B Real History

Louis Freese, better known by his stage name B-Real, is a Latin rapper of Mexican and Afro-Cuban heritage. He is best known for being the lead rapper in hip hop group Cypress Hill, who debuted with their self-titled album Cypress Hill in 1991.

Early Life and Career
Born to a Mexican father and an Afro-Cuban mother, B-Real moved with his sister and mother out of his father's home to South Gate before ending up in South Central Los Angeles Before dropping out of Bell High School, he befriended future Cypress Hill members Sen Dog and Mellow Man Ace (who forewent staying with the group to go solo. After being introduced to DJ Muggs by Julio G the KDAY Mixmaster, B-Real and Sen gained interest in Muggs' concept of an album based on experiences from Cypress Ave in South Gate. The group was signed with Ruffhouse/Columbia records in 1991, and made their influential debut that year. B-Real would use his life-threatening experiences as material for the group's self-titled debut album, and subsequent releases. Although subversive as some would argue, the strong content is nevertheless an important artistic contribution as well as highly interesting from a sociological view.

Cypress Hill's trademark sound - an eccentric combination of B-Real's exaggeratedly high-pitched nasal vocals and DJ Muggs' distinctive beats - led to the trio becoming the first Latin rap group to have Platinum and Multi-Platinum albums. They remain the best selling Latin rap group to date. Aside from Cypress Hill, B-Real has been involved in several other musical projects. In 1996 he contributed to the soundtrack for the movie Space Jam. In 2002, he teamed up with Mellow Man Ace and Son Doobie for the short-lived Serial Rhyme Killas, which released one 12" single in 2002. The group recorded a full-length debut album, entitled Deluxe Rapture, but it was never released. He was also previously a member of the group The Psycho Realm.

Solo projects
B-Real has released three mixtapes as a solo artist "Gunslinger", "Gunslinger Vol. II" and "Gunslinger Vol. III".He is currently working on his first solo album, entitled Smoke and Mirrors and has teamed up with Snoop Dogg in a single called Vato for Snoop Dogg's album The Blue Carpet Treatment.

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House Of Pain History

House of Pain
House of Pain was an Irish-styled American hip-hop group who released three albums in the early to mid 1990s before lead rapper Everlast decided to pursue his solo career again. The group is best known for its 1992 hit single "Jump Around", which reached #3 in the United States and (on re-release in 1993) #8 in the United Kingdom.
Rise to fame
After a brief unsuccessful solo career, Everlast teamed up with DJ Lethal and high school friend Danny Boy to form House of Pain. The group was signed to Tommy Boy Records, and their eponymous debut album (1992) went multi-platinum, spawning the successful DJ Muggs produced single "Jump Around". This song was also remixed twice by Pete Rock, one version featuring a verse from him and one without. "Jump Around" also influenced the soul singer Amy Winehouse, who sampled the bass line on her song "You Know I'm No Good." The album also featured Cypress Hill member, B-Real, on the song "Put Your Head Out".
Fashioning themselves as rowdy Irish-American hooligans (Lethal is actually of Latvian heritage), they toured with various rap and alternative-rock bands after their breakthrough. They participated together with Helmet, along with several other rap acts, on the influential 1993 rock-rap collaborative Judgment Night movie soundtrack.

Second album and decline in popularity
Their follow-up album, 1994's Same As It Ever Was, went gold despite minimal airplay and no major hits. The first single, "On Point," is noted for taking a swipe at another American rapper with a strong Irish heritage, "Marky Mark" (Mark Wahlberg) ("Calvin Klein's no friend of mine/So I don't like Marky"). Like Cypress Hill, who, with House of Pain, were a part of the loosely-affiliated Soul Assassins posse, they found urban radio airplay an increasingly closed path, which affected album sales.
Third album
House of Pain abruptly broke up in 1996 after the release of their third album, Truth Crushed To Earth Shall Rise Again, which featured guest appearances by rappers Sadat X of Brand Nubian, Guru of Gang Starr, producer/rapper Divine Styler and reggae singjay Cockni O'Dire (credited as the Scheme Team). On the release date of the album, Everlast announced his departure from the group.
Split, solo and current affairs
From this point on, the status of the group would seem to be in the past tense, though the members would continue their careers separately. Danny Boy would found an art company. DJ Lethal became a member of nu metal band Limp Bizkit, who would cover the famous "Jump Around" at live concerts, particularly in Limp Bizkit's early years during the Family Values Tour 1998. Everlast would finally get multi-platinum solo fame in 1998 with his acoustic rock/blues-inflected album Whitey Ford Sings the Blues The first single from that album was "What It's Like". In 2000, a feud between Everlast and rapper Eminem coincided with the gold-selling Eat at Whitey's, which included minor hits "Black Jesus" and "Black Coffee", and featured a collaboration with Carlos Santana. After the sale of the Tommy Boy Records' master tapes to Warner Bros. Music, Everlast signed with Island/Def Jam, and released the solo LP White Trash Beautiful in 2004.
Later the same year Rhino Records, a subdivision of Warner Music, released a hit collection, Shamrocks & Shenanigans, with singles from Everlast's early solo days, the House of Pain and his post-group solo efforts. Before the release, Everlast announced on his official message board that he was not endorsing the compilation album.
Founded by Danny Boy in early 2006, La Coka Nostra is a new project that has reunited him, Everlast and DJ Lethal for the first time since House of Pain's split. Other group members include Ill Bill of Non Phixion, and newcomers Slaine and Big Left.

