Cypress Hill

Cypres Hill heb ik nooit helemaal begrepen. Leuke beats, een beetje vervelende stemmen. De hits hoor je nog wel eens in een kroeg en dat is voor mij genoeg. Helaas is dit ook niet het album met die hitjes.

Not a rap fan, but this one did have some more interesting instrumental samples underneath

Yea, they’re good at what they do, I just don’t really like what they do. 2 stars

osea bien mejor que otros de este género la vdd. 7/10 igual

The duo-plus-DJ configuration is a 90s stalwart, and Cypress Hill show off another way it was valuable. The sound is confident for a debut, the themes blindingly Californian and authentic and varied. The sequencing of Cypress Hill breaks down a little near the end, a quiet destination and the conclusion that the Latin elements were, after all, implicit. More forward than the use of two languages is what I read as punning: More dimensions.

Not quite as iconic as Black Sunday but still a solid banger. Changed rap as the 90s knew it. Not as "alt" as their later stuff, but still has that cypress sound. Can't say I like everything that it inspired, but yeah nothing to dislike here. 4/5.

Not a great advert for Hip Hop.

Funky early 90's West Coast stoner rap. Can't say it's entirely my thing, but the beats are catchy and danceable, the sampling is excellent, the Latin flavours are neat and the subjects of police brutality and corruption are sadly still very relevant over thirty years later. Decent catchy album though. Favourite: Hand On the Pump

Top production, nice rhymes, very distinctive voice.

I've perhaps only listened to a song or two from Cypress Hill. The music was okay. There is a jovial nature to the tone of the music, even though the topics of the lyrics are more serious in nature. If I had to listen closer to the content my rating would probably dip below 3.

Did not like at all, some creepy lyrics

Not really my jam, but I enjoyed a few of the songs

How I could just kill a man

A seminal hip hop album

Está mejor de lo que creía pero no estoy en el mood.

Paremmalta tämä nyt kuulosti kuin 25 vuotta sitten, tai milloin viimeksi tämän kuuntelinkaan. Ihan hilpeää, mutta vähän väsähdin loppua kohti. Ei tää kyllä edelleenkään ihan mun musaa ole, mutta ihan virkistävää tää oli kuunnella läpi. **

Tää kyl toimii meikälle ihan hyvin! Tulee yläaste mieleen, vaikka todellisuudessa levyhän on julkaistu ennen syntymääni. 3/5

Toimii, vaikka parempaakin west coastia on tälläkin listalla jo ollut.

Ihan hauskaa tää west coast-räbä myös, vaikkei sinänsä ookaan mun genre. Sanotaan 2.5/5, pyöristetään ylös.

Canny

I can appreciate the skill involved but it's not a genre that I've ever been able to enjoy.

This was a lot of fun!

This is a fun album. The beats, the samples, the smooth nasally rhymes, Latino flavors and of course weed. I liked it way more than I expected to.

It's an amazing thing to be completely unique yet sound so familiar, with hints of NWA, Grand master flash and a tribe called quest these guys were rapping about topics still viable today and we also viable 20 years before them. This has beats you can dance to.

hipster dross

Good rhymes and good beats that kept me interested and wanting to hear more. With that being said, I'm not a fan of Hip Hop or Rap and found it nu-relatable, but it was listenable and guiltily pleasurable.

Interesting

Meh. It was fine. 🤷🏼

Good rap album, such a great flow and doesn’t sound as cringe as some of the other gangsta rap albums from the 90’s. Love I can just kill a man and the RATM cover of it.

While this has some classic tracks (most notably "How I Could Just Kill a Man" and "Hand on the Pump"), the rest of the album's a little too uneven to justify four stars. I'd give it 3.5 if I could.

3.5

Interesting record. I can see why they are a classic rap act.

Love this

This is an album where I understand the cultural importance, and I really like a couple of the tracks, but as a whole, the album doesn't do much for me. Still, I get why it's here, and people who know and understand this genre better than I do appreciate this album. I would probably give it a 2.5/5 but I'm rounding up in recognition of its place in the history of hip hop. I do love hearing hip hop in Spanish and these guys do it well.

awesome amazing

Enjoyable in a m ephemeral way

I gave Beastie Boys 2. This is better than Beastie Boys. Still repetitive for me

I can see how this was such an influential album to the genre, and music overall, but it's not my thing.

Basso pömpöttää... eh... Treblehän se vinguttaa... Albumissa ei hulluja biisejä... Puuha pete...rakennetaan palikoita...toistensa päälle.... Biisit sujahtavat kätevästi toistensa perään.. Näkyy.. ALBUMI OLI HYVÄ KEKSINTÖ! näille kavereille.. siinä ero nykypäivän pömpöttäjiin.. heille ei albumi suolto ole hyvä asia... kun paskaa levytetään ja rahat kääritään suuriin kasoihin.. Roope ankan rahasäiliö konsanaan.. Lyhyet biisin nämä herrat osaavat tehdä... ahneita ei olla... roope ankan rahasäiliö konsanana....Muut hiphop albumit ovat päässet tänne kun siellä viisasteltu.. 10 min biisejä...Kriitikot ovat haltioissaan tästä.. 'GREATEST ALBUM OF ALL TIME" Pitkä biisi sopii luomaan tunnetta.. itse pidän niistä... Ei kaikki ymmärrä.. Toisaalta pitkät biiseillä saadaan helpot tähdet.. paskanen albumi pelastuu 10 minuutin päähän naulaamisella. "Heheh radio-asemat voivat lopettaa tässä vaiheessa... Laitamme teille fade outin.. avittaaksemme teidän työtänne... Beep... Noniin ne jotka nauttivat biisistä.. voivat jatkaa" - Joku toinen albumi jonka olen täällä kuullut... kriitikoiden perseitä ei olla noultu.. vahingossa tai ei.. tässä ei olla... masterointi silti huippuluokkaa... Biisien lyhyys ja kompaktiuus ei estä nauttimista.. harvinaista... ja palkittavaa.. Ansaitut 4 tähteä.. menee päähän

Impressive early 90s rap rock with beats.

decent hip sound - crude lyrics generally...not my most favorite type for rap.

It had some good songs

A few fun tracks, great lyrics. The bears get a bit repetitive.

