It isn't until one listens to a best-of compilation, watches a retrospective, or as was the case with me last Thursday night – attends a show, that one realizes the depth and importance of an artist's catalog. Cypress Hill was in NYC to perform at S.O.B.'s (which in the last months has hosted a SLEW of good Hip hop performances) in support of their upcoming album entitled Rise Up – such an appropriate theme for that night, in that venue, in NYC.
Before you even get to walk into a Cypress Hill show, you KNOW you're at a Cypress Hill show. The, aroma in the air was of a very earthy nature. I mean either the tickets were printed on Hemp-based paper and everyone 'recycled' once they got through the door. Or the club had specially imported scented candles. The point is that the atmosphere made for very laid-back vibes in stereotypically stance-offish NYC. Kind of surreal but at the same time quite welcomed. It was also a very nice warm night after a long cold winter so, I think the natives were ready to unwind. It was the type night and crowd where you could feel the electricity in the air. And with the kind of following these guys have which borders on cult-like, the roar in the place was deafening when the crowd got a sense that those Cypress boys were about to emerge.
Ripping through hits like Rap Superstar and classics such as I Ain't Goin' Out like That, B Real, 'Captain AmeriKush' had complete dominion over the crowd at any given point in the evening. Truly demonstrating the meaning of Master of Ceremonies. And from quintessential hype-man to gruff-voiced rapper, Sen Dog is B Real's partner in rhyme for a reason. The balance and interplay they provide each other during their performances is something that only tour-tested veterans can pull off. And even though new songs from the upcoming album have only been in the blogosphere for a little over a month and a half, when B Real asked the crowd if they could perform It Ain't Nothin', many fans in attendance already new the words which is proof that they don't fall into the 'oh-yeah-those-guys-were-once-dope' category. And although DJ Muggs was notably absent from the show, Julio G provided cuts and scratches with aplomb. But, I must make special mention of their percussionist, Eric Bobo. Apparently, if you haven't noticed, Cypress Hill doesn't have an understanding as to what mediocrity is. The dynamic that Eric adds to their live show has to be witnessed in person in order for it to be fully appreciated. At times he's half man/half octopus with his seemingly endless flurry of rhythmic accents. Whether it was the cool but subtle extra doses of sonic textures he added throughout the night or the blistering Drum and Bass-influenced solo he had towards the end of the show, the man adds a dimension of musicality that exemplifies why this group has such rabid and true fans around the world.
Groups like Cypress Hill are a rarity, particularly in hip hop. Emerging from the West Coast at a time when the West was known primarily for Gangster rap. Fronted by two Latin rappers who still managed to sell out venues. And can still, after almost 20 years since their first album, have the vibrancy and fervor to still go on tour and release albums? Yup – definitely a rarity.
Rise Up drops on April 20th, 2010
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