Cypress Hill - Black Sunday

On July 20, 1993, Los Angeles hip-hop legends Cypress Hill first unleashed their sophomore opus, Black Sunday, on the unsuspecting masses. The record changed rap music with its dark undercurrent, Latin inflection, no holds-barred storytelling, and the inimitable interplay between B-Real and Sen Dog cast over psychedelically spun gothic rap soundscapes courtesy of DJ Muggs. It bowed at #1 on the Billboard 200, and they made history as “the first rap group to land two albums in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 simultaneously.” Plus, “I Ain’t  Goin’ Out Like That” garnered a GRAMMY® Award nomination in the category of “Best Rap Performance.”

Speaking to its enduring influence, Black Sunday just earned 4x Platinum certification from the RIAA, while “Insane In The Brain” went 3x Platinum and “Hits From The Bong” reached Platinum status, adding to their already robust milestones. Retrospectively, STEREOGUM raved, “The Cypress Hill of Black Sunday were better than anyone else, possibly in rap history, at the straight-up rapped hook, the phrases repeated at just the right cadence and tenor to get them stuck permanently in your brain.”