Customer Reviews

Rise Up

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I've been listening to Cypress since they were guest features on Mellow Man Ace's debut album back in '89. Rise Up is yet another solid album from my favorite group.

This album follows the trend that Cypress has taken over the last decade, including more rock into the production. What makes Rise Up different from most Cypress albums are the producers behind the beats. Muggs unusually contributed only two beats, whereas B-Real himself produced half of the tracks on the album. Roughly half of Rise Up's 15 tracks are rock-based, courtesy of guest producers like Tom Morello and Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park.

One thing you'll notice about this album is that the material isn't as dark as their older work. The exception is "Carry Me Away", where B-Real and Sen get introspective about making it out of the streets. Sen Dog recorded plenty of material that was unusually never included in their last album, but he's featured on most of the songs on Rise Up. 420 fans will enjoy Mary Jane tributes K.U.S.H. as well as Pass the Dutch, a nod to Musical Youth's 1982 smash hit. If you're a Spanish speaker like myself, you'll love Armada Latina, where Sen and B-Real trade verses with fellow Cubano Pitbull over a Jim Jonsin sampling of "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young).

Rise Up marks an evolution in Cypress Hill's music. Not only with respect to the beats, but the need for B-Real and Sen to grow beyond darker themes as they mature. A better effort overall than Skull & Bones, but not quite as strong as their first four albums. If you're a longtime fan of Cypress, add this one to your collection.

Hill heads have been waiting for this album since 2004, and during the band's hiatus, the standard in hip-hop quality continued to fall. (Lil' Wayne? Soulja Boy? Are you reading this?)

The title begs the question: from what or from whence are they rising? (Why rise up? Why not fall down?) The answer is simple: the Hill are rising up from irrelevance and obscurity.

Then again, the Hill was never too far off the mainstream radar, meaning they never really fell into "irrelevance" or "obscurity." Nevertheless, the return of Cypress Hill brings a tear to my eye. Their return raises the standard.

The Hill has been churning out the finest West Coast hip hop since their debut album in 1991. So needless to say, they're seasoned veterans. (They know Chicano rap.) And truly, this album is the work of masters.

Each track is hot. Nothing is filler. The variety is ever-present. Some tracks are filled with crunchy, grinding rock beats, while others are dusty and smoky. Or, in other words, this album sounds very much like their back catalog. (And believe me, folks: that's a good thing.)

"It ain't Nothin'" starts things off right. "Light It Up" is one of my favorite tracks on the album. (I'm always telling people to "light it up," and now, I have some support.)

The titular track, "Rise Up" is AMAZING. It's pure fire. It rips and it roars. `nough said.

"Get It Anyway" is one of my favorite tracks. Listen to the production. It's sick! "Pass the Dutch" is a weed anthem. But hey, it's Cypress Hill...so what were you expecting?

I wanted to skip "Bang Bang," but I'm hoping it will grow on me. "K.U.S.H." (which stands for "keep us real high") is another weed track.

"Get `em Up" sounds like something you'd hear at a dance club. It's very energetic. "Carry Me Away" is emotional...but in a good way.

"Trouble Seeker" is nice and heavy (thanks to the guitar work of Daron Malakian of System of a Down). Along with "Rise Up," this track will turn some heads. Listen for Everlast on "Take My Pain." (I`ve always liked Everlast.)

"I Unlimited" sounds like a throwback track. It's lively and up-tempo. "Shut `em Down" features Tom Morello on guitar. Morello is a beast. (I'm so happy he plays on more than one track!)

"Armed and Dangerous" is perhaps my favorite track on the whole album. B Real's lyrics are reminiscent of the good ol' days. "Armada Latina" is nice and smooth.

Cypress Hill pulled out all of the stops. This album brings amazing lyrics and hot production. Pick this up and support the Hill.

