Cypress Hill
Los Grandes …xitos en Español (Ruffhouse)
Rock en Español? Conyo, that’s muerte! Rap en Español, on the other mano — the one with “L-O-V-E” tattooed across the knuckles — that’s la bomba! A greatest hits compilation translated into vato for their brown brethren, Los Grandes …xitos en Español is of course a no-brainer — and not because of all those blunts. N’hombre! Same gnarled buds, you know, fat and sticky with bass grooves straight outta yo mama’s old LPs and buggy beats to make y’eyelids weigh like Barry White. Opening with the L.A. crew’s live anthem “Yo Quiero Fumar” (“I Wanna Get High”) and humping ‘n’ bumping on down the line, “Loco en el Coco” (“Insane in the Brain”), “No Entiendes la Onda” (“How I Could Just Kill a Man”), and the “Dr. Dedoverde” (“Dr. Greenthumb”), Cypress Hill’s thrown bone till the new Skull & Bones confirms why this veteran posse is still such a popular concert draw and continues to make albums for a major label: easy lay-ups like this. “Latino Lingo” (“Latin Lingo”) might be the most natural high here, sung in Spanglish friendlier to gringos than la gente, but all streetwise, dig? After that, it’s all kind bud, especially “Marijuano Locos” (“Stoned Raiders”), “No Pierdo Nada” (“Nothing to Lose”) with Mellow Man Ace, and the daybreak come-on “Siempre Peligroso,” housing Fermin Caballero of throwdown rrroc y raperos Control Machete. Rock, rap — en Español, it’s all dope. (Thursday, Mar 16, La Zona Rosa, 11pm)
This article appears in March 3 • 2000.
