One of the most vocal marijuana advocates in the music industry is now a Top CelebStoner. Cypress Hill co-founder B-Real joins the illustrious club, becoming the 36th Top CelebStoner. "I will do my best to uphold the title," B-Real says. "I will keep fighting for legalization."

Born Louis Freeze on June 2, 1970 to a Cuban mom and Mexican dad, B-Real grew up in South Central Los Angeles. At a teenager, he joined he Bloods and was shot in 1987, punctured lung his lung. Leaving the gang life behind, B-Real began rapping with his friend Mellow Man Ace, the younger brother of Senen "Sen Dog" Reyes. After Reyes met New York transplant Lawrence "DJ Muggs" Muggerud, the trio formed Cypress Hill and released their debut album in 1991.

Contrasting their darker gang-influenced experiences with a lighter appreciation of marijuana a la Cheech & Chong, Cypress Hill appealed to a broad cross-section of hip-hop heads and laid-back stoners. While "Pigs" and "I Could Kill a Man" spewed anger at the police and haters, "Light Another" and "Stoned Is the Way of the Walk" pointed to more peaceful solutions to problems by sparking a blunt.

B-Real was the first hip-hop star embrace this new form of smoking. In fact, he was featured in a High Times centerfold in 1992, titled "How to Roll a Blunt."

In that interview and cover story (written by CelebStoner's Steve Bloom), B-Real explained why marijuana was such a big part of their music and image:

"We try to give you a little piece of knowledge of this plant so you don't misjudge it before you really know what's up with it. A lot of people don't even know what it's about. A 40-ouncer can kill you, literally. How can a joint kill you? Not even in the long run. There hasn't ever been one death behind a joint. Compare that to liquor, and liquor's legal. You could apply the same laws to weed as cigarettes and liquor."

This "knowledge" led NORML to name Cypress Hill their spokesgroup at the time.

On their second album, Black Sunday, they opened with "I Wanna Get High," sang about taking "Hits from the Bong" SEE LIVE CLIP FROM 2003 BELOW and reminded fans to "Legalize It." The album featured Cypress Hill's biggest hit ever, "Insane in the Membrane."

Six albums later, Cypress Hill (in 1994, they added percussionist Eric Bobo) remain a tight, touring unit. A new album is scheduled for release later this year.

Meanwhile, B-Real went solo in February with the star-filled Smoke N Mirrors. He recently updated his comments going back to 1992 about marijuana for CelebStoner:

"They could apply the same laws they have for liquor. You gotta be 18 or 21 to buy it. You can’t be caught with it smoking in your car. You can possess it in your car, but you can’t smoke it. I would be caught a lot if that was the case [laughs]. The same regulations you have on alcohol you’d have on marijuana. Tobacco doesn’t even have half the regulations that alcohol has. And that shit has been proven more detrimental to your health than anything. Tobacco and alcohol are pretty head up even. If you want to regulate and compromise it, then you would stipulate those same laws."

"Hits from the Bong" by Cypress Hill - Smokin' Grooves Tour (2003)

Source: YouTube

Also see:

B-Real Website
B-Real @Twitter
"Fire" Video f/Damian Marley
"Don't Ya Dare Laugh" Video
B-Real (Reluctantly) Rolls a Blunt
B-Real's Gas Mask Joint
B-Real's Claw Joint

Comments (2)

2 Wednesday, 08 July 2009 11:08

pauli

Cypress Hill for ever!
can't wait to hear the new album!

1 Friday, 03 July 2009 21:53

La Hits

B Real should have been in the top 5 if not in the first or second place!

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