Peace.

this is not your typical Cypress Hill album. It has very little in common with classics such as Black Sunday, III (Temples of Boom) or IV, and shares more with Skulls and Bones, straying towards a more rock-centric, upbeat style, instead of their usual funny laid back style. Now for some, this may be a turn off if thats what your looking for, but if you take a good listen, you'll realize this is a great album. I personally love It Ain't Nothing and Light It Up, because they represent a more classic Cypress sound. This is as I said a little bit of a depature from the norm, but it works for them in songs such as Carry Me Away (this may be because I'm a big M. Shinoda fan, and loved Fort Minor) but its nice to see a more mature tone to some of their music. A couple of the songs have Cheech and Chong talking and doing an intro to the song, and those are, of course, hilarious. But then again would you expect any less from a Cypress-Cheech&Chong Match up?I really do like this album, it has more diversity then some of their old stuff, but almost not enough of their old style, which is why I gave it 4 stars. I highly reccomend this album, just be prepared for something a little different. My favorite tracks are It Ain't Nothing, Light It Up, Dead Man's Gun, and Carry Me Away

This is another foray into rap/rock much like Stoned Raiders and just as good. Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine / Audioslave has a few cameos and there is a fantastic Crosby Stills and Nash sample. They seemed a little worn out on with Till Death but they were wide awake for this cd. If you like the hard rock of Skull and Bones and Stoned Raiders you will love this cd.

good news at the cypress hill front, they are back with a great new album. what an opener on their cd: that bassline!! It's a realy diverse album; some fast songs, and some slow dope songs. some great guests like the rage against the machine and system of a down guitar players but also that funny guy of cheech and chong. i think this is their best album since Skull and bones. I think Cypress Hill is on top of the rapscene, but they a more creative then any other act, because they blend the best of hip hop, rock, reggae, pop, world music..... etc. in a couple of weeks i'm gonna see them live on stage in Amsterdam! they rock on your stereo but even more live on stage!

This is a very good album, and ranks up there with their best. No idea how two people hated it enough to give it one star. Don't get that at all. But to each their own. Personally, I love this album, Armada Latina aside. gitit.

I'm loving the new Cypress, as it seems like the natural follow-up to Skull and Bones and Stoned Raiders. The reggae influence of Till Death Do Us Part is completely gone, and although I did love TDDUP, I'm glad they are back to a more traditional Cypress sound. That does not mean, though, that this sounds like rehashed old stuff. It absolutely does not. The songs sound fresh and new, and very energetic. I even think that they have emboldened their sound with Armada Latina, featuring guest vocals from Marc Anthony(?!). Every song on the cd is good, but I think from the track K.U.S.H. until the end, the songs are just amazing. I've been waiting for this album for a long time, and I'm so happy that it's not a disappointment. Cypress probably won't blow up again like in the 90's, but this cd is a treat for their fans and makes a damn good addition to their discography.

It's been almost 20 years since seminal rap group Cypress Hill arrived on the scene with their brilliant self-titled release. Coupled with the 1993 classic album Black Sunday, the weed-loving Latino rappers rattled off a 1-2 punch of greatness rarely seen in the rap world - two extremely enjoyable, consistent albums all the way through with very little or no filler.
After Black Sunday, Cypress Hill continued to deliver albums, and while they've never released a terrible disc, their output has been increasingly uneven over the years.
B-Real, Sen Dog and D.J. Muggs took a six-year hiatus before releasing Rise Up this week, not so coincidentally on 4-20. Even on some of the latter-day inconsistent discs, the group has always embraced a wide array of sounds, never sticking to one style. But rarely have they been able to fuse everything together consistently. Until now, that is.
Throughout Rise Up, Cypress Hill drift seamlessly from the bass-heavy funk of their old days to heavy-rock guitar-infused tracks with a bevy of quality guest starts. Former Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello lends his shredding ability on two of the standouts - the title track and "Shut Em Down." System of a Down guitarist Daron Malakian delivers another heavy track (Trouble Seeker), while Everlast and Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda lend their vocals to two others ("Take My Pain, "Carry Me Away".
I love the rockers, but the hip-hop tracks are just as good, including the pumping bass-heavy opener "It Ain't Nuthin." Throughout the album, as usual, the boys let it be known that they love a certain herb, and that lifelong passion blazes through (pun fully intended) on tracks like "Pass the Dutch", "K.U.S.H (Keeps Us So High) and "Light it Up."
But my favorite track is the final one on the album, and one of the most catchy things they've ever done. Surprisingly using the sample of the Crosby, Stills and Nash classic "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" and getting a helping hand from Latino singer Marc Anthony and rapper Pit Bull, "Armada Latina" is the best thing they've done in years and a brilliant way to cap off a stellar return to form. Great to have these guys back, doing what they do best.

I bought this because I grew up listening to Cypress Hill and I was very disappointed they definetly peeked 10 years ago

Great CD, catchy beats. If your a fan of there other stuff your surely to like this one.