It's time for another classic album review, after recently reviewing The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, we're once again going back to the Over-Powered era that is the 90s, but this time heading to the West Coast to talk about the classic album from Cypress Hill, Black Sunday.
Cypress Hill are a 4-man, Californian, rebellious, weed smoking, Hip Hop collective that rose to prominence throughout the 90's, with some hugely iconic tracks, with an engaging and unique style. Whilst Eric Bobo is part of the group, the 3 core members are B-Real, Sen Dog and DJ Muggs.
With the nature of some of the tongue-in-cheek content, the horrorcore aspects, some of the production choices, which veer into rock-rap, there's a bit of a nerdish, monster-drinking aura to the music - possibly similar crowds in some ways to Eminem or some Nu Metal bands of the 90's and 00's, unfortunately, that is when I think the record is at its worst. However, at its best, I would say the music is hardcore, has an underground feel to it, and is certainly lyrically focused with loads of flows and tons of bars. It's interesting because it's an iteration of Hip Hop which I actually think is pretty accessible, there's nothing too abstract or left-field about it like you would get from maybe A Tribe Called Quest around a similar time, however, what you see is what you get with it, and there's no surprises really, they tell you who they are from the jump and provide you with some great tunes which demonstrate that further - and I think that is a very solid tactic for a record. Look at The Infamous by Mobb Deep, straightforward, but a musical classic.
Getting into the tracklist, for all the crazy and unhinged moments that the record reaches, the album actually starts off pretty low-key with the stoner anthem I Wanna Get High with mid-tempo flows and a mellow bassline, with the song finishing with a long drawn-out outro of beat scratches and a kind of siren noise which is maybe a warning that the things to come are going to be more disruptive and energetic. And that is what we get with the next song I Ain't Goin' Out Like That, a bouncy track with another distinguished and groovy bassline, pounding drums and B-Real and Sen Dog riding the beat with charisma and hyper-aggressive gangster rap lyrics that are so outlandish and tongue-in-cheek that they're actually pretty funny (intentionally). I love the opening bar "coming out the slums, it's the hoodlums, I'm pulling my gat out on all of you bungs". The real gem of this song is the infectiously chanted chorus "We Ain't going out like that!"
I would say the next song is the magnum-opus of the album, the one you've all heard before and the one which captures the album's essence perfectly. The iconic opening line from DJ Muggs, "who you trying to get crazy with ese, don't you know I'm loco" captures the 'don't fuck with us' attitude of the song prior and the album as a whole. Also the Spanish used is a brilliant nod to the groups Latino heritage, we also feel this in musical choices throughout the album too. Upon research, Sen Dog is Cuban-born, B-Real is of Mexican and Cuban ancestry, and DJ Muggs is Italian American.
The lyrics match up with the song name, with the sentiment of the track being these crazy dudes causing trouble, drinking, robbing, being obnoxious, being braggadocious, running from the cops, being all round nuisances, and living by their motto of being loco. The beat is as wacky as the chorus, and it's just a brilliant song that encapsulated the project and their attitudes and MO - I enjoy how awkward and wordy their flow is sometimes, Be-Real pulls it off very well, "don't make me wreck shit, hectic, next get the chair, got me going like General Electric".
They follow up that track with another song of notoriety and, let's be honest, another banger. The beat on this one is way cooler, it's very funky with the sampling of a 60's blues track, Deep Gully, but still has the menacing feeling of a villain-on-the-move, up to no good, and the lyrics are as ultra-violent and ostentatious as the previous track, "still got my homies to watch my back, and they'll smoke your ass if you wanna come chat".
The next song Lick a Shot is more aggressive due to its faster tempo, with its punchy drums and villainous baseline. The rhymes are pretty simple schemes with just 1 or 2 syllable-rhyming but the speed that the bars are being let off with makes for a smooth and impressive flow, sounding wordier than it probably is, but credit where credits due, B-Real finds a nice pocket on this beat. Another simple but effective chorus too.