Well I Like this a lot more when I was 20. It's not bad but after about 4 songs I had my fill of nostalgia and was done with it.

Started out interesting enough, but quickly grew tiresome. It’s that voice.

Fine. After the nostalgia wore off i got a little bored.

Cypress Hill was one of the worst live acts I've ever seen (and it might not have been their fault, being the inbetweener set between MxPx and The Offspring makes no sense.) I didn't really find much in this album for me. It's fairly repetitive and mostly uninteresting.

Love this album, didn't even need to listen

The godfathers of latin rap. This album didn't hold up super well, but they deserve all the respect. Best track: Latin Lingo

I've only known them for their hits from Black Sunday, but I like their stoner hip hop aesthetic, which works well with their wacky vocal style and metallic funky samples. It has an industrial dark sound to it that stands apart from the rest of their contemporaries, more closely aligning itself to grunge and stoner rock, so I can see why they were especially accessible to those types of crowds. This record however has a ton of weak tracks, with many of them hard to stand out beyond a couple unique sample usages. The middle third is all excellent, but then it loses its momentum in the last third. Would be higher if cut to an EP with my favorites. Favorites: How I Could Just Kill a Man, Phuncky Feel One, Real Estate, Stoned is the Way, Psychobetabuckdown, Funky Cypress Hill Shit

I’ve never really connected with gangsta rap or stoner rap so I’m not surprised I don’t connect with this.

This album has this really rough, handcrafted feel. Even with the sampling, the lyrics are angular, plosive. They sit in odd spots in the mix. Its real nice. Psychobeatabuckdown.

Prefs: Pigs (Intro), How I Could Just Kill a Man, The Phuncky Feel One, Psycobetabuckdown, Latin Lingo, The Funky Cypress Hill Shit Moins pref: Tres Equis

Pigs- Obvious police song with some good lyrics and linked to that nursery rhyme that I didn’t like How I could just kill a man- Catchy hook, if not repetitive, and quite interesting. guitar in background👍 Hand on the pump-Think we’re getting a theme, this is pretty engaging👍 Hole in the Head- This is a bit obnoxious and we get it at this point Ultraviolet dreams-short interlude Light another- Probably a more positive life philosophy, to abuse drugs rather than kill people👍 The phuncky feel one- Funky enough👍 Break up- Didn’t realise this was a separate song Real Estate- Quite annoying tbh, also what is his obsession with ducats Stoned is the way of the walk- doesn’t do much for me, doesn’t feel like beat matches flow psychobetabuckdown- No idea what this means, but I like it👍 Something for the blunted- stoner interlude Latin lingo-this is a fun concept, we love a language mix and match👍 The Funky Cypress Hill Shit- This is quite long and lyrics are quite generic, not my fave Tres Equis- This truly is TripleX Born to get busy- Almost a reiteration of mission statements- smoke weed This album is a little too long for me, with many phrases noticeably repeated between songs. I think production elements are interesting and there are a variety of styles, but just not really for me 3/5

Sure, why not. It's pretty fun. I don't have anything to say about this one.

NUL

on souffle

I like and am familiar with some of their bigger hits, but I never delved deeper into their discography. "how i could just kill a man" is a great song. The rawness of the beats and lyrics are refreshing. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this album as much as I wanted to. They have made a huge impact on rap and music overall.

It grooves..(much like the second album that i am more familiar with). It gets a bit repetitive though it is also distinctive. I like the nassl tones of the main vocalust and the old school samples are warm. Would I play again, prob not. 3

CD

mustn't

A whole shtick based around the consumption of copious amounts of dope seems like a narrow focus but I might just be reading them wrong

Boring

Not a good hip hop album. The poor beats with a screeching sound and basic percussion mixed with a very bad sounding voice, made it hard to listen to.

Decent, fairly funky hip hop album without any standout heights

Nope

At times it's kind of fun and funny, at other times it's kind of annoying.

A blast* (*I want to write an essay of a review but don't have the time)

Decent

Beautiful album - it has wit, agression, inventive use of rhyme and samples. Excellent

Not my scene in any way. But listening to the music and the flow, and not paying too much attention to the lyrics, this album is mildly interesting and verges on enjoyable in places. Acceptable to have jamming along in the background but I'll not be visiting it again. Favorite track: How I Could Just Kill a Man.

Pretty enjoyable, consistent without ever being boring! No song made a specific mark but as a whole, it intrigued me and kept my attention as someone who is not too familiar with hip-hop but who also won't avoid it. Provoking lyrics (in a good way) but could certainly have done without the homophobic slur. (Maybe nitpicking? I'm honestly just appalled at how many of my older generated albums use slurs and/or violently bigoted, times truly have changed) Three stars. I feel like I need another listen to fully form an opinion, though.

DJ muggs production is nuts

2 stars, nothing really special to me about this one. I see that it's a part of overall hiphop trends of the 90s but nothing really jazzes me.

Ikonischer Sound, der gut gealtert ist.

i can't ever play it around my kids but it's cool

The beginning of 90s rap. Organic, unique use of samples. Not quite my cup of tea but I did get yelled at a few times for playing this at high school dances.

It's probably ok for some but not really my thing.

Jeez this takes me back. Some fun tracks but by God it's so 1991.

thank god its not some lame rock and roll. finall some good fungickin food

Early 90s hip hop always sounds the same to me

Ok, but done much better by others.

OG west coast rap, rimelig legendarisk

Really great confrontational 90s hiphop. All of the sampling is great. Made me want to kill a man. 5 stars.

Like Clash's London Calling that came up a day or two ago, I want to give this a 4.5, but I can't. Again, this is a classic album, and in this case it was definitely a soundtrack to a part of my life long gone - so for that it gets the benefit of Swedish rounding.

Pretty cool but after a couple of songs it starts blending all together

Certified classic hits from the bong.

hip hop no

Really good

Not my personal flavor. Has one jam though.

I can definitely see why this was recommended and I heard some songs I recognized but I probably wouldn’t throw it on in a daily basis.

Such a great album

It’s fine but not really for me

It rules

A middling album that showcases the lyrical talent and, at the time, uniquely bilingual rapping of the group. Unfortunately does not have insane in the membrane so it only rates a 3

Clairement un game changer dans le genre, tant pour la production que pour la mise de l’avant de la culture mexico-latine dans le hip-hop.

