Cypress Hill consists of DJ Muggs (Lawrence Muggerud, DJ and producer, B-Real (Louis Freese, Rapper , Sen Dog (Senen Reyes, Rapper, and Eric Bobo (Eric Correa, Percussionist. One aspect of their popularity is their commitment to the legalization of cannabis consumption. Cypress Hill was the first Latin rap group to have Platinum and Multi-Platinum albums and are the best selling Latin rap artists.

The name Cypress Hill refers to the place where the first members of the band have lived, who grew up mostly in Cypress Avenue in South Gate, Los Angeles. They originally called the group "DVX", but the name was changed after Mellow Man Ace (Ulpiano Sergio, younger brother of Sen Dog) left shortly after in 1988 to pursue a solo career. It is sometimes incorrectly believed that the name refers to the Cypress Hills section of East New York, Brooklyn.

The name Cypress Hill refers to the place where the first members of the band have lived, who grew up mostly in Cypress Avenue in South Gate, Los Angeles. They originally called the group "DVX", but the name was changed after Mellow Man Ace (Ulpiano Sergio, younger brother of Sen Dog) left shortly after in 1988 to pursue a solo career. It is sometimes incorrectly believed that the name refers to the Cypress Hills section of East New York, Brooklyn.

Early career

Their first album, which was self-titled, was released in November 1991. Its single was "Phuncky Feel One," but it was the B-side "How I Could Just Kill A Man" (formerly "Trigga Happy Nigga") that attracted more airplay on urban radio and college radio. Based on the success of the single and other tracks such as bilingual track "Latin Lingo" and X-rated Spanish track "Tres Equis", the album sold two million copies in the US alone. Subsequently, DJ Muggs produced House of Pain's first album, then worked with the Beastie Boys and Funkdoobiest. The band made their first appearance at Lollapalooza on the side stage in 1992. Black Sunday, the group's second album, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 in 1993, recording the highest Soundscan for a rap group up until that time. Also with their debut still on the charts they became the first rap artists to have 2 albums in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 at the same time. With "Insane in the Brain" becoming a crossover hit, the album went double platinum in the U.S. and sold 3.25 million albums.

As one of the first rappers fighting for the legalization of marijuana, Cypress Hill was banned from Saturday Night Live after Muggs smoked a marijuana joint on-air and the band trashed their instruments while playing their second single "I Ain't Goin' Out Like That". The band headlined the "Soul Assassins" tour with House of Pain and Funkdoobiest as support, then performed on a college tour with Rage Against the Machine and Seven Year Bitch. In 1993, Cypress Hill also had two tracks on the Judgment Night soundtrack, teamed up with Pearl Jam and Sonic Youth.

The band played at the 1994 Woodstock Festival introducing their new member Eric Bobo who was formerly a percussionist with the Beastie Boys. Bobo is the son of famous salsa musician Willie Bobo. Rolling Stone Magazine named the band as the best rap group in their music awards voted by critics and readers. Cypress Hill played at Lollapalooza for two successive years topping the bill in 1995. They appeared on the The Simpsons episode Homerpalooza in which Homer, Bart and Lisa attend the Lollapalooza-inspired "Hullabalooza".

In the Futurama episode, "The Why Of Fry", when Fry reveals his Quantum Interface Bomb to the Brainspawn, a panicked brain asks him if he is "insane in the membrane". This is a lyric from the song "Insane in the Brain". Another episode, "Insane in the Mainframe" was also presumably named after this lyric. Their third album Cypress Hill III: Temples of Boom was released in 1995 selling 1.5 million copies and reaching number 3 on the Billboard 200 despite not having a hit single. Cypress Hill also contributed a track "I Wanna Get High" to the High Times sponsored "Hempilation" album to support NORML.

WEED MAN LYRICS

Inhale, exhale repeated throughout intro

Intro: B-Real
You know, there are times when, you run out of weed
There's no one you can call
But at last there is one person you can call - Weed Man

B-Real
I've had drop dates with no weed to smoke
No roaches, no nothin' when I need to toke
Damn, where can I find some shit to puff on
damn I need the kye cause it's gettin' tough on me (me)
Cause I'm a lumberjack and tree's
get chopped up and packed up and sold to D
Bolo's are free, did you hold one fee?
Herchers for the herbics no waterin' the seeds
Some of your friends desperately seek me
cause sussin' this, losin' no THC
The pigs always wanna PH me, my kush hits harder than some GHB
But some of these swine wanna hit off mine
I just sit back, recline, and never waste time
I'm the lead man, you read man, you need man
Call me and all hail- "The Weed Man"

Chorus: Sen Dog
(Inhale, exhale), Weed Man, Weed Man
(Inhale, exhale), Weed Man, Weed Man
(Inhale, exhale), Weed Man, Weed Man
(Inhale, exhale), gettin' me HIGH!!
(Inhale, exhale), Weed Man, Weed Man
(Inhale, exhale), Weed Man, Weed Man
(Inhale, exhale), Weed Man, Weed Man
(Inhale, exhale), gettin' me HIGH!!

B-Real
You can always call me all day, all light
Service with a smile, make you feel all right (yeah!)
From college-heads, co-eds and dreadlocks
lawyers, teachers, doctors buy my stock
So many call on me for what I got
So many try to compete to take my spot
Caked out, how many dimes dropped?
How many times I lost one of my plots?
The competiton was to knock me out
The D.E.A. want to lock me out
Broke in my home tryin' to sock me out
But the true blue stoners never locked me out
I'm easy to find, call me whenever
You need some green and I'll make you feel better
I'm the lead man, you read man, you need man
Call me and inhale - "The Weed Man"

Chorus: Sen Dog
(Inhale, exhale), Weed Man, Weed Man
(Inhale, exhale), Weed Man, Weed Man
(Inhale, exhale), Weed Man, Weed Man
(Inhale, exhale), gettin' me HIGH!!

B-Real
I'm the most well-loved, bringin' the bud
Stickin' the club up, everybody ridin' my nuts
What? You say you want credit? You must be high
There's no free rides on my supply
Unless you're one of my friends you need no ends
just sit back and wait for the joint to begin
But if you know someone in need of this weed leaf
You can take my number down and beep me
I'll hook you up if you look me up
Just don't give my number to a rookie huh!
Then I'll cut you off and brush you off
Never trust you and won't dicuss your loss
I'm the lead man, you read man, you need man
Call me and inhale - "The Weed Man"

Chorus: Sen Dog
(Inhale, exhale), Weed Man, Weed Man
(Inhale, exhale), Weed Man, Weed Man
(Inhale, exhale), Weed Man, Weed Man
(Inhale, exhale), gettin' me HIGH!!
(Inhale, exhale), Weed Man, Weed Man
(Inhale, exhale), Weed Man, Weed Man
(Inhale, exhale), Weed Man, Weed Man
(Inhale, exhale), gettin' me HIGH!!

Outro: B-Real
There it is motherfuckers, you run out of weed
Call somebody like me and I'll hook you up
No stems, no seeds and things that you don't need
That's right! I'm the Weed Man
Don't trip I got kush, for a high price hoe...