Dark. Fottutamente dark. E sballato. Basterebbe questo a descrivere "III (Temples Of Boom)", il terzo singolarissimo album dei Cypress Hill, il loro capolavoro per eccellenza, ma merita decisamente uno zoom più indicativo.
Era il 1995, e l'Hip Hop non era ancora un genere per ragazzini viziati con costosi vestiti larghi incollati su mtv, non c'erano i video con le puttane e le cadillac di lusso (o perlomeno in minore quantità, basti pensare alle lowriders tanto apprezzate e video-trasportate dai nostri), non c'era il penoso Dirty South e il Crunk, non c'erano gli stereoidi, non c'erano i video "cash & uzi" di improvvisati pseudogangsta figli di papà, non c'erano i bambolotti creati dalle assetate major (vedi 50 cent, the game, kanye, pharrell, lupe fiasco e il pattume commerciale rigorosamente minuscolo su cui riversa oggi giorno questo genere di fatto qualitativamente MORTO). E continuando sulla teatrale intro mai così veritiera, non c'era ancora il successo planetario di Ciccio Timbaland (sebbene già attivo) che ti produce qualsiasi cosa, da Mino Reitano a Cristiano Malgioglio passando per Madonna e Justin Timberlake. Non c'erano nemmeno maispeiz e iutiub, non c'erano 15enni d'un tratto improvvisati producer, che uppano i loro beat fruitylopposi sui forum, non c'erano gli ipod e non c'erano i p2p dove rubare musica e scaricare fake.
E' doveroso ricordare come anche i Cypress, qualche anno dopo, cadranno nel trappolone commerciale, dapprima proponendo una sorta di discutibile nu-metal-rap-core (quando andava forte gentaglia del calibro di Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, Guano Apes), in seguito voltando su patetiche sonorità reggae ed esotiche (quando andava forte gentaglia del calibro di Sean Paul, Kevin Little, Elephant Man), e poi ancora, producendo album con beat strapompati e synth fastandfurosi a manetta (quando andava forte gentaglia del calibro di Ludacris, Lil Jon, Chingy), ma non mi perdo in discorsi di "sistavameglioquandosistavapeggio", purezza dell'HH, passione e menate varie, anche i nostri come tutti erano interessati al dio denaro, ma non vi è dubbio che con III sono per certi versi usciti da determinati clichè del genere e richieste commerciali.
A me piace ricordarli così, con "Temples Of Boom", una pietra miliare, un capolavoro senza tempo, un originalissimo viaggio fatto musica, un prodotto anni luce avanti, un lavoro stracolmo di insolite sperimentazioni e trovate assurde, gli aggettivi si sprecano: folle, notturno, affascinante, ossessivo, disturbato, fuso, aspro, durissimo, a tratti disumano, un disco che di fatto cambiò la storia dell'Hip Hop, se vogliamo chiamarlo tale, perchè "Temples Of Boom", puo essere tutto e niente, non è semplice Hip Hop, sia chiaro, difatti il dio del beat Lawrence Muggerud (al secolo Dj Muggs), talentuoso producer del gruppo, con questo album ha di fatto creato dal nulla un genere assolutamente nuovo ed unico, un suggestivo "Dark-Hip Hop" che fu a tratti riproposto solo nel sequel IV degli stessi Cypress.
Già dalla cover si puo avere una mezza idea del mood di questo album, le atmosfere sono quanto di più oscuro e surreale sia mai stato creato nello standardizzatissimo panorama Hip Hop, per essere un 95' dove gran parte della scena si rifaceva al sound G-Funk, ai sintetizzatori analogici della west coast, alla ricerca del beat più street possibile, Muggeroud decise di dare una svolta e guardare avanti. Il Sound di questo disco era stato solo in parte anticipato dal suo precedessore "Black Sunday" che presentava alcune tracce simili, ma con III è tutta un altra storia: le ambientazioni di III Temples Of Boom sono mistiche e viaggiosissime, quasi spaventose, si tratta di un album incredibilmente folle e molto vario, la natura multietnica del gruppo in se rende ancora più insolito e unilaterale il loro stiile (Messicani, Cubani, ItaloAmericani, bianchi, latini, mulatti, percussionisti, c'è di tutto nei CH).