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Cypress Hill History

About Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill is a prominent rap music group formed in 1988, which has sold 15 million records around the world. It is composed of members B Real (Louis Freese or Freeze, Mexican/Cuban), Sen Dog (Senén Reyes, Cuban), DJ Muggs (Lawrence Muggerud, Italian-American) and, since 1994, percussionist Eric Bobo. Muggs, when asked about the new member, said: "As Latinos we thought it would be a good idea to build in some of this Latin Jazz Flavor."

Cypress Hill - Early Careers
Cypress Hill hail from South Gate, California. The three original members formed a group called DVX in 1986 with Sen Dog's brother Mellow Man Ace (Ulpiano Sergio Reyes). When Mellow Man Ace left in 1988, they decided to rename themselves Cypress Hill after a street running through their neighbourhood.

Cypress Hill played mainly to Latino audiences in Los Angeles and recorded early versions of songs such as the "Phuncky Feel One" and "Trigga Happy Nigga." In 1991, Cypress Hill signed to Philadelphia Ruffhouse label with distribution by Columbia Records.

Cypress Hill's first self-titled album was released in November 1991. Cypress Hills first single was "Phuncky Feel One" but it was the B-side "How I Could Just Kill a Man" (formerly Trigga Happy Nigga) attracted more airplay on urban radio and college radio Based on the success of the single and other tracks such as "I Wanna Get High", bilingual track "Latin Lingo" and X-rated Spanish track "Tres Equis", the album sold two million copies. DJ Muggs then produced the first album by the House of Pain then working with the Beastie Boys and Funkdoobiest

Cypress Hill made their first appearance at Lollapalooza on the side stage in 1992.
Black Sunday Cypress Hill's second album, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 in 1993, recording the highest Soundscan for a rap group up until that time. Cypress Hill's "Insane in the Brain" becoming a crossover hit, the album went double platinum in the US and sold 3.25 million albums

Cypress Hill were the first rappers fighting for the legalization of marijuana and the band was banned from Saturday Night Live after Muggs lit up a joint and the band trashed their instruments while playing second single "Ain't Going Out".

Cypress Hill headlined the "Soul Assassins" tour with the House of Pain and Funkdoobiest as support then performed on a college tour with Rage Against the Machine and Seven Year Bitch.

In 1993, Cypress Hill also had two tracks on the Judgement Night soundtrack teamed up with Pearl Jam and Sonic Youth
Cypress Hill played at the 1994 Woodstock Festival introducing their new member Eric Bobo who was formerly a percussionist with the Beastie Boys.

Bobo is the son of famous salsa musician Willie Bobo. Rolling Stone Magazine named the band as the best rap group in their music awards voted by critics and readers. Cypress Hill played at Lollapalooza for two successive years topping the bill in 1995.

Cypress Hill appeared on an episode of the Simpsons where Homer Simpson became a performer at a freakshow appearing on a similar tour to Lollapalooza.

Cypress Hill's third album III (Temples of Boom) was released in 1995 selling 1.5 million copies and reaching number 3 on the Billboard 200 despite not having a hit single. Cypress Hill also contributed a track "I Wanna Get High" to the High Times sponsored Hempilation album to support NORML.

They were the first rappers fighting for the legalization of marijuana and the band was banned from Saturday Night Live after Muggs lit up a joint and the band trashed their instruments while playing second single "Ain't Going Out".

The band headlined the "Soul Assassins" tour with the House of Pain and Funkdoobiest as support then performed on a college tour with Rage Against the Machine and Seven Year Bitch. In 1993, Cypress Hill also had two tracks on the Judgement Night soundtrack teamed up with Pearl Jam and Sonic Youth
The band played at the 1994 Woodstock Festival introducing their new member Eric Bobo who was formerly a percussionist with the Beastie Boys.

Bobo is the son of famous salsa musician Willie Bobo. Rolling Stone Magazine named the band as the best rap group in their music awards voted by critics and readers. Cypress Hill played at Lollapalooza for two successive years topping the bill in 1995.

They appeared on an episode of the Simpsons where Homer Simpson became a performer at a freakshow appearing on a similar tour to Lollapalooza.

