Black Sunday – Cypress Hill – Ruffhouse/Columbia Records – Released July 20th 1993
Black Sunday is the multi-platinum selling second album from LA hiphop trio Cypress Hill.
The group was formed in the late 80s and released their eponymous debut in 1991. This first album was well received in the hiphop community, with the single How I Could Just Kill A Man gaining significant exposure thanks to its inclusion in the movie Juice.
The group was already well established by 1993, however Black Sunday was the album that catapulted them to mainstream success. Their rough edge ensured they retained the love of the hiphop community, while their growing reputation for wild shows (and well-publicised advocacy of herbal remedies) soon made them the darlings of the so-called alternative rock scene.
Cypress Hill can sound comical and almost cartoonish one minute, dark and menacing the next, but whether discussing blunts or bullets, the style of delivery never really changes.
B-Real is perhaps the most prominent member of the group, thanks entirely to his penetrating nasal sneer. Joining him on the mic is Sen Dog, whose deep and guttural delivery never fails to lay the vocal smack down.
The contrast between the two voices, the shrill delivery of B-Real coupled with the hefty baritone of Sen Dog, is part of what makes the group so engaging as they banter back and forth.
Its that same showmanship which made Public Enemy so special, except here both rappers get equal billing and the overall result is far more cohesive.
DJ Muggs is the driving force behind this album. None of us had heard anything quite like the beats on Black Sunday before and they still sound dope as fuck three decades on.
Those perfect slices of jazz-thunkin’ double bass, over crunchy drums, with howling blues guitars, abstract squeaks, squawks and otherworldly voices all drenched in an atmospheric smoky haze.
The result was a fresh new west coast vibe that was a full 180-degree deviation from the g funk sound, bolstered further by ‘Hill affiliates like House of Pain and Funkdoobiest.
As with all the best beatmakers, Muggs gathered sounds from a broad range of sources before fusing them together in novel ways, creating inventive sound collages over which the two MCs could glide.
The bulk of Black Sunday’s grit came courtesy of an Emu SP-1200 sampler, the same piece of iconic equipment used by RZA on countless Wu Tang productions including the 36 Chambers which, like Black Sunday, was also recorded in New York that year.
In addition to the Emu sampler, Cypress Hill also cite a steady spliff regimen and copious amounts of magic mushrooms as being integral to creating the album.
Well, you can’t argue with the results.
A timeless hiphop classic with a rough underground sound that still enjoyed massive global success, Black Sunday opened the door for a whole new fan base to enjoy hiphop.
Like many people, Black Sunday was my first introduction to Cypress Hill. I initially came for the music, as it sounded so strange to me at the time. Those classic hooks kept the songs playing in my head while the lyrics slowly reeled me in, prompting me to reply the album obsessively.
I later doubled back to brush up on my Latin lingo by listening to the first album. Though for me, 1995’s Temple of Boom is where Muggs truly hit his stride. In terms of style and production and overall quality it’s their best album.
But if you ask me what’s my favourite Cypress Hill album? Black Sunday’s the only acceptable answer to that question.
Don’t You Know I’m Loco?
I Wanna Get High is the perfect intro, not just to the album, but to Cypress Hill generally.
Imagine you never encountered the group before and just pressed play.
Everything you need to know about the group is handed to you right there in the first 40 seconds.
There’s that eerie intro with the stretched out horn sound, the first of many strange samples Muggs includes throughout the album.
Then the beat comes in and the very first words spoken are B-Real saying, “I want to get high.”.
Yep, that’s pretty much the concept, now sit back and enjoy the show.
The next two tracks are a knockout combo comprising two of the greatest hiphop tracks of all time.
I Ain’t Going Out Like That was the third single from the album and has one of the sickest hiphop beats of all time.
There’s that bassline, pure perfection, the roughshot drums and that weird squawk…
…Actually, yeah, let’s deal with this now and discuss the trumpeting elephant in the room, because you’ll note I’m going to keep coming back to these topics; killer drum breaks, double bass samples and, in particular, all those curious Black Sunday squeaks and squawks.
It’s one of the things I love about this album and it’s what drew me in the first time.
Long before watching movies like Blood In, Blood Out helped me better penetrate the lyrics (“why are they talking about essays?”), I would obsess over how Muggs created those beats.
I loved the phat drums and those infectious double bass samples and how he managed to make them lock together so well.
But what truly elevated them, and what continues to make us all literally jump for joy whenever we hear these songs, is that there’s always something squeaking or squawking otherwise going “weeeh!” in the background.
The mysterious sources of these sounds have long since become the subject of much debate but they’re all a part of what gives black Sunday its smoky atmos.
Is that a JBs trumpet blast? An obscure jazz band sample? A pitched-up snippet of Muddy Waters? A whinnying horse? A hapless duck being strangled by Sen Dog? Mr. Snuffleupagus sneezing after too many hits from the bong?
30 years on we’re still guessing.
Cypress Hill are known for being one of the first hiphop groups to truly represent Latino culture in hiphop then bringing it to a mainstream audience.
Well, that and getting toasted, nicely toasted.
