Review: 'Cypress Hill: Insane In The Brain' Energetic and Comprehensive

Estevan Oriol took countless photos and shot thousands of videos over the last three decades, a comprehensive cache of material he uses in the documentary "Cypress Hill: Insane in the Brain."

In 1981, four Afro-Latino friends named their band Cypress Hill after the street where they grew up in South Gate, California. B Real, Sen Dog and DJ Muggs were street kids who enjoyed getting "stoned to the bone" and going to house parties, looking for a way to escape the limitations of their neighborhood, a confining mix of bars and liquor stores, churches and funeral homes. They listened to heavy metal like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd, but were drawn to the new sound of hip-hop on AM radio.

Cypress Hill met with Def Jam in New York City, but they were eventually launched by Philly's RuffHouse records, the birthplace of gangsta rap. Their blend of beats and their championing of cannabis created an innovative flavor, like "a beautiful train wreck," says one of the music journalists interviewed in the film. Later, they poached second-generation drummer Eric "Bobo" Correa from the Beastie Boys to round out their sound.

Rap OGs like Ice-T and Chuck D also join the conversation to sing the praises of Cypress Hill's flows and fearlessness on stage. Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong are interviewed as well, to talk about the importance of the group in carrying the national conversation to promote legal weed. Interviewees also celebrate the members for creating the gangster look, a mix of Cali and NYC styles, consisting primarily of flannel shirts, baggy chinos, and bucket hats.

The band toured relentlessly, including the first incarnations of Lollapalooza and Woodstock 94, and opened for grunge masters Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Sound Garden. They traveled the world, and smoked a blunt during their "SNL" appearance. The documentary shares that their stage show was a punk rock blend of Pink Floyd, a giant blow-up Buddha, and mountains of pot, often smoked through their giant Excalibur bong. Their love of marijuana also spawned an alter ego for B Real called Dr. GreenThumb.

But Sen Dog was burnt by the constant album and touring cycle, and left the band after trashing a dressing room. He says, "I left the team in the middle of the season, in the middle of the game, but I had to go somewhere I could breathe." His bandmates toured successfully without him while he got therapy, and started another hardcore group. But he returned when he realized he missed them and the work. Reunited, they recorded the double rap/rock album "Skull & Bones."

These trailblazers put Latinos on the hardcore stage and were the first hip-hoppers to make platinum, selling over 20 million records. The film energetically and comprehensively shares Oriol's treasure trove of archival materials, and confirms Cypress Hill's place in the pantheon of hip-hop pioneers.

"Cypress Hill: Insane in the Brain" premieres April 20 on Showtime.