B-Real
B-Real | |
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Los Angeles, California , U.S. | |
Genres | |
Occupation(s) |
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Years active | 1988–present |
Formerly of | |
Website | cypresshill |
Louis Mario Freese (born June 2, 1970),[3] known by his stage name B-Real, is an American rapper. Since 1991, he has been one of two lead rappers in the hip hop group Cypress Hill, along with Sen Dog. He has also been a part of the rap metal band Kush (2000–2002), the hip hop supergroup Serial Killers (2013–present) and the rap rock supergroup Prophets of Rage (2016–2019). He has released a variety of solo mixtapes, as well as two solo albums: Smoke n Mirrors (2009) and Tell You Something (2020).
Early life
Born in Los Angeles to a Mexican father and a Cuban mother, B-Real moved with his sister and mother out of his father's home to
He is cousin of Professional Boxer Michael Carbajal.
Musical career
After being introduced to DJ Muggs by Julio G the KDAY Mixmaster, B-Real and Sen gained interest in Muggs's concept of an album based on experiences from Cypress Ave in South Gate. The group was signed with Ruffhouse/Columbia records in 1991 and released their influential debut album, Cypress Hill, that year. B-Real would use fictional stories telling of life-threatening experiences as material for the group's debut album, and subsequent releases.
While working on their first album, B-Real developed his distinctive high-pitched, nasal rap style. Previously, he had rapped with something like his normal voice, but DJ Muggs told him that his rap delivery was boring and warned him that, unless he changed it, he would be overshadowed by Sen Dog. B-Real took inspiration from hip hop pioneer Rammellzee, who had occasionally rapped in a high-pitched voice. B-Real initially saw the high voice as a silly gimmick, but was surprised at the positive feedback he got for his new style and decided to keep going with it.[6]
Cypress Hill's self-titled debut album was a critical and commercial hit, selling 2 million copies, and their follow-up album, 1993's Black Sunday, was an even bigger hit, debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200 and eventually selling 3.4 million copies. They became the first Latin rap group to have platinum and multi-platinum albums, and remain the best-selling Latin rap group of all time.[7] In a 2010 interview, B-Real stated: "Fortunately I guess the fact we were able to achieve what we achieved, being Latino but without really exploiting that side of it, showed like a whole generation behind us how you could have that success without being labeled as just one thing. Because back in the day, when you were labeled 'a Latino rapper', the record companies would only try to market you to that Latin fan-base which didn't really exist yet!... So yeah, it feels good to see people recognizing us as some of the pioneers that opened the doors for a lot of these other Latino rappers to come through."[8]
Aside from Cypress Hill, B-Real has been involved in several other musical projects. In 1996, he contributed to the soundtrack for the movie
From 2005 to 2007, B-Real released three
From 2016 to 2019, he was part of the group Prophets of Rage, along with Chuck D and former members of Rage Against the Machine.
Production work
In addition to his career as an MC, B-Real has worked as a
Non-music projects
In 1998, B-Real voiced the part of a newborn baby for the song "This World Is Something New to Me" in The Rugrats Movie.
In the early 2000s B-Real and
His live streaming site Breal.tv[17] features live interactive programming over the internet. He is the host of the video podcasts The Dr. Greenthumb Podcast, The Smokebox and Meditation.
In 2018, B-Real partnered with marijuana subscription box company Daily High Club to craft a B-Real-themed smoking supply box for the month of March.[18]
Discography
Solo
- Smoke N Mirrors(2009)
- Tell You Somethin (2021)
With Cypress Hill
- Cypress Hill (1991)
- Black Sunday (1993)
- III: Temples of Boom (1995)
- IV (1998)
- Skull & Bones (2000)
- Stoned Raiders (2001)
- Till Death Do Us Part (2004)
- Rise Up (2010)
- Elephants on Acid (2018)
- Back in Black (2022)
With Prophets of Rage
- The Party's Over (2016)
- Prophets of Rage (2017)
With Psycho Realm
- The Psycho Realm (1997)
Mixtapes
- The Gunslinger (2005)
- The Gunslinger Part II: Fist Full of Dollars (2006)
- The Gunslinger Part III: For a Few Dollars More (2007)
- The Harvest Vol. 1: The Mixtape (2010)
- The Medication (2014)
- The Prescription (as Dr. Greenthumb) (2015)
