Although he’s recognized for his laconic aura, B-Real is visibly excited. It’s a July afternoon within the canine days of summer season, and regardless of the humid climate, the Cypress Hill member is driving excessive. Nevertheless, the veteran lyricist’s lifted vibes can’t be attributed solely to hashish fumes. Final week, the 56-year-old and his groupmates launched their eleventh studio album, Dios Bendiga, a physique of labor that doubles as a artistic achievement and homage to their cultural roots. It marks Cypress Hill‘s first full-length Spanish-language album since their 1999 compilation Los Grandes Exitos En Español, which noticed B-Actual, Sen Dog, DJ Muggs, and Eric Bobo recording their biggest hits and fan favorites of their ethnic tongue.
Launched amid a rising wave of Latino artists dominating the music charts, Los Grandes Exitos En Español was B-Actual and crew bridging the hole between their viewers of English and Spanish-speaking followers. The pattern was one Cypress Hill themselves helped set with their double-platinum licensed debut album in 1991. But, Dios Bendiga can be a present of civic satisfaction and solidarity with fellow Latinos in mild of sociopolitical efforts to criminalize, marginalize, and deport unlawful immigrants, lots of whom hail from Latin nations and have constructed a life for themselves in America.
“This was our stance,” B-Actual tells VIBE when requested of the revolutionary overtone of Spanish hip-hop in current occasions. “Taking on the stance right now when you’ve got ICE fucking with folks everywhere, and immigration is everywhere. We’re doing a Spanish album, letting you realize that we stand with these people, ‘trigger we’re these people. I believe any group that’s come out of wrestle can relate to at least one one other.”
He continued, “It form of helps band us collectively in sure methods as a result of we are able to relate to one another’s struggles a technique or one other. I believe that’s what ties all of it collectively. That is us standing on ours and talking our minds and educating folks and lighting them up and entertaining them as effectively.” Recorded in late 2025, what initially was slated as a quick-strike mission was prolonged previous that deadline, a pivot B-Actual is adamant was key to the curation and musicality of Dios Bendiga.
“We work quick,” the Los Angeles native mentioned of he and his groupmates, who kicked off the Dios Bendiga periods with the album’s opening observe “Wacha Trucha.” “We’re not dudes who drag ass within the studio. We get in there, and we work, however we’re additionally sensible with ourselves. If the shit ain’t bought the products, then we put it to the aspect and go to the subsequent. You may’t put an album collectively in two weeks. We’re going to wish a month to 2 months. That’s what we took and simply fine-tuned it all through.”
That intention and dedication to the artwork has served Cypress Hill effectively all through their decades-long profession, because the group has constructed a legacy as pioneers and trailblazers whereas persevering with to interrupt boundaries, creatively, professionally, and personally.
You and the group not too long ago launched your album Dios Bendiga. How has the reception been up to now?
B-Actual:
It’s been good. We didn’t anticipate the love we’ve been getting as a result of it’s been like 30 years since we launched a Spanish file.
It’s been extremely optimistic. It’s all unique songs. It’s not just like the final one, the place it was a translation of our present songs that have been our larger items. This one was all unique.
That is your first full-length album in Spanish in many years. What led to the choice?
We all know all through our historical past, we constructed a bunch of various fan bases, from our hip-hop base to various punk and metallic, however we even have a really sturdy Latin base of Spanish-speaking followers.
And once we popped it off with the Los Grandes Exitos En Español file, we form of lit it up for Latin followers on the market who loved hip-hop and bought an opportunity to listen to it of their language. It was essential for us to get again to it and provides our Latin followers, our Spanish-speaking Latin followers, one thing that they’ve requested us for a very long time. Plus, as artists, we like a problem. We all know that since we dropped that 30-some-odd years in the past, now there’s a sturdy tradition of Spanish hip-hop.
There have been a variety of emcees, types, and lyrics. This has advanced all through that point, and now the sport is stuffed with a variety of nice expertise on the market. So it’s competing with that, too. We wish to problem ourselves to see how we snap in with all these newer hip-hop artists on the market which can be killing it. They’re spitting bars. That was the motivation. A promise to our followers and difficult ourselves as artists.
Who’re among the artists rapping in Spanish who’re in your radar?