Si puo così passare da campionamenti gotico-lirici (!) e dalle note ammalianti della stupenda "Stoned Raiders" (autentica perla della loro produzione e sicuramente il brano migliore di Temples Of Boom), ai beat da sballo-jam di "Throw Your Set In The Air", per poi passare a pezzi da collasso assoluto come "Illusions" e la spettacolare "Killafornia". Non mancano pezzi durissimi ed aggressivi quali "Locotes" (notevoli le percussioni di Eric Bobo che collabora a creare un atmosfera davvero particolare), "No Rest For The Wicked" (dissing ai danni di Ice Cube) e non ultima "Killa Hill Niggas'" in collaborazione con i valorosi RZA e U-God dei Wu-Tang Clan (attenzione seriamente alle casse, perchè i bassi di questo pezzo sono veramente E-S-A-G-E-R-A-T-I). Notevoli anche le sognanti ed estranianti "Boom Biddy Bye Bye" "Funk Freakers" e "Make A Move". Sul finale sono presenti le tracce più "Stoned", in particolare la lenta "Everybody Must Get Stoned" (un classico onnipresente nella discografia dei Cypress, chi li conosce bene sa a che sonorità mi riferisco con questo termine).
Vale la pena spendere due parole su "Stoned Raiders": è il pezzo consigliato a priori, uno dei migliori capolavori mai prodotti da Muggs ed in generale nella scena Hip Hop: intro quasi Horror, cori lirici inquietanti, beat potentissimo, basso cupissimo, note di piano misteriose ed ovviamente il rap tagliente di un B-Real più incazzato che mai. Ma ogni track by track lascia il tempo che trova, questo disco per essere compreso va solamente ascoltato, e, parola mia, piacerà anche a chi non ama il genere, e (forse esagero) agli intellettualoidi jazzers o ai growldoomdeathmetallerslagnaaddictedstaymetalleddajeburzumspaccatutto che tanto girano su DeBaser.
Ma in sostanza cosa colpisce di questo "cosìtantoavvolgente" "III Temples Of Boom"? Prima di tutto il concept su cui gira tutto il lavoro, per tutta la sua durata sembra di estraniarti dal mondo esterno, non capire più un cazzo di cosa succeda, un trip mentale per territori simili a quello della splendida cover (!), e non sono cazzate da recensioni giusto per dare chissà qual tocco scenico, no, non sono nemmeno fumato, è tutto ampiamente constatabile con un ascolto attento. In secondo luogo il rappato del grande B-Real che col suo particolarissimo timbro fornisce un apporto sempre di spessore (qui compare molto di meno il partner Sen Dog). Per finire, le produzioni: alcune trovate stilistiche sono a dir poco geniali, i beat e i bassi cosi potenti da far chiedere pietà ai vostri poveri sub, il tutto cosparso ancora da quella atmosfera talmente dark e deviata che manco Atrium Carceri rinchiuso nel suo "Seishinbyouin" in compagnia di Uzumaki, Kubrick e Peter Jackson.
Daltronde.. ci sarà un motivo per cui con gli anni ho consumato talmente questo disco da renderlo inutilizzabile per ben due volte e doverlo ricomprare altrettante?! O forse sono semplicemente rognato di mio? Questo non lo so, di certo so che sono follemente drogato di questo discone!
Immortale ed assolutamente IMPERDIBILE.
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
01 Spark Another Owl (03:40)
Once again the powers of the herb open up the mind,
Seek deep inside, tell me what you find,
Come on...