With Berner
- Prohibition (2014)
- Prohibition Part 2 (2015)
- Prohibition Part 3 (2016)
- Los Meros (2020)
Serial Killers
- Serial Killers Vol. 1 (2013)
- The Murder Show (2015)
- Day of the Dead (2018)
- Summer of Sam (2020)
Music videos
Year | Album | Title | Director | Other featured artist |
---|---|---|---|---|
1996 | Space Jam : Music from and
inspired by the Motion Picture |
Hit 'Em High
(The Monstars Anthem) |
Hype Williams | Busta Rhymes, Coolio, |
2006 | / | Sliding in the Whip | Hugo Velazco | O. Brown |
2008 | Smoke N Mirrors | Don't You Dare Laugh | Matt Alonzo | Young De
|
2009 | Psycho Realm Revolution | Sick Jacken
| ||
Fire | Todd Angkasuwan
Matt Alonzo |
Damian Marley | ||
2014 | Prohibition | Shatter | David Camarena | Berner (rapper) |
2015 | Faded | n/c | Berner, Snoop Dogg, Vital | |
The Prescription | Mile High | Echo's World | ||
Prohibition Part 2 | Kings | Julian Edwards
David Camarena |
Berner | |
The Prescription | Dabs | n/c | Dizzy Wright | |
2016 | Prohibition 3 | FTB | David Camarena | Berner |
2018 | The Prescription | Stix N Stones | Shadow Council Animation | Ab-Soul |
2021 | / | Grandes Ligas | Edgar Nito | Lupillo Rivera, Alemán (rapper),
Santa Fe Klan, Snoop Dogg |
Tell Ya Somethin' | Number 9 | Jason Goldwatch | Berner | |
Real G | Maxx & Madison | Ty Dolla Sign, Berner, | ||
2022 | / | I Got What She Like | Jace Elliott
Garrett Whittingham |
Demrick, Marty Grimes |
2023 | Ciudad de Campeones (LAFC) | Massimo Legittimo | Alemàn, DJ Flict, Bobby Castro |
Year | Artist | Title | Director | Other featured artist |
---|---|---|---|---|
1997 | DJ Muggs | Puppet Master | Dean Karr | Dr. Dre |
Shaquille O'Neal | Men of Steel | Nick Quested | Peter Gunz
| |
2005 | Warren G | Get U Down (Remix) | Kevin Hunter | Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg |
2009 | La Coka Nostra | I'm An American | Danny Boy (rapper) | |
Snoop Dogg | Vato | Philip G. Atwell
| ||
2010 | Akalmy | American Dream | Marc Renou
Sébastien Marqué |
Young De
|
2012 | Larusso | Untouchable | Matthieu Tribes | |
2014 | Cecy B | Bout That | Echosworld | |
2016 | Berner (rapper) | Best Thang Smokin' | David Camarena | Wiz Khalifa, Snoop Dogg |
2017 | Snoop Dogg | Mount Kushmore | n/c | Method Man & Redman |
Berner, Styles P | Turkey Bag | Farid | ||
Hollywood Undead | Black Cadillac | Brian Cox | ||
2023 | Mr. Criminal | Dreams Come True | n/c |
See also
References
- ^ "ACE Repertory". www.ascap.com.
- ^ a b c d "B-Real Interview with Cypress Hill". LatinRapper.com. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
- ^ Mason, Stewart. "B Real – Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved February 19, 2009.
- ^ "Sinister (Rapper)". September 14, 2015. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
- ^ "Cypress Hill's B-Real + Psycho Realm (Soul Assassins/L.A.)". Retrieved December 19, 2017.
- ^ "The Secret to B-Real's Distinct Voice | Joe Rogan". YouTube. April 23, 2019.
- ^ "Greatest Hits From the Bong Out" Archived September 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Design, Stephen Clark -. "Cypress Hill: Rise & Shine". Retrieved August 26, 2016.
- ^ "心に優しい出会い体験談発掘所 – ホッコリする話集めました♪". Archived from the original on June 7, 2007. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
- ^ Moss, Corey (April 23, 2002). "With Kush Record Done, B-Real Keepin' Real Busy". MTV News. Retrieved December 31, 2008.
- ^ a b Downey, Ryan J (November 27, 2002). "B-Real Finishing Up Kush LP, Going Grimmer For Next Cypress Hill Album". MTV News. Retrieved December 31, 2008.
- ^ "Psycho Realm Interview – Sick Jacken". LatinRapper.com. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
- ^ B-Real: Pay It Forward | Rappers Talk Hip Hop Beef & Old School Hip Hop. HipHop DX (September 23, 2010). Retrieved on May 2, 2012.
- ^ "B-Real Cypress Hill Solo Album – Gunslinger CD". LatinRapper.com. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
- ^ Cypress Hill's Sen Dog: Solo Entry. AllHipHop.com (September 30, 2008). Retrieved on May 2, 2012.
- ^ Regardie, Joe (February 2005). "The Stoned Gunman". Spin. p. 40. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
- ^ "Live Network Site founded B-Real of Cypress Hill". BREAL.TV. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
- ^ Sanger, Brittney (March 25, 2018). "How to get high like Cypress Hill's B-Real". Herb.
External links
- Media related to B-Real at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website
- B-Real discography at Discogs
- Stoned Assassins (paintball team) official page
- B-Real at IMDb