Cypress Hill’s 1st Album In 7 Years Puts DJ Muggs Back In Heavy Rotation (Video)

In the 1990s, many celebrated Hip-Hop groups had in-house DJ/producers. Just consider acts like Gang Starr, Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, Naughty By Nature, N.W.A., Wu-Tang Clan, Main Source, and Digital Underground.

Cypress Hill is another prime example, with DJ Muggs cooking up tracks for B-Real and Sen Dog to rock. 1991’s self-titled effort and 1993 followup Black Sunday are widely celebrated in production circles for Muggs sampling, drum programming, and overall originality. The Soul Assassins founder was a true killer behind the boards.

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In the last decade, Cypress shifted. The group’s 2010 album Rise Up witnessed B-Real produce the LP’s singles, while the veteran group recruited Pete Rock, Tom Morello, Mike Shinoda, Sick Jacken, and Jake One to step in. Muggs was involved, but in a very limited role, alongside co-producers. To C.H. purists, it was an odd move, given Muggs’ prolific output on side projects. Now, the quartet (including percussionist Eric Bobo) motions towards Elephants On Acid. The ninth album from Cypress Hill brings Muggs back into the cipher, in a big way. The psychedelic producer makes a simple but groovy beat to “Reefer Man.”

Like much of the Hill’s catalog, the song is a tale about copping and then getting high. Muggs does not appear in the video. While this is also part of The Grow House soundtrackMass Appeal links it to the upcoming album sessions. In premiering the song, Sen detailed the reunion. “We had discussed about going back and working with Muggs. [B-Real] was really into it. We hadn’t worked with him for nine or 10 years.”

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The original Hill is back in effect mode.