[B-Real]:
Who be the ones steppin' in the room,
Everybody welcome to the temple of boom,
Back, let me see ya fat indo sack,
And get weeded, somebody, everybody need it,
Mari-Juana, Mari-Juana, do ya wanna,
Give me love when I put the flame on ya,
Homie I'm the one with the shotgun,in the closet,
Next to the fat bags full of chronic,
Puto, don't ya be steppin', with ya hands open,
Askin' me "can I get a hit of what t'cha smokein'",
I aint got no kind of love for a brother,
Who comes to the party, with no bud,
I be smokinest, indo-blazin', funk buddah,
Everybody, wanted it, now they talk about the hooter,
Up until the summer of '91,
Wasn't no mutha fuckas talkin' 'bout smokein' blunts,
From the west coast to the east coast,
Everybody be braggin',
But , I'm the one who be puffin' most,
First it started with the nickel, then the dime,
Then the Twenty, spendin' up all my money,
Now, I roll with the nelco(?),
With the pound in the pad smokein' up the indo,
Just take a deep breath (Ahh),
Hit it then pass it to the left,
You can keep the mutha fuckin' stress,
Smoke it up, just puff it up, (O yea),
Light it up, then put your spliff up in the air,
Do you wanna spark another owl?
Do you wanna spark another owl?
Everybody spark another owl.
Everybody spark another owl.
I wanna spark another owl.
I wanna spark another owl.
Do you wanna spark another owl?
Do you wanna spark another owl?
(Sen Dog)Yea, stroll the ways of the buddah mastas, brings me to the
temple of boom, I see people everywhere startin' to understand the
point, when I'm talking about the joint, talkin' 'bout that marijuana,
talkin' 'bout the sense, talkin' 'bout the kind mota boca loa-loa
maui,maui, lugers of work- ready, mexican greenba, cheeba, cheeba y'all,
yesca, humble pound weed, the crypt, the choclate tide, the afgani, the
michoacan, the indo, the skunka, the bad breath sense (cough).
Hello everyone, I'm Kurt Loaded, we're here in hemp TV, with
Cypress Hill in Amsterdam we're listening to there new album, I'm
stoned, I'm outta here, Goodbye folks.
02 Throw Your Set in the Air (04:08)
[Whispered]
"Who there, who there."
"Ask that little young maybe here man. I got all fuck goin' on everyday,
what you want man?"
"Hey what's up O.G. showtime man?
"What's up homes."
"Hey man, I've been thinkin' man an' I'm-"
"Been thinkin' about what."
"Hey I'm ready to get put down on this set."
"You ready to get put down on this set?"
"I'm ready to represent shit"
"On this one right here?"
"Yes baby."
"You ready to die for this?"
"I'm ready to die for this nigga."
"What you ready to do ni'"
"An' I'm ready to put in."
"What you [Whack]ready to do! You ready to [Whack]GET yeah! GET IT! GET
IT! [Slap!]Hmmm get it! Yeah. Hit 'im! What set you from now, huh?
Word. What set you from..."
Every nigga out there wanna be down with our crew
Some ain't got enough heart let me ask you
This: Would you be down like a soldier
Loyal
An' do everything I told ya
I can mold ya
Into a warrior
Down for you neighborhood
Glockin' out, do a G with the flavor
Criminal behavior
On the mind
When I got your back
You know I got your back
Each and every time
Throw your set in the air
Come on!
Wave it around like you just don't care
Throw your set in the air
Throw it up homes!
Wave it around like you just don't care
It's time to exit that buster nigga
Get your hands out you pockets and your finger
On the trigger
Lead will fly
We don't die
We multiply
Throw your set up in the sky
I asked you kid
'Cause you can't fuck with this
Nigga, when I got the Glock
Ya better duck quick
'Cause I ain't havin' it
If ya got your gatt
You better start grabbin' it
I can handle it
Soy numero uno
Mero mero
You know I run with Muggs and the Perro
Firin' up that heater
When I'm givin' up my set I got my nina-millametre
Los Scandalous, Killafornia: where I'm from
Dum diddy dum, diddy diddy dum dum
I'm workin' on your ass
Now you know where I'm from
Dum diddy dum, diddy diddy dum dum
Throw your set in the air
Come on!
Wave it around like you just don't care
Throw your set in the air
Throw it up!
Wave it around like you just don't care
Throw your set in the air
Throw up your hood homes!
Wave it around like you just don't care
Come, come on!
Throw your set in the air
Give it up!
