Cypress Hill performs as part of NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series
NPR Music
Cypress Hill Brings Classic West Coast Hip-Hop to NPR's Tiny Desk
West Coast hip-hop luminaries Cypress Hill are the latest musical act to headline NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts.
Cypress Hill brought their legendary West Coast rap status to NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts on Thursday (July 20). In time for the 30th anniversary of their sophomore album Black Sunday, group members B-Real, Sen Dog, and Eric Bobo brought the house down, performing “When the Sh** Goes Down,” “Hand on the Pump,” “How I Could Just Kill A Man,” “(Rap) Superstar,” and “Insane in the Brain.”
Backing the trio were DJ Lord and four instrumentalists including a keyboardist, trumpeter, and trombonist.
In related news, Sen Dog recently spoke on Black Sunday's impact in an interview with The Root, saying: “This record is so special because it’s the album that broke things wide open, not just for Cypress Hill, but for hip-hop as a whole. It was the record for people who loved hip-hop and also loved rock and metal. They were waiting for a record like that, and without even knowing it, we serviced both of those markets.”
Cypress Hill: Tiny Desk Concertwww.youtube.com
The album, which dropped in July 1993, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and is also the first hip-hop album of that year to top the chart. Black Sunday has gone on to sell more than four million copies in the United States. The 30th anniversary deluxe edition features remixes of some of the group’s tracks.
Cypress Hill’s most recent album, Back In Black, was released last March. It features Demrick ("Certified") and Dizzy Wright (“Bye Bye”). In April, Cypress Hill debuted their Showtime documentary, Insane in the Brain. The group is currently on a global tour until December.
