Cypress Hill

"They're clownin' on me 'cause of my language. I have to tell 'em straight up, it's called Spanglish." - "Latin Lingo" (1991)

Formed in 1986 by Louis "B-Real" Freese, Lawrence "DJ Muggs" Muggerud and Senen "Sen Dog" Reyes, Cypress Hill emerged from the predominantly Mexican-American community of South Gate, California to become Latino hip hop's first true superstar outfit. Despite being the first Latino rap group to go platinum, Cypress Hill is best known for helping marijuana go mainstream and introducing rock audiences to hip hop.

Filled with blunted rhymes and murky beats, the trio's 1991 self-titled debut showed life on the streets through a funhouse mirror. Hits like How I Could Just Kill a Man, Hand on the Pump and Latin Lingo bridged the gap between the hardcore gangsta rap of NWA and the jazzy vibes of A Tribe Called Quest. Cypress Hill's distinctive sound – B-Real's nasal flow, Sen Dog's call-and-response choruses and especially DJ Muggs' production – would go on to influence acts as diverse as Dr. Dre, Psycho Realm and La Sinfonía.

"The Hill" released three more studio albums in the '90s – Black Sunday, Cypress Hill III: Temples of Boom and IV – which spawned stoner anthems like Insane In The Membrane, I Wanna Get High and Dr. Greenthumb. In 1999, the group rewarded its loyal Latin American fan base by dropping Grandes Exitos en Español, a compilation of their greatest hits in Spanish. Over the last decade, Cypress Hill has experimented with rock and reggae on songs like (Rock) Superstar, Trouble and Ganja Bus without sacrificing its Latin flavor. Latin Thugs, a horn-drenched track featuring Tego Calderón is one of Cypress Hill's most popular joints.

When asked if Cypress Hill gets the credit it deserves for its contributions to hip hop, B-Real replies: "I think in some regards we do, but in other regards we're definitely looked over on a lot of shit. I don't really care what [critics] think, for me it's what the fans think and feel. That's what matters to me."