Cypress Hill turned back the clocks and offered up a classic set of cannabis-infused hip-hop that left The Fillmore Detroit in a cloud of smoke.
The iconic hip-hop stoners were joined on their We Legalized It Tour by fellow LA hip-hop legends, The Pharcyde, who are also no strangers to the herb. Original members Imani, SlimKid3, and Fatlip showed that they could still put on an energized performance featuring tight lyrical flows and plenty of 90s nostalgia.
Starting with “Ya Mama” from their breakthrough 1992 album Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde, the trio transported the mostly elder Millennial and Gen X crowd back to their youth. From there, it was one memorable hit after another to remind fans just how influential this group was to the hip-hop scene.
While they continue to produce new music, the set mostly focused on their first two albums, with classics like “Otha Fish” and “Drop,” and, of course, their standout jam, “Passin’ Me By.” Fittingly, The Pharcyde closed out their hour-long set with “Runnin’” from 1995’s Labcabincalifornia while giving tribute to Detroit rapper J Dilla, who produced the album.
A haze of smoke had been steadily growing in the air all night, but it became even more pronounced when Cypress Hill took to the stage. B-Real, with his trademark nasally tone, and Sen Dog, sporting the iconic bucket hat, showed right out of the gate that they have not lost a single step in their 30 years of performing.The entire set played like a giant greatest hits collection, but their classic 1993 album Black Sunday was given particular attention straight away with “Cock the Hammer,” “When the Sh*t Goes Down,” and “A to the K” getting the crowd going early on.
For “Latin Lingo,” Sen Dog went solo on the mic while B-Real joined Eric “Bobo” Correa on the drums. This was followed by an extended drum solo, with Bobo showing why he’s been so instrumental to the group’s unique sound, as well as a solo from the group’s touring DJ, DJ Lord.
Just before “I Wanna Get High,” a giant inflatable skeleton rocking a pot leaf afro and holding a blunt appeared center stage as everyone in the group toked on joints during the song. “Dr. Green Thumb” gave B-Real the opportunity to plug his cannabis dispensary of the same name, which he said is located nearby on Detroit’s 8-mile road. From there, the jams kept going with their breakout song “How I Could Just Kill a Man,” from their 1991 self-titled album followed by “Rock Superstar” from their 2000 album Skull & Bones.
Of course, no Cypress Hill show would be complete without the earworm of a hit “Insane in the Membrane.” While that would have made for a perfectly outstanding end to the night, B-Real and Sen Dog then brought out all of the opening performers onto the stage to help close out the show with a cover of House of Pain’s “Jump Around,” which B-Real called one of the greatest songs of all time.
From the production visuals to the commanding stage presence and energy to their ageless sound, Cypress Hill showed that they don’t do anything by half. Hopefully, the fog of smoke that was left in the room doesn’t mean that memories of this show will be equally foggy because it was an all-star performance all around.
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