Je préfère Black Sunday qui a été un plus grand succès, mais ce premier album est hyper important pour tout le nouveau qu'il a apporté. Je l'ai déjà dit, mais je le répète, j'adore le style de DJ Muggs. Leurs voix avec leurs flows unique font en sorte qu'on ne s'ennuie pas. Souvent ils ne se prennent pas au sérieux et arrivent tout de même à passer des messages et faire voir la réalité de leur culture. Comme Beastie Boys, Cypress Hill a été un des rares groupes de Hip Hop que j'ai aimé instantanément à une époque où je détestais le genre.

De va kinda dåligt å ja malda dessutom fö ja feela å lyssna på fishmans

Stoned out hip-hop with guitar-based beats and B-Real’s signature delivery (no shade towards Sen-Dog). I can imagine it’s not for everyone but I couldn’t tell you who.

Bra

Liked

Classic west coast hip hop, one of the most influential groups in hip hop history. The production on this is insane (in the membrane), all the songs flows well together. It’s a perfect balance of funky but still charged. I think the first half is much stronger vs the later tracks, might be because the delivery gets old after a while. Not the best album to listen all the way through each time but when you break it down this is just a classic.

Revolutionary album for stoner rap.

Don't like the lyrics, at least I dont want to drive these in to my subconscious mind. No thanks, trying to make the world a more positive peaceful place because I think it's the right thing to do. Who knows if I am right or wrong but it feels wrong to dwell on stuff like this.

Classic hip hop

Quite possibly the worst thing I've ever listened to

Puh, stellenweise richtig gut, stellenweise ziemlich anstrengend. War gut für einen Ritt, würde es aber wohl nicht nochmal hören.

I'm not a big hip-hop guy, but this is a fun groovy album with some great bass lines. I love the amount that this album talks about weed, because I just love weed. I also appreciate this album for giving me one of my favorite Rage Against The Machine songs which I also just learned was a cover. I really enjoyed this album.

3.5/5

This album was a complete surprise for me, I really enjoyed it and it wasn't a genre I would normally listen to.

From the very first track, the landmark significance of this album impresses itself on you. Just an outstanding debut which doesn’t overstay its welcome, as with so many of its contemporaries and imitators. Infectious beats, catchy hooks - a hip-hop masterpiece without question.

Amazing beats and samples.

Better than others in this genre

Nomás pigs

not my taste

I expected to dislike this, but was pleasantly surprised. I wouldn’t listen to it again, but it was alright.

Cypress Hill has a few good tracks. Album was ok, but the sample changes were minimal and didn’t draw me in

cool

Enjoyed this more than I thought I would - great jams on here

I dunno what I thought of this, repetitive beats

Not bad at all, good lyrics, recognisable vocals and beats

This is obviously a landmark album for the whole hip hop genre, even if with this debut, DJ Muggs had not yet reached the full-bodied, weed-scented sounds Cypress Hill would later become famous for. Admittedly, he was getting to such hypnotic impact with hits (from the bong) "How I could Just Kill A Man", "Hand On The Pump" or "Stoned Is the Way of The Walk"... But as groundbreaking as those tracks were, most of everything else was still under the sway of late eighties production habits. And those might fare a little less well for certain rap fans, depending on where their mileage on old-school instrumentals is... That being said, "Pigs" is a terrific opener, whose cartoonish yet pointed lyrics about the police haven't aged a day--minus one or two passing details we won't delve into right now. With an opener like that, you instantly know what to expect from this record. Too bad its second half doesn't have enough musical or lyrical highlights in that vein, though. So if you want to listen to a Cypress Hill album that doesn't peter out on its midway point, I suggest you give a try to *Black Sunday* or *Temples Of Boom*. I will certainly add the first on my own list of 1001 albums you should absolutely listen to. Not that this one here is so bad--it's just not the best, is all. Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 834 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory: 90 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 41 (including this one) Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 36

Finally an album I was actually familiar with, although I hadn’t listened to it as a unit since I was a young teenager, sinking into the backseat of somebody’s grandmother’s Oldsmobile. Still really holds up, but I did get hit with a huge wave of nostalgia. Hand on the pump is my favorite from the entire album, also amazing pigs, how I could just kill a man, light another, tres squid, stoned is the way of the walk. Not a fan of psycobeta and funky cypress hill shit which get a little repetitive in a bad way.

I can understand the success of Cypress Hill, but I gotta say that when you listen to an entire album of them you fall out of love pretty quickly. By track 8 I was already ready to stop listening and that's when I realized I was only halfway. "How I Could Just Kill a Man" was early enough in the album that I was able to appreciate it. It was the only song I already knew. "Hand On the Pump" surprised me because I didn't know Method Man/Redman borrowed those lines for their song. I love learning things like that.

Man, I couldn't care less about what these guys are talking about. A few songs in, and the hardcore rap-ness was dulling. BUT what's under those rappings? That works pretty well most of the time. I complain a lot that albums don't grab me and pull me in, but this one did numerous times and I didn't want to get pulled in. So anyway, good beats, bad raps, 2 stars.

Fun but a little undemanding. Ultimately didn't hold my attention for the duration, but what does these days? Liked the 'Duke of Earl' sample. Uh, haven't got a huge amount more to say. It's fine - sawed-off shotgun, hand on the pump, etc. These guys sound sincere, at least

It's possible - just possible - I owned this in high school. It would be a very un-me thing to listen to and yet the vague memory of this on cassette exists in a corner of my head. Anyway, listening in 2022 and it just feels like this is music that dudes who have Punisher stickers on the back of their trucks would love. Because these guys looooove rapping about guns! Those photos of the crazy gun families who have their kids posing with AR-15s for their Christmas cards? They would love some of these tunes. (Maybe not "Pigs.") And Cypress Hill is right about one thing: I can't understand how they could just kill a man. You got me, dudes. But dammit there's a lot of musicality to just the way these guys rap, to say nothing of the beats and samples and whatnot. And to make matters worse, some of the songs about guns and shooting fools are WAY more listenable to me than things like "The Phuncky Feel One" or "Stoned is the Way of the Walk." Nothing is less enjoyable to me than hearing dudes rap about weed. Not even rapping about shotguns, apparently. So, I have learned something about myself today. And just wait till you see our Christmas card this year!