Santa Fe Klan is a very dope man. We tried to have him on the album, however his schedule was loopy. Alemán, who I’ve had an opportunity to work with a couple of occasions. We bought him on the file ’trigger he’s loopy with the bars.
Yusak from La Santa Grifa is one other one. There are such a lot of on the market proper now who’re spitting and fucking hearth in Spanish. American types, American cadences, however with a Spanish flip on it. It’s unimaginable to listen to these guys doing that shit as a result of, primarily, we used to only hear dudes flipping the Spanish raps on reggaeton. However now you’re listening to it on dope ass hip-hop beats.
And I really like reggaeton, however there’s a tradition of actual MCs that get down on this hip-hop shit. I’ve been afforded an opportunity to go world wide for a few years and listen to the totally different abilities that pop up in other places, and once we get an opportunity to work with a few of these guys who we expect are the shit and we respect, it’s nice. That’s why Trueno approaching, I assumed he was actually dope. I had an opportunity to work with them on one thing that he was doing, and he had bars.
I’ve seen progress from that point 30 years in the past to now in how the MC’s have advanced. I hear, and those who catch my ear, who I believe are actually spitting that shit, these are the blokes I need to get down with. These are the blokes I need to be artistic with and do collaborations with ’trigger iron sharpens iron.
We’re in a historic period for Latin rap. How does it really feel to see the seeds that you just and others plant blossom in spite of everything these years?
It’s nice to see that. It’s nice to know that we have been part of it. Give it some thought like this. It was us and Management Machete that form of pioneered it within the early days when it comes to Spanish rap shit. And for us to be an American-based group… I imply, we’re all of Latin tradition. Sen Canine was initially born in Cuba, however migrated over to the States early on in his life at 5. Eric Bobo, who was Puerto Rican, Latino, Nuyorican, and Muggs, he’s Italian and all that, however they’re virtually Latin to us. Now we have had that, however we’re from America. To know that an American-based hip-hop group, we’re part of placing the seeds out for Spanish rap, that’s historical past in itself. Management Machete was proper there with us, doing their factor, they usually’re pioneers in it as effectively. Now, you’ve bought an inflow of many dope artists.
I’ll be sincere, there are some shitty artists, too, however that’s in English and Spanish. Any language. It’s the yin and yang of artistry. Some are actually dope, and a few aren’t so nice. That’s the fact of it.
However the guys that we’ve been listening to as of late are actually fucking nice, from the lure aspect of it in Spanish. Fucking loopy bars. The freestyle, battle rap shit. Motherfuckers bought bars and the songwriting. Like actually writing dope hip-hop songs. Some guys are killing it on the market. It’s unimaginable to see and to have been part of the start is an honor.
That is additionally Cypress Hill’s first full-length mission in over 4 years. What was responsible for the hiatus?
We do a variety of highway work, man. What lots of people don’t understand, and I believe even new artists don’t understand, is that while you put out information, you are likely to tour off these information for a very long time till somebody from the label or your administration says, “Hey, we’ve bought to place out a brand new fucking file.” Again once we have been on Sony, you have been on a schedule so you set out a file, you supported that file, and also you toured. It was largely like a 2 1/2 12 months span, after which they need you to get again within the studio to pop off one other file.
We have been very used to that format once we have been on a serious label with Sony. If you flip, and also you go to an impartial type, you understand that after you’ve constructed your base, you don’t essentially should put out as many information because the file firm would really like you to as a result of they’re simply following their momentum.
What occurs is that while you’re not on the hook, and also you don’t have a schedule like that, you are likely to do extra highway work. You go on tour, do exhibits, and run your catalog, and get folks conversant in it in the event that they’re not. You win folks over who may not know who you’re. Appease your fan base and shit like that.
Typically while you’re on the highway like that, you are likely to lose observe of time creatively. Like, “Oh shit, we’ve been doing highway work for like two or three years, and we haven’t put something out. We have to fucking get within the studio.” So, for us, it was like that.
We had put out Elephants on Acid and Again in Black inside shut proximity of one another when it comes to Cypress Hill. Elephants on Acid was produced by DJ Muggs, our brother, bandmate, and unique producer. Then, we did Again in Black with Black Milk, which was a collaborative factor.