Cock the Hammer likewise has an effective hook but this track also has a few bridges post hook too that are equally as necessary. The instrumental is pretty mellow with its wondering baseline that dominates the beat and simple drum pattern. The beat sounds really live and crisp, which is a compliment for the album more generally too. Sen Dog and B-Real provide witty and imaginative verses as ever.
There's an instrumental interlude which builds the zany, weird, and dangerous atmosphere. Followed by the track 3 Lil' Plutos, a play on the classic fairy-tale, 3 Little Pigs. Slightly more aggressive than the original, this track is full of painful and bloody threats of murder, shootings, attack by dog, and they weave in a lot of Spanish lingo in here, over an uber 90's beat with tons going on.
Legalise It is another skit/interlude, which is a heady sort of 'request to government' I guess, in quite a comical and trippy way. The guitar riff sounds super 60's, quite hippy, it's a good skit.
Hits from the Bong, I like this song, but what I do not like, is that fucking sound effect. You'll know exactly what I mean when you press play. The sound effect of the bubbles from someone ripping a bong hit, it's so intrusive and 'in-your-ears', it sounds like a dog dreaming of a meal whilst snoring in your ear. The beat is more pleasant, sampling Son of Preacher Man and verses from B-Real being relatively chilled out and mostly around weed appreciation, the song is a nice listen and the refrain, "can I get a hit", in the chorus is super catchy as well. This song amongst some of the hair-brain, wackiness shows they have a duality and they've got a side that is mellow and easy-going.
The next song is a return to their erratic personalities and blood-thirsty lyrics, What Go Around Come Around, Kid follows a consistent formula of the album, with 12-16 bars followed by a hook that is usually a line on repeat for 4 bars - the quality of the hooks is a mixed bag, some perfect, some forgettable, this one falls somewhere in between. As do the verses, B-Real's flow where he delivers the bar "If I get home I'll get you slopped and stoned when I disconnect that fucking neck bone", is super snappy and slaps you in the face, very well timed, very well performed. Sen Dog's verse sounded a little awkward on here and poorly paced, seemed like he just didn't use enough words to fill the bars with which meant for awkward pauses and a juttery flow.
A to the K has a brilliant rhythm with one of my favourite, and what I think is the most memorable, choruses on the album. Again, the verses are quite simplistic in their rhyming, but the flow and the charisma on display carries the song and makes for another solid tune. Hand on the Glock has a more ambitious instrumental with a sort of 80's Beastie Boys energy to it, and the hook again is super ill and smooth, "cause I put away the shotgun bought me a glock, took a little trip to the funky weed spot, tried to jack me but homie got shot". The rhymes on this track were a little smarter as well, I like the bar B-Real says, "cause a bulletproof vest ain't shit, when the infrared's pointing at your head kid, and that's just too bad yo, now I'm headed up the river with a boat and no paddle". With his accent and stretching of the word "paddle" he's able to make the bar rhyme.
The closing track Break 'Em Off Some sees the album finish with the same energy that it has been exuding throughout. There's really no relenting or letting-up with the gun-toting threats and the blunt smoking bars, this final track is a fast-paced one with B-Real cramming in 3 verses. Again, with slightly elementary rhyme schemes, and a flow that is a little stop-start but to its benefit, he can hover on one bar with just a word or 2 then on the next will have a quick-fire flurry of lyrics that sounds really smooth and well-executed.
Overall, this is a brilliant album and is a pocket of 90's Hip Hop that is possibly overlooked due to the the likes of Biggie, Tupac, Nas, and Mobb Deep all existing. I can see it's zany and outlandish influences today in rap, but also I don't think groups like D12 would have had the confidence to push the envelope as far in some of their lyrics and their provocative subject matter, if this album hadn't dropped nearly 10 years prior.
I think it has aged well, still sounds raw, still sounds cold, still sounds aggressive and still sounds underground. Production is faultless and the performances are brilliant.
Star Track - Insane in the Brain
8/10
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