Didn't find much joy here

Old school funky hip hop track with a crazy experimental flow which makes it amazing

My favorite Cypress Hill album by far!

Solid rap/hiphop album. Easy to listen to the whole album without really realising its gone from song to song, all pretty samey. Good though.

Good 90's party rap, some songs are pretty bland

Ragbrai album 4 of 4: While it’s before my time, I definitely buy that this was a influential, innovative hip hop album in the early 90s. However, it’s not quite my style of old school hip hop plus the typical homophobia is always a turn off. Call cops pigs is one thing but calling cops fags is just lame

Like biting into a crispy shell, full of unexpected flavours. Pretty fun listen

Greit. Men ikkje noe som eg normalt hadde satt på. Cypress Hill har jo noen gøye festsanger. Men et heilt album blei litt mye. :P

bedre enn forventa

Hip-hop. Ni fu ni fa.

Can only handle a few CH songs...an entire album is too much for me.

It was solid but a bit repetitive.

Came to this only knowing 'How I Could Just Kill A Man'... Fun samples and just grabbed me.

It was fine. Did sound a bit dated but I guess it was a step in the direction of where west coast rap was moving.

Just about every song on here hits, and it gets straight to the point with classic 90's hip-hop. All killer, no filler.

Pigs 2/5 How I Could Just Kill a Man 4/5 Hand on the Pump 3/5 Hole in the Head 2/5 Ultraviolet Dreams 3/5 Light Another 3.5/5 The Phunky Feel One 4/5 Break it Up 3/5 Real Estate 3/5 Stoned is the Way of the Walk 2/5 Psychobetabucktown 3/5 Something for the Blunted 2/5 Latin Lingo 3/5 The Funky Cyprus Hill Shit 4/5 Tres Equis 4/5 Born to Get Busy 2/5 Better hip hop than the other 2000s album we listened to.

Don’t get it. One listens was enough for me Cover art. Confused

Not a genre that's for me, but there were good beats and I appreciated some of the clever choices they made (like the irony of lighthearted singsong voices while singing about violence and weapons)

It was fun to hear some early 90s west coast hip hop. Not my usual genre but the beats were fucky AF. 3.5 stars but I'll round up to 4.

Cool west coast hip hop vibes. Repetitive but fun.

Not my kind of music, repetative background, not great early 90s rap.

Not my thing at all

Meh

quite repetitive but not bad

The good stuff is pretty good,but it gets a bit exhausting after a few songs. Much better in bite sized servings in my opinion. I still can't hate on it too much.

was good, not the worst i heard

The songs have good harmony and flow well, but I don't see any interesting ideas either musically or lyrically.

A favorite that I still play on occasion. Cypress Hill's debut is their best and they rode in on a part of the wave of west coast gangsta rap in the early 90s. While not the best example of the genre, their latin roots and glimpses into the barrio's of the west coast make for a great album. They won't match the success or quality of this album, but some 30+ years later, it still holds. 3.5/5

Good hip hop

Classic hip hop; political, funny, great beats and great rhymes. Love it. Best Tracks: Pigs; How I Could Just Kill a Man; Hand on the Pump;

-"How Could I Just Kill A Man" and "light Another are pretty catchy -Crazy bass intro on "Real Estate" -"Psycobetabuckdown" has a very cool digital robot-y intro/beat. Also parts of it remind me of the Red Hot Chili Peppers -Cool instrumental on "Tres Equis." The mix of horns and the spooky guitar sounds almost Mexican/wild westish or something. When the intro begins it does not sound like a rap song at all -Overall one of the stronger rap albums I've had. I'd say its potentially bordering on 4 star territory.

Rap de los 90, mucho loop y mucha voz nasal. Divertidos y en su momento interesantes hoy en día se me hacen monótonos. Me han gustado "How I Could Just Kill a Man" y "Hand on the Pump". El resto se deja escuchar. Creo que con su otro disco "Black Sunday" quedarían mejor representados en esta lista de 1001 discos.

I've been a casual Cypress Hill fan for years, but never heard this album before. A sign of things to come I guess, but not their best.

Cool beats and lo-fi rhymes

interesting, this is something new, I liked it, listened to it on a light, it was a little monotonous, but this is hip-hop, so I even added a few tracks

hip hop, considering I'm not a big fan of it there's some head bopping songs still. But wouldn't listen to it again tbh.

Some good beats and what not. West coast rap is definitely more enjoyable.

Some fun beats

I feel like all the songs kind of sounded the same

Not a fan, just not the type of music I enjoy.

I liked the guitar riffs sampled by CH. Although that did get a little tiresome after a while. B Real has a very interesting voice, it has a kind of cartoony feel. I like the funkiness of the beat for most of the songs. I was surprised that many of the songs were shorter than I expected. The first song, "Pigs," made a statement about the establishment, but I felt that Public Enemy (the next album up) made better statements about the establishment. I always felt that Cypress Hill was not as serious, so it was weird to hear them rapping like they were. Don't get me wrong, I don't think they're the Fat Boys or the Beastie Boys "Licensed To Ill"-era. But I just didn't think of them on the same level as Public Enemy. So I dug it, but as a person who is not into stoner rock, it's hard to listen to you know?

I don't think I put Cypress Hill on the same plane as the great rap artists, but this is a solid effort. Tons of samples, some good (Good Times on Light Another, More Peas on The Phuncky Feel One), some a bit annoying (Duke of Earl on Hand on the Pump). Super funky album and decent lyrics - they just don't have the same bite as a Chuck D, Tupac, or Jay-Z (among other great lyricists) and are a bit too juvenile at times. First half of the album (up to Real Estate) was great (especially How I Could Just Kill a Man - Rage also does an awesome rendition on their panned, but beloved by me, album Renegades), got bored at times after that. Still, real solid.

So much to like about this album. I like B Real's unique rapping style. Lots of cool grooves. This is another example of rappers taking samples and making it their own. This is probably the closest I've gotten to a 5 for a rap album - I just still have a hard time giving a 5 when the lyrics are so coarse (gang killings, sex - and, hey, just because it's in Spanish (Tres Equis) doesn't make it better). But this is one of my favorite rap albums so far. Favorite tracks: How I Could Just Kill a Man (look for the video on YouTube where Cypress Hill played this live with Rage Against the Machine - that version is amazing), Hand on the Pump, Hole in the Head (fun little ditty about getting a hole in your motherfuckin' head), Light Another (great example of taking a direct sample - in this case, Kool & the Gang's Good Times - and clearly making it a new song), The Phunky Feel One, Real Estate, Stoned is the Way of the Walk, Latin Lingo (great drum samples on this one).