Wave it around like you just don't care
"Nigga throw your set in the air, nigga you know what I'm sayin', you
scared, you be takin' your mothafuckin' punk ass to church, 'cause where
I'm from nigga on the East side, every mothafuckin' day is a job, nigga.
You gotta handle your business, because if you don't, your mothafuckin'
gatt will get peeled back! And that ain't no bullshit. If you wanna test
it nigga, bring it on nigga, you know what I'm sayin'. Throw your
mothafuckin' set up in the air."
Let me take you to the dark side of the moon
Tell Mama that you won't be comin' home anytime soon
'Cause I got ya under my thumb nigga
What's that you claimin'?
Better be the same set I'm claimin'
Take a look around
Count this amount
Of soldiers when I'm chillin' on the East side of town
And it won't stop 'till I'm done
Dum diddy dum, diddy diddy dum dum
Throw your set in the air
Come on!
Wave it around like you just don't care
Throw your set in the air
Throw it up!
Wave it around like you just don't care
Throw your set in the air
Throw your hood up!
Wave it around like you just don't care
Throw your set in the air
Get it up!
Wave it around like you just don't care
"Yeah, that's right. We're straight givin' up the hood all day fool.
Cypress Hill mo'fucker what you wanna do? Ah huh. Givin' my shit up in
your FACE fool!"
04 Illusions (04:28)
Some people tell me that I need help
Some people can fuck off and go to hell
God dam why they criticize me
Now shit is on the rise and my family despise me
Fuck em and feed em cuz I don't need em
I won't join em if I can beat em
They don't understand my logic
To my gat, to my money, and I'm hook on chronic.
I never wanted to hurt a nigga
Unless you come flexing that trigger
I'll dig ya that grave on the east side of town
Now your six feet underground
From man to the dust to the ashes
All I remember tell me where the cash is!
Click clack barrel at my dome
Give all your loot or you ain't going home
But I ain't going out on a bang
Wa dada dang wa dada da dang
(Hook)
I'm having illusions all this confusion's
Driving me mad inside
I'm having illusions all this confusion's
Fuckin me up in the mind.
Mother fuckas be driving me up the walls
Hoping that I fall but they can lick my balls
Straight jacket strap it
In the padded room where some punk niggas can't hack it
Distracted from all reality now I'm let out
On a minor technicality .... They all fucked up now
Cuz they let a nigga back on the street some how
I'm looking for some one like me
Living in my own world to my own degree
On the loose in the city looking at the ho with the titties
Looking at me and I feel shitty
A lil tensed up getting hot
Cuz she looks like my girl who got smoked at the crack spot
I'm trying to find ways to cope
But I ain't fuckin around with a gage or a rope.
(Hook)
I'm having illusions all this confusion's
Driving me mad inside
I'm having illusions all this confusion's
Fuckin me up in the mind.
06 Boom Biddy Bye Bye (04:04)
Boom biddy bye bye
Boom biddy bye bye
Step back as I'm kicking up dust
For a while
As I put mothafuckas to rest
And pull their files
Out from the cabinet
With the picture
Get the 45 and settle it
With this punk nigger
Slow your roll
As I take control
Take your toke from the Indo'
Then hit and hold
Now let it out
How you feel when the herb
Got you by the balls
And you're coughing up a lung anyhow
You can't shake
That nigger that's gonna brake
Fool
On any one member of your bitch crew
As I pull the trigger
On my nine
Say goodnight nigger
Boom biddy bye bye
Boom biddy bye bye
Put your ass on the floor an' don't ask why
Boom biddy bye bye
I put my Glock to your dome and you started to cry
