B-Real, the longtime frontman of West Coast legends Cypress Hill, has gone the way of fellow members DJ Muggs, Eric Bob, and Sen Dog by dropping a solo album. B-Real’s debut on Duck Down Records, home to backpack favorites Boot Camp Clik, sticks to the formula of the Hill aesthetic. Smoke N Mirrors looks like a Cypress Hill album, complete with calavera artwork and marijuana references. However, that’s where the comparison ends. B-Real makes sure that this is a B-Real project, not a Cypress Hill project, with only one Sen Dog appearance and nothing from DJ Muggs nor Bobo. Instead, the guest appearances include Soul Assassins affiliates Alchemist, Kurupt, and Sick Jacken; labelmates Tek and Buckshot; and former collaborator Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley.
Smoke N Mirrors starts off right, with “Gangsta Music” and “Don’t Ya Dare Laugh” both backed by strong production. Bo Roc’s smooth crooning on the hook really brings the Soopafly-produced “Gangsta Music” together. On “Don’t Ya Dare Laugh,” Scoop Deville brings a very Dr. Dre-type sound, complete with a dark, looming piano. In the meantime, B-Real and protégé Young De rep for the West Coast and take an approach reminiscent of the old G-funk material: reminding the listener that it’s dangerous out here in California if you’re in the wrong hood.
But enough of the violence, as “Ganja Bus” collaborators B-Real and Damian Marley come together again to celebrate their love of the herb on “Fire”. B-Real is on the mic AND on the boards for this one, and it’s a truly enjoyable listen as it mixes fun and a particular lightness into one. It’s a little fast-paced for an ode to weed, as many songs about weed are usually heavier and slower paced (hmm… I wonder why…).
Smoke N Mirrors’ drawback is mostly its inconsistency. Not even Snoop Dogg can save “Dr. Hyphenstein,” an ill-advised attempt at a club track, with the drums seemingly lifted from J-Kwon’s “Get Tipsy”. “Stack’n Paper” is equally uninspiring. Alchemist is nice on the boards of “6 Minutes,” but the featured Young De will most likely be a byproduct of the “6 minutes of fame” topical matter. He’s just not that good, yet, he’s on 5 of the LP’s 15 joints. Even though this is an album attempting to be “new” and “fresh,” old combinations would’ve been more than welcome. The B-Real and Muggs combination has proven to be as lethal as Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg when they’re on top of their game. Overall, Smoke N Mirrors, while inconsistent, does have replay value, but only from a select few. If nothing else, it only whets the appetite for Cypress Hill’s long-awaited ninth album scheduled to drop this year.
70/100
Standout Tracks:
“Fire”
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
“Gangsta Music”
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
“Psycho Realm Revolution”
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I agree with all that’s said. It’s a good listen, especially to bump in your car, but it doesn’t have any really memorable bangers. It’s like Freddie said, B-real probably works best with Muggs hanling the production
this review is on point. i co-sign everything. i was happy to hear something new from b-real but in the end i wasnt that satisfied…
Didn’t like it at all.
6 minutes is about 4 minutes too long.
This album is about 5 tracks too long.
sad, I was expecting more from a Duck Down release, but they’ve been firing a few blanks lately..