Funky beats and the flow is there. Listening to an album from thirty years ago talking about police brutality and corruption sure does make me sad. Would I listen to it again? Don't see why not, but it's not as strong as some of its precursors and contemporaries.

Less of an album and more of a collection of singles. Songs are good though. Funky beats

Eh, not really my thing. Not horrible though. 2 stars.

Hip hop

Dig it!

wel oke, niet speciaal

Was heerlijk fietsen op deze

Nah.

juvenile and irritating

eh

It’s a little tedious, the first three songs all revolve around gangster posturing about killing people, the rest didn’t really hold my attention. Solid beats though.

Man, that hit the spot. Some amazing beats, loved the deep bass sound, the party atmosphere. Hip hop is not my genre at all but thought it was irresistible. Music is weird like that. This is what this project is all about, finding cool stuff you wouldn't normally listen to. This is likely to become my go-to party album. Loads of great tracks but I especially enjoyed 'Light Another'.

Fun

If I'm honest I got into this on the back of black Sunday which wa the album after. But after all these years sounds great. They crew a sound like no other with their funky break down and contrasting voices. Stoned is the way of the walk is still one my all time favourite hip hop songs.

Great beats, great album

I wasn't so familiar with this album, more so with Black Sunday. Enjoy the album, I kinda phased out and got into the beats. No idea what the lyrics were about, getting stoned and police harassment I guess. Good album, shame about the artwork though.

It sounds like Cypress Hill but where is Hits From The Bong, oh it's mentioned in Stoned Is the Way of the Walk.

me listening to Hole In Your Head while meal prepping my little salad

Oldie. Not my fave. The voice gets too redundant.

Ok, but quite forgettable debut. Black Sunday is way better.

The birth of nasal rap.

variations on a theme of squeak

Beats still fresh as fuck

This was fine.

It's not Black Sunday, is it?

Honestly, I expected to hate this one, so I'm giving it bonus points fot being way better than expected and for not hating it. The vocals are occasionally annoying, but fit the music well and I got used to them after a while. The instrumentation is actually nice - I like the funk-rock influences apparent in the music. Usually I listen to at most a minute of the first 5-6 tracks of rap albums before giving it 1 star. But I listened to this album from start to finish and it was totally fine. Probably a 2.5 for me, rather than a 3 but rounding it up because it's so rare that I can listen to an entire rap album.

Apparently this is pioneering but I'm sure by '91 some pretty similar sounding rap had already been released? Shows what I know, I guess. I like it in small doses but the relentless one-bar loops on every track start to grate pretty quickly - it could use more differentiation. 2.5

Nice album

Tiene un par de canciones que recuerdo, pero el rap no es mi género favorito, así que suelo escuchar algunas canciones. Es muy díficil que aguante un disco completo.

This was a more tuneful sort of rap than some but by the end of the album the tracks were beginning to sound very similar. It was alright but I wouldn’t seek it out again. I’m going to be hard and give it 2*

It was fairly meh. Almost a parody of Cypress Hill... (I appreciate how silly that sounds).

I'm all on board with anyone advocating for the legalization of cannabis, but this got old in a hurry. As in, after the first 3 tracks. Quite ahead of their time on the whole problem with law enforcement types though.

Pretty good

Genre: West Coast Hip Hop 4/5 Another solid entry in the West Coast Hip Hop genre, Cypress Hill's self-titled debut is a playful and humorous album with plenty of quick rhymes and phat, boom-bap style beats. The early 90s are littered with soundalikes and imitators, as rap and hip hop were taking over the charts, as well as the culture. Cypress Hill, however, was creating their own unique lane in the rap game, and would soon find that their sound was the one which would be copied and ripped off for years to come. Regardless of how lyrically aggressive some of the tracks may be here (Pigs, Hole in the Head), the core of the record, and the messages behind most tracks, are engaging, conscious, and are handled with a biting sense of humor. How I Could Just Kill a Man, the big single and best song on the album, and a song which would become further popularized after Rage Against the Machine covered it, is a tongue-in-cheek look at gun violence and the unfortunate necessity for members of the black community to carry a weapon, with B-Real and Sen Dog trading witticisms like hobbyists trade cards. A tragic, yet quirky play on your average west coast hip hop album, while accidentally providing the sonic blueprint for many records which would follow. Really lovely record overall, and one I will certainly revisit.

Repetitive bangers. I mean…

I didn’t listen to it all but I got the idea. I didn’t enjoy the samples, especially the “what does it all mean”, which is used by someone else in another song. I’m tired. Brain not work.

Quintessential gangsta-stoner rap. Goes down like Mother’s Milk.

Ik ben absoluut geen fan van rap, maar ik kan Cypress Hill prima luisteren. Ik vind de beat wel relaxt en de rap-stem heel toegankelijk. ***

11th April 2022 Listened on the drive back from Yosemite to LA after a disappointing start to the holiday! Great to listen to west coast legends while driving down the west coast!

i listened all the way throug but i didnt like it. 2strs

cypress hill has its own style in the rap genre that is a bit hard to compare to other groups from the same era but its entertaining enough

Of its time but also so unique in its style compared to the other rappers around. Those iconic voices and the Latino flavor really made this album an awesome debut.

Didn't expect much, actually it's bloody brilliant.

This does not belong on this list.

Whinge about life....check. Use the n word.....check. Brag.....check. It starts off interestingly, but it's still this boring genre where you make a beat and talk over it. The cliches, misogyny, glorification of violence and conspicuous consumption are just another reason to hate this shallow shit.

Very nice contrast to yesterday's mc solar french rap. Cyress hill comes as 'grittier'. Good weave of music and lyrics

Good rap and great production. Not quite my style overall, but well done.

I smoked a lot of weed in high school listening to this album, but I feel like it hasn't aged as well as other hip-hop albums from the late 80s/early 90s. The beats are pretty good, but the lyrics are terrible. Couldn't make it past the 4th track. 2 stars for nostalgia. 2/5

03/29/2022 Not a bad album, but also not very distinctive. Maybe this one just wasn’t for me.