Boom biddy bye bye
Any last prayers before you die
Boom biddy bye bye
Rock - a - bye nigga boom biddy bye bye
You ain't never caught a rabbit
So you ain't no friend of mine
It's a habit
Barkin' up your tree with my nine
Keep your bitch on a leash or at home
A nick knack
Paddywack
Give the dog a bone
The raw dog
Fuck a law dog
Still handin' out beat - downs wit' my sawed - off
'Cause a every now and then I got to knuckle up
Buckle up
Chin checking
It's on I reckon
It's the wild wild west
Get your 40 and your blunt and your Glock and your bulletproof vest
Let me guess
Everybody wanna test
Everybody burning up, gonna get burned like Ses
Laudy daudy
We're fucking everybody
Boom biddy bye
Sing the lullaby
In the party
Boom biddy bye bye
Put your ass on the floor an' don't ask why
Boom biddy bye bye
I put my Glock to your dome and you started to cry
Boom biddy bye bye
Any last prayers before you die
Boom biddy bye bye
Rock - a - bye nigga boom biddy bye bye
Yes yes ya'll
To the beat ya'll
Watch a punk slipin' see the pouta fall
I'm buck - loody
Looking for the nigga who wanna cut me
'Cause the nigger gets so funky
Fool I'm the one
From
The big bad Cypress Hill clique, a
Number one son of the funk freaka
Yes yes ya'll
I'll be the one with the mad Buddha blast ya'll
Comin' from the west ya'll
But I figure
You'd cry like a bitch
Don't twitch
'Cause I just might pull the trigga
Now lay down
Stay down
Don't move a muscle if you see your homeboy's brains on the ground
Don't fuck don't say nothin'
You fuck around and I might get ragamuffin
Boom biddy bye bye
Line up on the floor now you' all gonna die
Boom biddy bye bye
Put your ass on the floor an' don't ask why
Boom biddy bye bye
I put the Glock to your dome and you started to cry
Boom biddy bye bye
Any last prayers before you die
Boom biddy bye bye
Rock - a - bye nigga boom biddy bye bye
Boom biddy bye bye
Put your ass on the floor an' don't ask why
Boom biddy bye bye
I put the Glock to your dome and you started to cry
Boom biddy bye bye
Any last prayers before you die
Boom biddy bye bye
Rock - a - bye nigga boom biddy bye bye
Boom biddy bye bye
It's time to die
Boom biddy bye bye
Time to say good - bye
Boom biddy bye bye
Now it's time to die
Boom biddy bye bye
Now it's time to die
09 Killafornia (02:56)
Livin in the city of the scandalous, shiesty mother fuckas
Can't even trust my own brothers,
So who can i choose to trust ? me that's who.
Niggas want a piece of the pie, fuck off and die.
Jealous, envious, fools wanna rush this.
Loco cuban ass nigga with the cash shit.
Mother fuckers better get your own
And leave mine alone forty five ways to get domed.
I send out the invitation,
To the party of your elimination.
I got peeps that play for keeps........
Now i'm layin your ass down to sleep.
But every hustler wanna be ballin
But don't got the ball's for the shot callin.
I pull strings, the don king;
Only in america can i hustle and flex my muscle.
[hook].
Where can i roam to get my hustle on,
Killafornia stackin the chips got the full clips.
Loaded and cocked used to run with a glock;
Nina milimeter sig lightin up the fuckin block now,
Who you gonna trust? who can you trust?
I don't know, but if your comin on my corner; i'm gonna bust.
You can't handle us, devious, dangerous,
Criminal mentality, insanity.
I move weight from state to state.
All the niggas movin weight can you relate.
[hook].
Where can i chill to get my hustle on,
In the alley way comin up all nite long.
Fuck workin at mc' dee's
I'm rollin with the o.z's, and the q.p's
Puffin on tree's.
Who you gonna trust? who can you trust?
Not that shady mother fucker in the city of scandalous.
{hook}..............end.
