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The band was formed in Southeastern Los Angeles by DJ Muggs on turntables and with B-Real and Sen Dog the dual MCs; the former distinguished by his whiny, nasal, wacked-out vocals, the latter a stony, gruffer counterpoint. They recorded early versions of songs like "Phunky Feel One" and "Trigga Happy Nigga," which eventually turned into the chilling first-person gangsta confessional, "How I Could Just Kill A Man," a ditty that attracted the interest of several labels. Philadelphia-based Ruffhouse, home of the Butcher Brothers, inked the band to a $65,000 album deal through Columbia/Sony in 1990. | ||||||||||||||||
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QUESTIN AND ANSWER ATN: Is pot more a religious sacrament for you, a la the Rastafarians, or simply a tension-reliever, a relaxant? B-Real: All of it. Every positive aspect of it. I don't mind answering those questions. But what people have to realize is our music comes before any of that. Whether we're talking about marijuana or not, our music would be good. And I think people lose sight of that fact and think we're just a novelty band of potheads. We're creative artists... with or without marijuana. And it would still sound 100% raw. It's not that we've pushed it away, but we were conscious of how we'd become associated with the marijuana issue. It's great that people are talking about it, but some of 'em are just bandwagon-jumpers and some of 'em are just trying to make money off the image, just so they can get accepted. ATN: Do you feel your praise of marijuana poses any danger to your younger followers? B-Real: I don't know. I think you have to tell the truth, which is the problem with this country. When people know something, they're afraid of the repercussions of telling the truth. As long as you are honest with muthafuckers, they should be able to make the decision themselves. Some of 'em are smart enough to make those decisions, others aren't, but that's up to the individual. | BONG TIME | ||||||||||||||||
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| THA AWARDS |
The group got more time to work on III (Temples of Boom) than its predecessor, and it was time well spent. Rather than just a collection of songs, III: (Temples of Boom) is a seamless piece that envelopes the listener and draws us into its hazy whirlpool like a hit of the most heinous bud. "Spark Another Owl" sets the stage: "Once again, the powers of the herb expand the mind/Look inside and see what you find." "Throw Your Set In The Air" takes one of the hoariest of rap cliches and turns it inside out, B-Real's nasal twang urging listeners to put aside their petty differences and immerse themselves in the oneness of the universe, the purity of the O-mind, the expansion offered through herbal medicine. The rap noir of "Killa Hilla," produced by Wu Tang Clan's Rza, brings the warring East and West Coast rap factions together in a way only Cypress Hill (who were originally accepted by Noo Yawk rappers who mistook the name for the Brooklyn neighborhood) have been able to accomplish. "Boom Biddy Bye Bye" is vintage Cypress Hill, a sing-song lullaby which, on closer listen, is a prelude to "The Big Sleep," with B-Real's psychotic killer right out of a Quentin Tarantino movie, where you don't know whether to laugh or cry. How appropriate then, that Hill pay homage to "Pulp Fiction" by starting out "Make A Move" with a sound bite from Samuel L. Jackson's famed "I will lay my vengeance upon thee" speech. "No Rest For The Wicked" is a blast at former pal Ice Cube for supposedly ripping off the chorus of "Throw Your Set In The Air" for the title song to his soundtrack for Friday. "Strictly Hip-Hop" uses a mournful melodica sound right out of dub king Augustus Pablo for its spacey, blunted feel while the bonus track (and contribution to the High Times benefit album for NORML, Hempilation), "Everybody Must Get Stoned," is the aural equivalent of a long pull on the bong. | ||||||||||||||||
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