I remember not liking this at all when it first came out. Now, I quite like it. That's largely reflective of my views of hip-hop at the time vs now.

Pretty sure I would have had very little of good to say about this when it was first released. I can say in my defence, I would not have understood a thing about the album, or where it came from, but looking back and listening to it now just makes me realize musically how out of touch I was.

Best Song: Hole In Your Head. Something about the grating voice really works on this kind of schoolyard bullying track. And you can't tell me "Scooby dooby doo y'all" isn't a fun lyric. Worst Song: Stoned is the Way of the Walk. So choppy in the delivery that it makes me feel like English isn't my native language. Overall: For some reason, I've always thought that Cypress Hill was the rap version of The Smashing Pumpkins. I think it might be because both vocalists sound like they were born without mouths and have to sing exclusively through their noses. The beats are solid, in-your-face, 90's fare, and the lyrics are alright, but I just cannot cope with that voice.

One of originator's of West Coast Rap, Cypress Hill's debut. In the gangsta rap category but when I think of Cypress Hill I think of only one thing; and, yeah, most songs are about that. "Light Another", " Stoned is the Way of the Walk", "Something for the Blunted". Most songs have a great groove with interesting sampling and mixing. This style is unique in that it can be described as "laid back" hip-hop/rap (to me). Jeez, I wonder why. There's no doubt this an influential album and group. Rage Against the Machine covered "How I Could Just Kill a Man" in a much more aggressive way. "Ultraviolet Dreams" has a great "Fight the Power" groove and riff. Besides a great name, "Psycobetabuckdown" delivers some 70's funk. When you think of Stoner Rap, this group is at the top of the list. This album as a whole is a laid-back enjoyable listen and a much less "in-your-face" version of " gansta" rap when put it in that category.

Most tracks start out strong with great samples and defiant bars, but run into trouble when they get stuck in an infinite loop (i.e, "Hole In the Head") before hitting lazy fade-outs every single time. The LP would be so much well-composed if the tracks maintained their energy through variation and actual endings rather than disappearing like puffs of smoke once they've seemingly run out of ideas...

4.5/5. Quite classic and essential. 👍

Yo this jawn is fire, haven’t listened to it in a long time but Sen Dog, B Real and DJ Muggs made an absolute classic here: banger after banger. Some of the best old-school hip-hop production you’ll ever hear is on this record… straight fire

Well, I know what song I'm singing next time I play "this little piggy" with my kid's toes!

6/10 had some cool moments but falls pretty flat compared to the other 90s rap i've heard.

4/10. Not my thing

The beats were pretty entertaining, could be worth another listen. 7/10

I really like their sound. But everything sounds insane in my membrane after a while.

The lyrics are on point and the groove is really good, though I'm not a huge fan of the nasally vocal delivery. Still pretty enjoyable... how i could just kill a man and hand on the pump are just stellar.

Didn't finish

I enjoyed the sound of this album quite a bit more than I thought I would. DJ Muggs created a variety of groovy sounds and beats all the way through. I liked the combination of B-Real and Sen Dog's voices playing off each other and the frequent Spanish appearing with ease. It does raise that age-old question of how to appreciate a really good jam that has challenging themes and lyrics. At best it's not going to join the family singalong, and at worst some of it is repellent to me, but it certainly doesn't veer too far from the tried and true themes of its genre. As such it was more enjoyable and interesting to me than a lot I've heard.

I've never listened to a complete Cypress Hill album, as I assumed it might be a bit much for me...and I was right. I did really enjoy the beats and loops on many of the tracks. I even enjoy the nasal rap style of B-Real. The lyrics and lyrical themes (when I grasp the picture being painted) just don't excite me. I suppose that most of it is intentionally over the top, but it doesn't make it anymore interesting for me. I kinda wish the lyrical content was more inspiring to me, because I would really really dig this album then.

Lots of catchy beats. I was happiest when I wasn't paying attention to the lyrics.

The first song was a hard no. I understand problems with policing in America, but this song isn't going to win me over to your cause. Then a series of gun violence songs left me wanting to turn this off. Fortunately at track 5 we get into some other subjects (getting high mostly - although I recommend you not drink 'that funky Cypress Hill shit'). I was actually enjoying some of the songs that didn't seem to focus on killing, abusing or slurring people. The beats are great on this - I enjoyed a lot of the music. But those first 4 songs...

really good, i love older rap and this just rly excells

Naaa. Not for me.

2/22/22

Years ago, while living in Texas, I would join forces with likeminded folks crossing the border from El Paso and on into Juarez, Mexico for the purpose of building very simple homes made of concrete blocks and stucco for extremely poor working families. I didn’t mind the physical labor, the heat, the camp food; but the trash? That was another matter altogether. Juarez, situated in an otherwise quite beautiful desert landscape, is entombed in litter. This distressed me worse than being offered a glass of water drawn from one of the crude cisterns they had made from old steel drums of the sort shown on the cover photo of 'Cypress Hill.' Rather than collecting water, Cypress Hill is using theirs to burn garbage. And I guess if I lived in Juarez permanently, or an environment like the one captured on the cover of this LP, then I might be plenty pissed off, too, like Cypress Hill. Or, maybe I’d just get really high and ‘feel one with the earth,’ as they rap about in conclusion. But both at the same time, together? Conflict of interest, in my experience. And Cypress Hill’s not just plain pissed off, either. They are ready and willing, even eager to destroy. Most of this LP is, if not a celebration, certainly an approval of violence (mostly firearms, but there are other methods offered, like prison rape) for the purpose of retributive (perceived) justice, territorial defense, preemptive strike, and because I just feel like it motherfucker. These vatos mean business, bad bidness. In 2005, a Canadian pop singer named Daniel Powter scored a huge hit with, ‘Bad Day.’ I’m sure you know it (and loathe it, or love it- there’s virtually no middle ground on this one): ‘ ‘Cause you had a bad day. You’re taking one down. You sing a sad song just to turn it around. You say you don’t know. You tell me don’t lie. You work at a smile and you go for a ride. You had a bad day. The camera don’t lie. You’re coming back down and you really don’t mind. You had a bad day.’ This is Powter’s response to times when ‘the system goes on the blink and the whole thing turns out wrong.’ I’m guessing that a cover photo of his neighborhood would look a lot different than Cypress Hill’s. No doubt Daniel’s more measured response to adversity is due, at least in part, to a good dose of white privilege. Or maybe he managed to escape any significant childhood trauma, and was mentored by loving parents who taught him how to deal maturely with adversity. It’s possible that it might just be too cold in Canada to stay angry for too long. Who knows? What I do know is that ‘Bad Day’ is a terrible (albeit, catchy) song with a sweet message. 'Cypress Hill' samples some sweet music over which to rap; but their message inspires far more terror than the sappiest sounds of Powter’s crooning. During this month of America’s honoring of black history, I’m reminded of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s warning that, ‘If we do an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, we will be a blind and toothless nation.’ I fortunately, gratefully escaped 'Cypress Hill' with nothing more than a black eye, one loose tooth, a couple of ringing ears, and a broken heart for anyone whose life experiences have been such that they feel a smoking gun with a stream of bullets, and a stream of smoking blunts before, during, and after the killing, to be their only recourse.

