With a mesmerizing mix of celebratory, confrontational, inspirational, reflective, and rugged songs, Cypress Hill shines throughout new LP Back In Black.
Back In Black is Cypress Hill's first full length since 2018’s Elephants On Acid and comes at an already busy time for the band, who recently wrapped a co-headline tour with Atmosphere and celebrated the 30th anniversary of their groundbreaking self-titled debut album with a sold-out show at LA's Greek Theatre and an expanded anniversary edition reissue.
During a time increasingly defined by singles of the moment, rappers B-Real and Sen Dog wanted to make a statement by releasing an album, and Back In Black finds the group flexing its musical muscles and pushing itself creatively. Produced by Black Milk (Slum Village, Lloyd Banks, Pharoahe Monch), Back In Black is an homage to Cypress Hill’s return and its collaboration with Black Milk.
“If you're making music, you don't just want to make one song,” B-Real says. “You want to make an album to show people like your skillset, your versatility, and to capture their minds. You can do that with one song, but an album is a journey. You have to take the trip. We were always fond of taking people on a journey, the rollercoaster ride, if you will, and you can only do that with an album.”
More than 30 years since it debuted, Cypress Hill knew it had more to offer with Back in Black. “This album is a return to our roots,” Sen Dog says. “We were proud hip-hoppers back in the day and we’ve gone through it all. We’re proud to be part of the hip-hop industry. Doing a straight hip-hop joint was the way to go.”
The new LP comes on the heels of the announcement of the band's extensive slate of touring for the year, including a leg of Slipknot's Knotfest Roadshow 2022.
In yet more monumental moves, the group has announced a brand-new documentary titled Insane In The Brain: Cypress Hill, which will be released this spring, and have also partnered with Z2 Comics for their very own original graphic novel, Cypress Hill: Tres Equis!, which is available now.
Cypress Hill shifts culture. The South Gate, California rap group championed cannabis before it became fashionable, ushered in a genre-shifting sonic tapestry, performed thousands of shows at a time when rappers were having a hard time getting booked for live gigs, and helped pave the way for rappers to use Spanish in their rhymes. Along the way, Cypress Hill earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, sold more than nine million albums, and have been nominated for three Grammy Awards.