Skip to Content
Music

‘Look at Us Now’ ~ Cypress Hill Becomes the First Latino Hip Hop Group on Walk of Fame

7:32 PM PDT on April 18, 2019

[dropcap size=big]C[/dropcap]louded in wafts of weed smoke, just two days before 4/20, Cypress Hill became the first Latino hip hop group to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

“Nobody believed in us for a long time,” the longtime producer of the group, DJ Muggs, said at the ceremony Thursday morning. “But look at us now! We got a star!”

The group – consisting of Muggs, Mexican and Cuban rapper B-Real, and Cuban-born rapper Sen Dog – is originally from South Gate. They were one of the most successful hip hop groups in the 1990s, especially with their first two albums. Cypress Hill released a self titled debut in 1991, and followed that up two years later with Black Sunday, which included the massive hit “Insane in The Brain.”

With an eerie sound that combined gangster rap, occasional Spanish and Spanglish lyrics, and weed centric themes, the group found crossover success with all hip hop and rock music demographics—and apparently with L.A. City Councilman Mitch O’Farrell, who said at the ceremony, “I may not look like I like a Cypress Hill fan, but let me say, ‘I’m insane in the membrane!’”

Watch the full ceremony below.

Other attendees at the ceremony included local radio legend Big Boy, producer Alchemist, Public Enemy member Chuck D, Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, and Spanto from the clothing line Born X Raised. Comedian George Lopez was also in attendance. He called Cypress Hill’s star “the most important on the Walk of Fame.” Rapper and Pimp My Ride host Xzibit also spoke, calling the group “The Rolling Stones of our generation. The West Coast Public Enemy.”

“It’s about time for this,” Xzibit continued. “In the 1990s, there wasn’t a lot of Latin representation in hip hop, Cypress Hill changed all of that.” The crowd, filled with people of color and at one point a procession of white robbed nuns walking by, erupted in cheers. “I feel like we should all be smoking right now!” Xzibit exclaimed to more cheers.

B-Real with Big Boy. All photos by Sam Ribakoff.

Later, B-Real dedicated his group’s star to “cannabis culture and the stoners of the world,” before changing tone and thanking his brothers for getting him into music.

“I want to thank my brothers for saving my life,” he said. “Before music, I was into gang culture, and, as you know, there isn’t a lot of ways out. But they brought me into music. And then, I want to thank our crazy ass fans for sticking with us for so long!”

The star is available to see near 6201 Hollywood Blvd.

RELATED: Snoop Dogg's Day: From Long Beach Crip, to Rapper, to a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Already a user?Log in

Thanks for reading!

Register to continue

Become a Member

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from L.A. TACO

Spot Check! Caviar Cakes, Champurrado Pot de Creme, Tamal Ice Cream, and Free Elote From Becky G

You can also party with L.A.'s first Black women-owned dispensary, enjoy a Lebanese legend past midnight, and pair quesabirrias with funnel cakes.

September 29, 2023

The Seven Best Tacos Along Metro’s K Line, From Crenshaw to Inglewood

The K Line is Metro's newest light rail line that cruises through the heart of Black Los Angeles, from Nipsey Square to Leimert Park. The taco scene along this route is all about hustle, featuring some of the cities must under-the-radar community gems like a historic L.A. taquería with a killer red salsa, lightly crunchy "enchilada tacos," and so much more. Next stop: flavor.

September 29, 2023

Is Hollywood’s Walk of Fame The World’s Worst Tourist Attraction?

A local news station scanned Google, TikTok, and other online reviews to cherry-pick a handful that calls the Boulevard "grubby, slightly scary... dirty, unsafe" and "one of the worst tourist attractions on the planet." We weighed in on the subject.

September 28, 2023

The Eight Best Punk Bars and Venues in Los Angeles

This may be the last generation of beautifully grimy punk bars and venues in a city that is overdeveloping all of these counterculture community spaces into the post-gentrification abyss. Go and support by buying drinks at all these places to make sure they stick around for the next generation.

September 27, 2023
See all posts