10 Funk Freakers (03:16)
Let me introduce myself
I'm the one who rose the cess
So don't you forget
Bad rolled ya help
But you still be trying to push buttons
But you ain't nothing, no fronting
I bring the level up a little louder
In the clubs in the jeeps in the after hours
Fools on the street want to feel the funk
Lookin for the skunk that's what you want
Ya better, sit back and let the track flow
Like smoke in your lungs from puffing on the endo
Rythems upside ya brain
Can ya hang can ya maintain
Can ya feel the funk flowing in ya veins
Get ya fix and a bag of tricks
And the mixer got the stix and stones a few bricks
I'm gonna hit em high, he's gonna hit em low
Open up your mind so that you can feel the flow
On and on till there all gone fools be runing
But they won't last long
(I'm the freaker) x 8
People always want to get what you got
No matter what
Can't together themselves in the big hunt
In the quest for the crown and the jewels
And the cheese muther f*cker please
And the mees want to plot against me
With envy in there hearts
But I rip there sorry arse apart
In a minute I can take it to the limit
Tempreture rising now so highsing
Coming back in with the lows
For the fools
F*cking up beako's and any body for fools (anybody fools)
The number one skunk freaker
A cypress hill beaker (the cypress hill sleaker esse)
Blowing a hole in your speaker
You don't want to test the phero
The real one or the wedo
Slanging rythems to the ghetto
Ya best keep your arse in check (come on)
Little muther f*uckers that show respect
And what's next the big brown taking you down (and what's next)
How you feel when your sorry arse can't hang with the hill (with the hill)
(little punk)
(I'm the freaker) x4
Can you feel the effects of the chocolate ties
Nobody even knows how I kick the flow
Slow down coz your coming up to fast
You might get smacked down
Coz you got no class
No code now i'm getting down the road
My shits the bomb to explode
Take cover you get blown to bits
Fades out
11 Locotes (03:39)
Hey ese look at these two motherfuckers right here homes
What you thinkin' homes
Wait `till he turns around homes
[Echoed] Watch-out
All right I got your back homes, let's go
Come on ese let's go
Let's do it
You don't wanna turn your back on me
When you least expect it
I come with the wicked method
I'm creepin' on ya
How you find your homeboys bleedin' on ya
Just the locotes
Drumin' out the potes
Got a new hollay
Jackin' in the noche
Give me your faya
In your pocket or they'll carry ya
Off and bury ya
We got in the east side every guy
Four and three and two and one
Thievery don't stop `till I get done
Sometimes I don't even need my gatt
But shit's gettin' deep and I gotta blast back
`Two' thievery `One' robbery `One' robbery
'Cause jackin' is my hobby
Give out that money, jewlery and your keys
To the five-o outside on wheels
Later out with the `85 Mustang
One-time got me on the radar
Pousha
And ya don't stop `till I'm done
Now the Puercos got me on the run
Police Radio:
"LA-14 in pursuit of two immigrant suspects armed on 187. Headed westbound
on central and Ninety-second. Armed two suspects believed to be in 1985 red
Mustang license plate Lincoln Charles David Bullshit Madelin three two.
Armed and dangerous suspects known..."
You don't wanna turn your back on me
When you least expect it
I got your keys in my possession
With my Smith and Wesson
Takin' out all my aggression
Check it out ese
You're lookin' at the jefe
Off that clicker with a big bad trese
I'll teach you a lesson
No question
Get your ass out, now you're passin' out
When ya looked at the glente
Four and three and two and one
The robbery don't stop `till I get done
Some niggas do this shit for fun
Now the Puercos got me on the run.
From bodio
Two bodio
Lookin' for anybody-o
Cessadio
Hangin' out wit madio
Lookin' for a place to hide
On the west side
Spank got my back over there it right
And it don't stop `till I'm done
Now the One-time got me on the run
[Police radio]
"LA-14, we have spotted the vehicle, suspects nowhere in sight... Aw shit!"
[Two shots ring out]
How you like me now pouto?
Fuck you pig
Let' go homes
It's the fuckin' bus eh
Get on ese
Right here homes
One-times not down with us
Now they lookin' for my ride, but I'm on the bus
Don't turn your back on a rapper like me
`Cause I'm one broke motherfucker in need
Desperate
What's goin' on in the mente
Takin' from the rich an' not from my gente
Look at that gabacho slipping
Borrocho from the cerveza he's sipping
No me vale madre
Gabacho prey to your padre
This is one the time you wanna give me the jale
Four and three and two and one
This old muthafucka got him a gun
BLAM!
I took one to the knee-cap
Things happen so fast
Now I dropped my strap
Now I'm about to meet my maker
Though I had it all figured out with a paper
No longer will I be running
Last thing I heard was the fucking gatt humming
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