Switzerland.
Louis Mario Freese, known by his stage name B-Real, is an American rapper. Since 1991, he has been one of two lead rappers in the hip hop group Cypress Hill, along with Sen Dog. He has also been a part of the rap metal band Kush (2000–2002), the hip hop supergroup Serial Killers (2013–present) and the rap rock supergroup Prophets of Rage (2016–2019). He has released a variety of solo mixtapes, as well as two solo albums: Smoke n Mirrors (2009) and Tell You Something (2020).
Skull & Bones is the fifth studio album by American hip hop group Cypress Hill, released on April 25, 2000, by Columbia Records. The album's genre and style are divided into two discs — a pure hip hop disc ("Skull") and a nu metal/rap metal disc ("Bones"). It also features guest appearances from Everlast, Eminem, N.O.R.E., Christian Olde Wolbers and Dino Cazares of Fear Factory, Brad Wilk of Rage Against the Machine, and Chino Moreno of Deftones.
Till Death Do Us Part is the seventh studio album by American hip hop group Cypress Hill, released on March 23, 2004 by Columbia Records. This album showed the group introducing reggae elements, especially in the lead single "What's Your Number?", which samples the bass line from The Clash song "The Guns of Brixton." Another song titled "Ganja Bus" features vocals from Damian Marley.
Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told is the third studio album by American rapper Snoop Dogg. It was released on August 4, 1998, by No Limit Records and Priority Records. It is his first album following his departure from Death Row Records in January 1998. It is the first Snoop Dogg album to have notable affiliates such as Dr. Dre, Nate Dogg, Warren G and others absent. It was also his first album to be released under a slight change to his stage name "Snoop Dogg" for contractual reasons.
Mecca and the Soul Brother is the 1992 debut album from hip-hop duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth. The album contains their best known song, "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)". Mecca and the Soul Brother has been widely acclaimed as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. The album was mostly produced by Pete Rock and executive produced by DJ Eddie F of Heavy D & the Boyz.
"Insane in the Brain" is a song by American hip hop group Cypress Hill, released in June 1993 by Ruffhouse and Columbia as the first single from the group's second album, Black Sunday (1993). In addition to hitting number one on the US rap chart, the song also was a mainstream hit, reaching number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1993. It earned a 3× platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America and sold 3,000,000 copies domestically.
Friday (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to F. Gary Gray's 1995 stoner film Friday. It was released on April 11, 1995, through Priority Records and consists of hip hop and R&B music.
Estevan Oriol is a photographer and director from Los Angeles, of Mexican-Italian descent. Best known for his distinct, gritty 35mm black and white work, documenting chicano, cholo culture, as well as celebrities within film and hip-hop, and lingerie work, his images have been featured in magazines, on album covers and in exhibitions across the world. Oriol is also known for directing several music videos for the likes of Blink 182, D12, Cypress Hill and more, as well as for his partnerships with life-long friend and collaborator, Mister Cartoon for Joker Brand Clothing and Soul Assassins Studios, the latter of which the two opened together by way of Cypress Hill's producer, DJ Muggs.
Living Large... is the debut studio album by American hip hop group Heavy D & the Boyz. It was released on October 27, 1987, through Uptown Records. The production was handled by Andre Harrell, DJ Eddie F, Teddy Riley, Marley Marl and Heavy D. The album was a success for the group, reaching number 92 on the Billboard 200 and number 10 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It sold over 300,000 copies. Living Large... is today considered to be a classic. Three singles were released: "Mr. Big Stuff", "Chunky But Funky" and "Don't You Know".
Judgment Night is the soundtrack to the 1993 film of the same name. It was released on September 14, 1993, through Immortal Records and Epic Soundtrax and was produced by many of the album's performers. Every song on the soundtrack was a collaboration between hip-hop artists and rock artists. The album peaked at #17 on the Billboard 200 and spawned four singles, "Fallin'" by Teenage Fanclub and De La Soul, "Another Body Murdered" by Faith No More and Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E., "Just Another Victim" by Helmet and House of Pain, and "Judgment Night" by Biohazard and Onyx.
Cypress Hill IV is the fourth studio album by American hip hop group Cypress Hill. It was released on October 6, 1998, by Ruffhouse and Columbia Records. After 3 years from their previous album, Cypress Hill released the ‘IV’ album. The skeletons on the cover are posing as the three wise monkeys. Rappers MC Eiht and Barron Ricks were featured on the album. The album went Gold in the U.S with over 500,000 units sold.
