It’s been over 6 years since Hip-Hop fans have gotten a taste from legendary Latino emcees Cypress Hill.
After taking an extended hiatus, the gang is back with their new album and rejuvenated sound. In lieu of the release of their ninth studio album Rise Up on one of the most celebrated “holidays” by weed heads everywhere, Hip-Hop Wired.com got a chance to sit down with Sen Dog of Cypress and discuss the transition of labels, the new sound and what took so damn long for the album to drop.
Hip-Hop Wired: First off, what can fans expect with the new Cypress Hill album, because you guys have been M.I.A. for a while?
Sen Dog: Yeah we have. The funny thing is the time we took to make this album served its purpose because we were able to make the album the way that we wanted. This time we were able to show the different facets of cypress Hill, not just the Hip-Hop/Rock side, but also the Latino side because we have some collabos with Pitbull and Marc Anthony on the album to showcase our different sides and sounds.
This album is also significant because it ends our 14 years with Sony so we are on to many new and exciting things that refreshed our whole outlook on the industry and the album.
Hip-Hop Wired: How did you guys end up at E1 and working with Snoop?
Sen Dog: Well we had always had intentions of releasing a Cypress album, it’s just that we wanted everything to be right. So once the deal was over with Sony, we started creating the album on our own dime while we shopped labels. We got to E1/Priority and we knew that it was what was best. Snoop Dogg is actually on the label and he was very vocal in helping us to seal the deal with E1, so big thanks to Snoop.
Hip-Hop Wired: It’s no secret that Cypress Hill is a big marijuana advocate, is that why you guys chose for the album to drop on 4/20?
Sen Dog: [Laughs] No, it’s just kind of happened that way, but what better day to drop our first album in 6 years on.
Hip-Hop Wired: You guys are big supporters of the legalization of marijuana in California, why has weed been so important to you over the years and do you have any regrets from using the drug?
Sen Dog: I think that the legalization is important because it will free up jail space for the real criminals. If you look at the prisons and jail, it has a lot of people in there that were put in for a dime bag of weed. So we are supporting the freedom for police to write less tickets and arrest more of the serious criminals.
As far as regrets with smoking, yeah I have some because I started smoking really young. Now in no way are we advertising for kids to smoke weed because then it becomes a gateway drug for harder stuff. But when I was young I started smoking weed and it led to other drugs. I look back sometimes and think if I didn’t smoke as a teen, that maybe I could have been a great football player because I was great on the field. Weed also made me careless about school, so to the kids out there, stay away from drugs until you are old enough to make the decision wisely.