After that, we bought on the highway, and we began working. We didn’t essentially tour off these albums. We simply did what we usually do and positioned a few songs from each these information in our set. After which we have been in all probability as much as 12 months three or 4, and we have been like, “Fuck, we have to make some new music.” At first, the thought was to make one other Cranium & Bones-type of album, like half hip-hop after which half metallic.
That was really the marching order that we have been going to attempt to execute. Then, someone got here to us and mentioned, “You guys have been speaking about this Spanish file for therefore lengthy. Why don’t we try this? We will do the Cranium & Bones kind of shit later.” We have been all like, “Yeah, why not? Let’s do it.”
We had this little little bit of time to get within the studio and put down some concepts, and from these concepts got here the songs, and we simply bought into artistic mode. However that was it. We had spent a lot time on the highway that it was time for an additional piece.
We’re of the thought that at this level, we’re the kind of band that may tour with or with no file. So it’s not essentially the necessity to put out a file to promote tickets or something like that, ’trigger I believe our exhibits stand on their very own. When folks come to see Cypress Hill, they know they’re getting a fucking intense fucking nice high quality present ’trigger we put 100% into that.
It’s form of like The Grateful Lifeless. The Grateful Lifeless may tour. If you happen to’re not conversant in them, they’re an old-school rock band. Jazzy rock kind of shit. Anyway, they’d stopped placing out information, they usually have been simply touring primarily based on their outdated catalog, and other people confirmed up for them, and we’re at that time that folks present up for us it doesn’t matter what cuz they love the catalog they usually know we come and run the present.
Eitan Miskevich*
So, we didn’t essentially must do the music we wished to. That was the large deal, and I believe that’s why we had enjoyable doing it, why it got here to us so simply, and sounds the best way it sounds. I believe that was the large distinction between different information that we’ve performed prior to now.
What’s the interpretation of “dios bendiga” in English?
God bless. God bless us.
Why did you select that because the album title?
I felt it was a blessing to have that chance to do this file. To be within the place that we’re in at this level, and other people would need that file. At this level, folks may have forgotten about us and been like, “They’ve been round for 30-some-odd years. That they had their run,” and been detached about what the fuck we’re doing, however there was pleasure.
I’m a really religious human being, so I felt prefer it was a blessing from God to convey this chance and to present me the power to do it. The primary [Spanish] album, Grand Exitos, I solely wrote perhaps two songs in Spanish ’trigger I wasn’t very well versed in it. I imply, I knew methods to do it, however I wasn’t nice at it like Sick Jacken or Mello Man Ace was.
So, Sick Jacken and Mellow wrote a lot of the translations on that first Spanish album, however from then to now, I had been engaged on my Spanish writing. Doing options with different artists and even penning a few of my very own shit that I had within the [vault] to perhaps put out in a while some Spanish shit. So, I used to be form of warming as much as this already.
When the chance got here for us to do that album, the time and the platform and whatnot, God should have blessed me as a result of earlier than, I used to be very insecure about my pen sport within the Spanish lane. Once we began engaged on this, I felt an ease that I by no means felt earlier than writing in Spanish. I felt like I may go anyplace, and yeah, it felt totally different. It didn’t really feel like me in there.
It felt like one thing was flowing via me. In order that’s why God bless. God blessed me with that shit ’trigger, belief, I actually was all the time questioning my capacity in that. So for it to have come out the best way it got here out, God blessed us. In order that was the theme of the album. When it comes to the album cowl, we’re simply all the time attempting to be out of the field and have it’s one thing that folks fucking be wowed by or query. That’s all the time the Cypress Hill factor.
You talked about someone got here to you all and was like, “We will maintain off on the half metallic and half rap album and do the Spanish factor.” Who was that particular person?
I believe it was Eric Bobo, our percussionist, drummer, and music director, to be sincere with you. All of us take heed to a variety of shit. All of us vibe out to what’s occurring on the market, and we’ve bought our ears to the streets in all these other ways. He got here at it like, “We’ve bought that base, proper. We’ve fed that base, and we’ve performed issues for it. Proper now, persons are calling for us to do that shit and we must always do that. We may all the time try this later.” We’re all the time open-minded to one another’s concepts. Nobody’s ever closed off.
We’re very open, and when he talked about that, we’re like, “Shit, let’s pivot,” ’trigger we are able to all the time try this later. It’s not one thing that we’re on the hook by a label to show one thing in at a sure level. It’s once we need to flip it in. It’s once we need to fucking put it out. That’s why the pivot was really easy.