Their third album III (Temples of Boom) was released in 1995 selling 1.5 million copies and reaching number 3 on the Billboard 200 despite not having a hit single. Cypress Hill also contributed a track "I Wanna Get High" to the High Times sponsored Hempilation album to support NORML

Til Death Us Do Part - continued career
Sen took a break from the band to form punk-rap band SX-10. Meanwhile in 1996, Cypress Hill appeared on the first Smokin' Grooves featuring Ziggy Marley the Fugees, Busta Rhymes and A Tribe Called Quest.

The band also released a nine track EP Unreleased and Revamped with rare mixes.
In 1997, band members focussed on their solo careers.

Muggs released Muggs Presents ... the Soul Assassins featuring contributions from Wu-Tang Clan members, Dr. Dre, KRS-One, Wyclef Jean and Mobb Deep. B-Real appeared with Busta Rhymes, Coolio, LL Cool J and Method Man on "Hit Em High" from the multi-platinum Space Jam Soundtrack. He also appeared with Dr. Dre, Nas and KRS-One on "East Coast Killer, West Coast Killer" on Dr. Dre's Aftermath album. B-Real also released a solo album The Pyscho Realm with Latino rappers Duke (rapper) and Jacken. However, the band played on the Smokin' Grooves with George Clinton and Erykah Badu.

Cypress Hill released IV in 1998 which went gold in the US on the backs of hit single "Tequila Sunrise" and another tribute to smoking marijuana "Dr Greenthumb". Sen Dog also released the Get Wood Sampler as part of SX-10 on Jordan Schur's Flip Label.
In 1999, the band released a greatest-hits album in Spanish Los Grandes Exitos en Espanol.

Cypress Hill released Skull & Bones in 2000 with Skull being rap tracks and Bones being rock tracks. The album reached top 5 on the Billboard 200 and number 3 in Canada. The first single was "Rock Superstar" for rock radio and "Rap Superstar" for urban radio.

The band also released a Live at the Fillmore in 2000 recorded at a show at the Fillmore.
Cypress Hill continued their experimentation with rock on The Stoned Raiders album on 2001. However, its sales were a disappointment not even reaching the top 50 of the US album charts.

The band released Til Death Us Do Part on March 23, 2004. The album saw the band experiment with reggae especially on the lead single "What's Your Number". The track features Tim Armstrong of Rancid on bass and Rob Ashton of The Transplants on backup vocals and is based on the classic song "Guns of Brixton" by The Clash from the London Calling album and has proved to be a success on the modern rock charts. The album also features appearances by Damian Marley, son of Bob Marley, Prodigy and Twin of Mobb Deep and producer the Alchemist.

Members
As of 2004, the members of Cypress Hill are Muggs, Sen Dog, B Real and Eric Bobo.

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Psycho Realm History

Psycho Realm

Origin Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genre(s) Hip hop
Years active 1989 - present

Members:
Jacken
Duke
B-Real


History of Psycho Realm

Psycho Realm is a Chicano hip hop group started in 1989 by brothers Jacken (Joaquin Gonzalez) and Big Duke (Gustavo Gonzalez) from the Downtown, Pico-Union area of Los Angeles. The first recorded Psycho Realm song, "Scandalous", was released on the soundtrack of the film Mi Vida Loca in 1993. That same year B-Real of the rap group Cypress Hill saw Psycho Realm performing at Olvera Street for an End Barrio Warfare concert. Their performance inspired B-Real to the point that he wanted to join the group. With this time period being the height of Cypress Hill’s career anything Cypress Hill related would get major publicity. In 1997 Sony released the first Psycho Realm album, labeled as an addition to the Cypress Hill Family by the sticker placed on the CD case. Due to conflicts with the record label the Gonzalez brothers left Sony as Jacken explains, "the machine was just trying to censor me / Didn't do it for Sony so they ended up releasing me / Independent, no longer locked down for an infinity / So my vicinity stays true to my identity." The brothers then went on to form Sick Symphonies, their own record label, which lacked the big budget for promotion and distribution in chain stores along with group member B-Real, who was stuck on his contract with Sony for Cypress Hill.

Tragedy of Psycho Realm

On January 29, 1999 at 12:05 a.m. one month before the expected release of the second Psycho Realm album. Duke was shot in a confrontation while trying to split up a fight at Tommy's Burger Stand at Beverly and Rampart Boulevard in Los Angeles which left him paralyzed from the neck down for life. The shooter, a 24 year old named Robert Gorcsi, who was on parole at the time of the shooting, was given a bond set at 1.6 million dollars, he was eventually jailed for attempted murder. Jacken later that same year released A War Story: Book I with B-Real only appearing on one song. In 2001 the Sick Symphonies label released The Steel Storm the first album of a new group called Street Platoon. Jacken with the help of Street Platoon finished A War Story: Book II which came out at the end of 2003, which was already halfway done before the shooting of Duke.

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