What I remember. Not really gangsta rap, but still loud and edgy enough to make suburban parents freak out and for their kids to want to listen to it. Big beats and some booming vocals.

Had this as a kid. Still lyrically dubious, but I still enjoy the samples, Pigs is a great sample choice. Listening now, I'm getting a lot of Shock G in the vocals - someone I'd never heard of back then, so definitely of its time. Enjoyed the nostalgia trip.

Fav Song: Pigs

i dont like rap

Another damn good rap/hip hop album. This one's got a healthy dose of humor which I enjoyed quite a bit. Funky in spots, it's also got an indie vibe that keeps me interested and entertained. 3.75 🌟

They really are Loco

Sick stuff

This list has turned up a little more 90s hip hop than I strictly feel a need for. The rolling delivery and wit to these lyrics carries this along, but all the typical issues of the genre and era (homophobia, sexism, glorification of gun violence) has begun to sour it a little much for me.

Beats are very simple and I am not a big fan of the funk mixed with the beats. Additionally, the rap is boring, classic 'I have the biggest dick'-rap, I am not struck but the lyricism. Additionally, the vocal style is grinding me down. It has this retarded twang. Overall, the album is pretty annoying and boring to listen to for me. The interlude Something for the blunted which is guitar driven with a funky notes is the best thing on the album for me (likely because it doesn't feature rap. Furthermore, it seems more like a sample that can looped which I enjoyed).

5, Certified Hood Classic

Pretty groovy tunes, Will come back to it again, Thanks for suggesting. 7/10

2nd listen. First time I gave this a 2/5. I think the album starts really strong and tapers off a bit at the end. Maybe I just get tired of the style too quickly. Still, I like it much more this time around. 3/5. Next time, maybe it will be a 4/5. :)

It was fine but i didn't like it

Reminds me of living in California as a kid Pretty fun but not my style, as is most hip-hop.

Hip hop

I really enjoyed this one. Super easy to digest and enjoy hip-hop. Funky stuff can't complain

Glad to have listened finally, but won't be riding this train again. Unless my nose gets really blocked, and I find myself very high on herb.

2,5; amazing How I could just kill a man; album is not bad, it's just kinda boring

Great. Groundbreaking

Fantastic production, especially for an early 90's release. Starts off with some strong tracks and kind of mellows out after that. It's consistent, just not all too exciting.

Rating: 6/10

Sehr starke Beats und auch eingängige Flows, viel mehr kann ich da denke ich nicht zu sagen, eben ein gut gealtertes 90er Rap-Album. Nicht viel für mich rauszuholen

dieser old school hip hop ist wirklich nicht mehr meins und sowas habe ich auch seit jahren nicht gehört. hier sind ein paar gute tracks dabei, die produktion ist meist gelungen und die lyrics sind ok. irgendwas über diese musik spricht mich nicht an, vielleicht bin ich auch einfach einen anderen rapstil gewöhnt. hier werde ich wohl nicht so schnell zurückkehren. tut mir fast leid, dass eminem nur einen stern weniger hat, aber was soll man machen...

Vor 20 Jahren hätt ich das bestimmt cool gefunden, heute fand ich die letzten 4 Tracks ganz Chillig und alles andere fast unerträglich

erinner mich grad daran, dass ich die 2012 mal gesehen habe..meh. Fühle die nicht, überhaupt gar nicht Fan von den flows, den beats. Nicht so gut gealtert für mich. Aber immerhin sind nicht die extrem nervigen tracks hier drauf.

Hab nicht aufgepasst und mag keine Kiffer Musik sry

Hatte lustigerweise vorgestern schon das eine cypress hill album gehört und gestern war dann das andere dran. Die beats sind stimmig und für sich alles banger, insgesamt aber ein bissssschen same-y. Dass das oft auf mehr als 90bpm stattfindet finde ich eine gute Sache. Die stimme von b-real ist natürlich ein bisschen geschmackssache, war für mich aber eins der highlights des albums. Über die texte hab ich im grunde nichts zu sagen außer dass ich lachen musste über "you get blasted you dumbass bastard", psycobetabuckdown auch eh mein liebster track glaube ich. So isset

Die Beats sind mega nice, extrem funky und vielschichtig. B-Real und Sen Dog? n@j@. Die beiden können nicht wirklich gut rappen, B-Real hat wenigstens noch seine charakteristische nasale Stimme, die seine Performance ein bisschen interessanter macht. Wenn Sen Dog das Mic in die Hand nimmt muss ich nur gähnen. Bei beiden viel zu viel Monotonie. Spricht auf jeden Fall für diese Beats, dass es trotzdem über die ganze Laufzeit nicht langweilig wird.