Talking of Eric Bobo, he labored with DJ Flict, who dealt with the manufacturing on the album, and DJ Lord. Are you able to communicate on how they crafted this album from a sonic standpoint?
Flict, Bobo, and myself have been within the studio collectively each day and Flict and Bobo would get there earlier than me as a result of I bought The Dr. Greenthumb Present that I used to be working.
Properly, we nonetheless run it, however at that time, I used to be working it early in order that I may get off the printed and get straight to the studio. They might be there already, and Flict would pop up a beat Bobo would play on prime of it whether or not it was drum equipment or digital drums or his percussion and it’s actually the primary album that we’ve performed that the place the place Bobo’s enjoying beneath all the pieces and being part of that artistic course of and and Flicked man he similar to Bobo and I’ve been working with Flict for some time and and he’s been a fan of Cypress Hill for a really very long time.
In order associates, he is aware of us, and as a fan, he understands what the band is and what it means. His ideas about what we must always sound like proper now, and never attempting to borrow from the outdated shit, however take it to a brand new place.
So he was all the time in that thought course of, and Bobo was all the time proper there with him. You recognize once we completed recording, you realize, all of the songs we’re like, we want Lord on a variety of these items cuz he’ll fill within the area. I imply, Lord makes the turntable an instrument like nothing. You recognize what I imply?
I’ve been blessed to have among the greatest DJs working the set for Cypress Hill and for myself, and I’ve bought to say, Lord is likely one of the greatest. His capacity to chop shit on tracks and be in that sure pocket the place it elevates the observe — he’s bought that. He introduced that to the desk on all of the songs. He simply took it to a different degree.
I really feel like lots of people have left the turntables behind of their music, and one factor we attempt to do is elevate and spotlight the turntablism. It was essential to get Lord on these tracks. What we did in a different way, that almost all teams don’t do, was we had sounds that have been in the important thing of the songs. I might say none of them do it. This was our first time doing it. In order that when Lord reduce, it was in the important thing of no matter the important thing of the tune was, versus simply getting random samples that don’t match up or that we needed to pay for, even when he’s reducing them. It was a fairly revolutionary concept by Lord and Flict as a result of Flict was a turntablist at one time. Earlier than, he was a producer, too.
He thought it could be dope to present Lord some sounds that will be in key of the songs. No person does that, and it ended up unimaginable. Salute to Flict, Lord, and Bobo for being on one with the music. They made it simple for sending out and the remaining who featured on it with us to come back and do what we did.
Are you able to record the options on the album?
Yeah, we bought the legendary Mellow Man Ace on “Campeones,” which was superior to have Mellow on the file along with his brother Sen Canine. It’s been lengthy overdue, and it was the proper backdrop. Salute to Mellow.
Sick Jacken of the Psycho Realm, which I used to be formally a member of, is featured on two. He is likely one of the greatest in Spanish rap shit, man. He’s a gun slinger. I’ve bought to let you know, he’s prime 5, straight the fuck up. He featured on “No Tengo Miedo” and “Voló,” and he fucking massacred each of them.
We had Coyote. [Ricky] Blanco and [Ladies Love] Guapo, a few bros from Hawthorne, California, Chicanos, proficient in each languages of their bar work. They killed it. Guapo was on two songs. He was on “Sueños” and “El Perro Y El Coyote,” and his brother Blanco was on “Sueños” as effectively. There’s additionally Trueno on “Saca La Bolsita,” Yusak of La Santa Grifa on “Barrios Prendidos.” Poe Leos on “Run,” which is considered one of my favourite joints. And Alemán on “Wacha Trucha.” These are just about all of the options we bought.
What would you say is essentially the most memorable second from the recording periods that form of caught with you?
I believe it was the primary day when the primary tune that we labored on, “Wacha Trucha,” got here out, and we have been shocked that… like while you make a tune, while you bought it off prime. It’s only a feeling all people has. You’ll see it on all people’s face, and all people’s transferring to it.
If you happen to don’t have it, you’ll see questionable faces, and also you would possibly query it your self. You would possibly say, “Properly, it’s fairly good, however we’d have to come back again to this. Let’s transfer on to the subsequent shit.” You’re doing framework at that time. You’re not like while you’re in there to start with; you’re not essentially ending each tune the day of. You’re simply form of like laying them down, and then you definately come again to them, and also you begin fucking with them.