Insane In The Brain was the first single from the album and is steeped in Latino slag. But let’s face it, every single white male of a specific age knows the lyrics to this one and can recite from memory, even if it’s partially done purely phonetically. (You know I don’t take Abdullah lightly.)
A cursory look at the song’s music video and it’s clear to see why the group soon ended up supporting rock groups.
This is pure party music, a perfect jump-up anthem like House of Pain’s Jump Around or Sound of Da Police from KRS-1.
As with those classics, its built around a very simple beat, a basic but compelling bassline and an absolute killer hook.
We never fully understood those wacky lyrics but could nonetheless recite by heart, including B-Real tossing ham in the frying pan and Sen Dog on a diet (don’t try it).
And, of course, there’s that weird squawking sound nobody knows the true source of but, fuck me, I love it!
And while we’re on the subject, lets also not forget the moment this song was immortalised in an episode of the Simpsons with an apparent rendition with the London symphony orchestra.
We never did get to hear that, but they did a show with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, which given the state’s laws, seems more fitting.
When the Shit Goes Down, the album’s second single (renamed “Ship goes down” for obvious reasons), sits atop a sample from The Outlaw Blues Band giving the track a nice jolly vibe before B-Real comes “out blasting like Yosemite Sam.”
Check the official music video below, yet another instance of hiphop paying homage to the movie Scarface.
Lick A Shot was the last single on the album, again with some rough, meaty drums and double bass sourced from Cannonball Adderly. B-Real’s proper gangsta on this one, making it one of the more aggressive tracks on the album.
Cock The Hammer continues the gangster vibe, starting with the sounds of falling rain and distant thunder, the sounds of guns being cocked, another sweet double bass sample emerges and then the drums drop – wow!
Sen Dog kicks it off, he’s a chicken hawk looking for a chicken. Wondering if this is another Warner Brothers cartoon reference? We already had shoutouts to Yosemite Sam so why not Foghorn Leghorn too?
Does it matter? Not really. B-Real comes next with another knockout verse, also loving the Jamaican dancehall vibes on the chorus here.
So that’s two for two on the topic of guns, but we’re not done with the topic yet, not by a (lick a) longshot.
At the halfway mark we get a track called Lockdown, a short instrumental piece with a loop from Syl Johnson plus an obligatory squeaky bit.
We’re past the halfway mark of the album now with track eight, 3 Lil Putos.
Love the intro to this one, “live and direct”, again more squawking, then that classic Lou Donaldson Billie Joe break comes swaggering in before the crew let fly with the Latin lingo otra vez.
Legalize It – you’ll never guess what this one’s about… this is a short interlude from the smoking gats before we’re onto the subject of smoking bongs.
Hits From The Bong is one if the Hill’s most beloved stoner anthems (an’ Jah know they have many).
For this one Muggs samples Son Of A Preacher Man by Dusty Springfield, a year before Tarantino would use the song in the movie Pulp Fiction, causing us all to tilt our heads like confused puppies.
If, to this day, you can’t hear that song without adding, “hits from the boooong” in your head don’t worry, you’re not alone.
Bonus points if you can recite the entire song from memory.
What Go Around Come Around, Kid is another slow and steady track with a singalong chorus and plenty of funk and blues in its DNA, while A to the K is a tribute to everyone’s favourite Soviet assault rifle.
Then we got Hand On The Glock, yet another firearms brand endorsement – again, you’ll note that this album is pretty much limited to three lyrical topics. One, we’re loco, two, we got lots of guns oh and, by the way, three, we should probably mention that do enjoy the occasional smoke.
There’s not really much else in the repertoire here in fairness, but does it matter? Not really.
The last track, Break ’em Off Some, doesn’t do much to change that fact, it’s another gangster story narrated by B-Real but serves as a nice up-tempo track to finish on.
Any Given Sunday
Is a good Sunday to play this album.
It’s a classic for all time, one of the very best hiphop albums of all time. 1993 was a great year for hiphop generally, the beginning of second golden age.
The one thing you’ll notice, though, is that although all the tracks on here are solid, most of the best loved ones are at the beginning of the album, making the rest feel like filler in comparison.
It’s not that the other tracks aren’t top quality, it’s just that the hit singles are just so damn good.
Overall, however, the album feels cohesive; the sonic pallet that permeates each track, the way Sen Dog and B-Real vibe off one another, everything down to the album cover and sepia tone graveyard shoot, it all creates a distinct atmosphere.
Black Sunday gave Cypress Hill free reign to carve their own unique niche within an already crowded hiphop market. There was nothing quite like it ever before.
As I mentioned earlier, I still think Temples of Boom is a better album in terms of production and overall style, but I have much better memories of this one, it’s an integral part of my teenage years.
Later albums varied in style and saw them experiment with new sounds, including introducing heavy metal elements to their repertoire. It’s fair to say some of their later tracks have aged better than others, but there’s always some classics in every release.
Live is where this group truly stands out, though. Cypress Hill are one of the hardest working bands in hiphop and every show they play they always deliver.
If you get a chance to catch them live take it, you’ll be glad you did. Course you’ll also notice that the tracks which get the crowd going the wildest are always the ones from Black Sunday.