Hey ich fand das richtig gut. Oft schon im Laden nebenbei gepumpt aber jetzt erstmals ganz als Album. Finde die Flows haben sich so gut gehalten, sind wirklich on Point und ne wirkliche Steigerung von N.W.A. Era Rap. Die können sich halt immer noch ohne Einschränkungen hören lassen. Die Beats sind richtig fantastisch gecraftet. So Feelgood Funk Soul Sample zu nehmen und dann diese drückenden Drums drüber zu legen, die die nötige Aggressivität für die Texte schaffen ist richtig genial. Auch die Pausen in den Instrumentals mit Breaks und allem was dazugehört, wirkt immer noch wie ein Boom Bap Standard. Wir reden hier von 30 Jahren mittlerweile - merkt man wirklich null. Das ganze wirkt auch irgendwie verspielt und witzig aber ist nicht so corny wie letzens der Eminem. Die Tracks und der Flow nutzen sich leicht ab übers Album, ist aber wirklich nur ein kleiner Makel. Mann muss sich nur mal Danny Brown anhören, dann merkt man welchen Eindruck das heute noch hinterlässt. Starke 4!

Pretty good - though I like Black Sunday better

I'm tapping out. I just don't low rap well enough to know how important this was or wasn't.

The vocals have always grated a bit for me, then the disappointment that “Insane in the Brain” is not on this album…but it’s okay, not as adventurous as The Beasties but alright.

Good lyrics and samples but it wore on me after awhile. It was a relief when Latin Lingo came on to shake things up a bit. This is a strong 2.5 and I was heatedly debating with myself whether to round up or down. I gave The Pharcyde and Outcast both a 3 but I think those two are better records so this gets a 2.

Nope nope nope nopenopenopenope. NOPE.

It was really hard to get past all the casual homophobia but this is undoubtably a really strong album

Good

I saw Cypress Hill at the Hordon... That was B-Real.

I felt stoned just listening to this.

3.5/5 While parts of the album definitely place it in a specific time frame the beats and samples on most of the songs still sound great. The unpolished feel of the album compliments the delivery and flow of the lyrics. I start to get a bit tired of the constant energy about halfway through. I’m not a huge fan of stoner rap, but this album showed me that the group is definitely more than their hit “Insane in the Brain”. Fav Songs: How I Could Just Kill A Man, Hand On the Pump, The Phuncky Feel One, Psycobetabuckdown

I actually enjoyed the overall sound, groove and harmonies. Sort of mix of reggae and rap. My issue is the lyrics. Really liked "Hand on the Pump", but the excessive use of the N*** word and the topic (killing) are really off-putting. Lead singer's (B-Real) voice is high, almost nasally, but I found it a great sound. Another singer (Sen Dog??) has a low rap sound, and they play off each other nicely. Fav song is "Latin Lingo". Has a great base line and the rap is mesmerizing. Added to personally library !

It was better than I expected it to be. Hip hop just really isn’t my thing. Fav song: Stoned is the Way of the Walk

I didn't like Cypress Hill is the 90s and still don't like them.

Ugh. I hate this shit. I considered giving this another star since it was a huge part of my late "high" school years, but giving it another go thirty years later reveals it's total disappointing garbage with little substance. Also, B-Real's whiny girl-voice makes this even less tolerable. Cypress Hill, along with Chronic set the stage for all the shitty gangster spliff crap to come for years afterward. I hate it.

I have clear memories of "Insane in the Brain." However, all other recollection is as hazy as a Cypress Hill concert. Now getting reacquainted with them, I have discovered that it wasn't all wacky songs about getting high. It was songs about getting high, or songs about killing people. Sometimes in the same song. What kind of weed were they smoking!? These dudes really needed to chill out on the couch, eat some snacks, and laugh at something dumb on television. Or anything else that would keep them off the streets. Cause damn they sound violent. Cypress Hill is perhaps an important link in the chain that gets us from early hip hop, to early 90s gangsta rap, to rap rock, rage rock, and rage rap. Or whatever all that ultra-angry crap in the late 90s was. I bet Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst really liked Cypress Hill, only he wasn't anywhere near as hard in real life as B Real. I think Cypress Hill also likely influenced Insane Clown Posse. This album stood in stark contrast to 2Pac, which we listened to last week. 2Pac's lyrics absolutely delve a lot into gangbanging and the violence that comes with it. But the difference is that 2Pac had a depression resignation about the life, while Cypress Hill is glorifying it. That was a big turn off for me.

Why does every track end up sounding the same?

I recognize Cypress Hill’s unique style. The samples are on point as is B-Real’s nasally voice. The music holds up. The lyrics are another thing.

Would give it a 3.5

This is the funky Cypress Hill shit.

Big album!

Just didn't dig it. It's ok hiphop But not really my schtick 2

Identifying Cypress Hill : It’s the album Cypress Hill by the band Cypress Hill

Captures the rap scene right as it is transitioning from "I went to the hat store and I bought myself a hat" and "I am going to fucking shoot you in the fucking face". I think I prefer the Rage Against the Machine version of Kill a Man, but I respect the original and I am glad to have heard it. I love that 99% of rappers are, at their heart, real big goof balls. It's a genre that is meant to be playful and silly, and is at its best when it is done so.

Great Cypress Hill album, had not listened to it for many years.

I remember some of the singles from their second album and quite liked those, but for some reason never checked out their debut. Glad we got it on the list, because I very much enjoyed it.

*I already got this album before I joined the current group, so this review reflects my updated feelings. Therefore "Saved Prior" is songs I saved from when I first got the album* Saved Prior: Break It Up, Real Estate Off Rip: The Phuncky Feel One Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: My feelings on this album have not changed, not really for me and the vocals are still a little grating to listen to. Gave it a two the first time, and that two stands.

Fair

Well, they have a place in this genre. It's hard to evaluate so many different sides of hip hop. They sound polished and their lyrics are quick and strong. The sound is unmistakable, and clearly they took the west coast hip-hop style and ran with it. They are the product of a violent sub-culture, and on one side, like NWA, they comment on the violence around them and the disparity between groups, and they also glorify violence both as posturing and as a way to promote the conversation. This is distressing and requires context to understand appropriately so not to consider it glorification. That being said, I think Cypress HIll lean too far into the violent side without much explanation. The gangsta side is pretty heavy handed here, but the pro-marijuana element is a nice side theme to their work. Overall, this is a pretty solid album, albeit, the emergence of the band more than what I think they were capable of becoming, which their next couple albums accomplishes. 3.5/5

i never liked cypress hill.

Ah, the eponymous debut album. Why do artists do it? But, that aside, this is something else - a "sonic blueprint" apparently - I get that. Musically tight, historically important. And thankfully, no 'Insane in the membrane'. It's very good. For 1991.