Eitan Miskevich*
Off of the primary tune, we’re like, “Oh shit. This simply may be one thing,” ’trigger we have been very excited on the primary day of how the primary tune got here out. That was very memorable as a result of that shit set the tone for each day after that first day. Each time Flict, Bobo, and I work collectively, it begins off with the fucking shot of tequila. Then we smoke massive fats ass joints. We discuss fucking bullshit, after which we get to the artistic aspect of it, after which the shit simply involves life. That’s what we did that first day. It was an actual simple factor, no strain. I don’t know if I’ve ever had a fucking studio session that was that simple on the primary day doing a mission.
That shit stood out to me. There wasn’t any wild or loopy shit ’trigger we have been in regards to the work, however that feeling that we bought that first day, I’ll always remember that.
You’ve described this album as a “prayer for the tradition.” Do you suppose that prayer will likely be answered?
Pay attention, with prayers it’s difficult. You may ask for one thing, and if it’s an excellent factor and if it’s meant for you, it’ll come. It’ll manifest. It’s all about manifestation. You discuss in regards to the shit you need to see, the shit you need to do, the shit you need to have, the shit you need to accomplish, you realize? You possibly can pray for it, however you’ve started working in the direction of that.
You may’t simply pray for one thing and count on it to occur. It’s important to put work in the direction of that. Like, if it’s for me, I started working for it. And if I’m going to have it, I’ve bought to place the work in, and probably I’ll obtain the reward from this. If it doesn’t occur, then it wasn’t meant for me. That’s how prayer works.
Like some folks lose religion once they pray for one thing they usually don’t get it, don’t understand perhaps what they’re praying for wasn’t for them. It’s important to have that realization, and when you don’t, you’ll by no means perceive it, and also you begin dropping and missing religion. I prayed for issues that have been for me, and I prayed for issues that weren’t for me, after which when these didn’t come, I noticed how ridiculous I used to be praying for sure shit like that. You recognize what I imply?
It’s similar to that. Religion is a robust factor, man. You probably have it, you’ve got it; when you don’t, you don’t, and generally your religion will get examined even when you do. After I pray, I do know that it might occur, however I do know that I’m going to should do some work, and different individuals who imagine in that should do work for it, too. That’s simply the actual fact.
Do you’ve got any plans to tour for this album?
Now we have a Latin American tour deliberate for November. We’re going again into Mexico the next 12 months to play some exhibits primarily based on this album, and we’re going to attempt to do these units extra on the Spanish aspect.
We’ve performed a variety of the Spanish songs going over there right here and there throughout the course of our careers, however we’ve performed largely English units. This now provides us a chance to play this new shit in the event that they’re feeling it like that, which it looks like they’re. We may current this explicit set after which add on our outdated shit as encore, bonus kind shit.
We’re planning on doing some totally different shit. I imply, we’re going to play our outdated heaters, too, however we’re attempting to essentially go in with this Spanish shit as a result of we’re getting that response from Latin America. Like, “Oh fuck, we wish them to come back carry out this shit over right here.” So we’re taking that critically.
What’s subsequent for B-Actual and Cypress Hill?
I keep recording. Simply earlier than we launched this album, I launched an album [This Thing of Ours] with Xzibit and Demrick as Serial Killers.
Afterward within the 12 months, I’ll be releasing one with my man Berner. Will probably be our fifth mission. I’m simply continuously working. I fucking put out a file with Psycho Les [Real Psycho] final 12 months, and we’ll in all probability be engaged on one thing sooner or later.
However most significantly, after this Spanish shit, after we do our run with this, our subsequent studio focus is to go in and try this Cranium and Bones kind of file, the place it’s half metallic, half hip-hop. That’s just about the subsequent piece.
In between that, it’s touring and hitting all these totally different locations once more and introducing them to the brand new shit, the Spanish shit, and doing that specific run.
Would you say we’ll have to attend one other 4 years?
Hell no. We’ve already talked about it and mentioned, “Look, we’re going to run this album for a 12 months, after which we’re going to go straight to the subsequent one, and begin recording that. Begin getting the concepts down and recording that”. So, it shouldn’t be a four-year run.
