You can’t talk about hip-hop in the ’90s without mentioning Cypress Hill. The California group known for lead rapper B-Real’s unique higher-pitched nasal tone, a fondness for gettin’ blunted, and their Latinx/Blacktino sound, have sold more than 20 million albums over three decades. Their latest, Back in Black, was just released on March 18th, with news thath their 11th album would be the group’s swan song. And all of this attention coincides with the new documentary, Cypress Hill: Insane in the Brain, coming to Showtime.
Directed by Estevan Oriol, the doc charts the groundbreaking path of Cypress Hill and its members B-Real, Muggs, Sen Dog, and Eric “Bobo” Correa. Formed in 1988 (with “Mentirosa” rapper Mellow Man Ace before he went solo), Cypress Hill would strike gold with their self-titled first album in 1991, featuring iconic tracks as “How I Could Just Kill A Man”, “Hand On The Pump”, and “Latin Lingo”. They would follow that album with 1993’s Black Sunday, finding even greater mainstream success thanks to the crossover hit, “Insane in the Brain.”
Here’s the doc’s synopsis: Told through the intimate lens of photographer and director Estevan Oriol (“LA Originals”), “Cypress Hill: Insane in the Brain” is a smoke-filled journey across the lives and careers of the groundbreaking, genre-defying Hip Hop group, Cypress Hill. Their unique sound, influenced by their Latin roots and West Coast upbringing, was built on a movement rooted in true authenticity: from cultivating the flower to smoking it, to rapping about it, their influence is forever burned into the musical landscape of Hip Hop as they continue to stay relevant after 30 years. Using a treasure trove of never-before-seen archival footage captured by Oriol himself, as well as images of band members B Real, DJ Muggs, Sen Dog, and Eric “Bobo” Correa, “Cypress Hill: Insane in the Brain” tells the story of a brotherhood that has withstood the test of time to create a truly original, everlasting legacy.
Cypress Hill: Insane in the Brain hits Showtime on April 20th.
