What began as a running sketch on a 1996 episode of The Simpsons has turned into a multi-cultural milestone.
On July 10, 2024, the iconic hip-hop group Cypress Hill made pop culture history, performing a historic show with the London Symphony Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall. Initially predicted by an episode of The Simpsons 28 years prior, the moment was finally realized in a sold-out, one-night-only event that showcased the highly influential artists with a classical crossover performance hailed by fans and critics as a moment that will go down in music history.
Culminating the event with a feature-length concert film and live album Cypress Hill and the London Symphony Orchestra: Black Sunday Live at the Royal Albert Hall, the movie and album find three-time GRAMMY® Award Nominees B-Real, Sen Dog, Eric Bobo, and company in top form, with classical embellishments to their beloved album Black Sunday and other hits from the group’s catalog performed with one of the world’s most renowned orchestral ensembles.
Cypress Hill will be bringing their historic Royal Albert Hall experience to the Providence Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, May 14 when the group performs with The Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra.
Named after a street in Los Angeles, Cypress Hill arrived on the music scene in 1991 with the release of their self-titled debut album. They followed it up with the acclaimed Black Sunday in the summer of 1993, which debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top 200 album chart, and went triple platinum in the U.S.
Black Sunday made Cypress Hill the first rap group to have two simultaneous Billboard Top 10 albums, and the first Latino-American hip-hop group to achieve multi-platinum success. The album helped launch a 30+ year career, and the group has played a major influence on many artists including Paul Wall, Post Malone, System of A Down, Linkin Park, Rage Against the Machine, and Korn. Cypress Hill also became the first hip-hop group to be awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
We sat down with Eric Bobo from Cypress Hill to talk about the group’s acclaimed classical crossover experience, the launch and early pressures of their career, and their milestone moments.
Al Gomes (Motif) : It’s now legendary that 28 years ago the TV show The Simpsons predicted and sparked the idea of you and the group collaborating with the London Symphony Orchestra. What were your initial thoughts on the genesis of that idea?
Eric Bobo (Cypress Hill) : Well, since it first came out on The Simpsons as a running joke, it had always posed the question of “What if?” And as time went on, we were doing our normal things – recording and touring – and around 2018, it kind of came up again via a series of tweets between Cypress Hill and the London Symphony Orchestra. And then the press caught onto it. “They’re talking about doing something!” “The Simpsons predicted this!” All this kind of stuff.
We started to go through logistics to finally make it work. It was at that time that we said, “This could really be a big possibility.” The people at the London Symphony Orchestra were really into it. They’re very picky on who they want to collaborate or do anything with. The fact that they were really into the idea of it made it a bit easier for us. When it finally happened, it was an incredible moment. “We’re actually now doing it.” It completed the circle.
AG : What has been your favorite part of this whole experience so far?
EB : For me, so far, it’s the fact of doing something pretty organic. Doing this project with the London Symphony Orchestra has been an incredible experience. It’s been a musical growth for us to be able to transform our songs into this kind of format, and make it make sense. And seeing their reactions – the various orchestras that we’ve been able to perform this with – seeing them go, “Wow – this is something really really cool.”
For us, and for a lot of people, you would think that doing something with the symphony is going to be really snobbish and they’re not really into the whole thing as classical music purists. So what was really been surprising was to have each one of the symphony orchestras that we’ve played with be so happy with the experience. It just lets you know how far music can go and how you can take people that do completely different genres of music and they can come together and to make something that’s really cool. That’s been the fun thing about it. And we’ve been meeting some cool people along the way.
AG : Being the first hip-hop group to have two Billboard Top 10 albums in a row, did you feel like you and the group were enjoying everything that was happening at the beginning, or did the pressure start mounting at that point?
EB : I think at that point so many things were happening so quickly that we were just going with the flow. We didn’t add any other extra pressure to ourselves and say, “OK – well, what are we going to do next?” We were really excited for how way things were going. When it came time to go into the studio to do the next record, we were all excited trying to do something a little different – kind of expand on the sound, trying not to repeat ourselves. So we just kept true to us.
We didn’t really succumb to the pressure. I think that was pretty evident. I think people really appreciated that we were staying true to ourselves. Just because you try different things musically doesn’t mean that you’re changing the overall power of the brand. I think it’s really cool that we as a band have been able to work in different genres and transcend a lot of those boundaries. And not very many hip-hop groups have been able to achieve that.
AG : It sounds like you all were in a very healthy place at the beginning of your success.
EB : I think that we were just happy to be doing what we always wanted to do and have the opportunity to do it. We took advantage of that and had fun doing it. I think that the minute that you start to succumb to all those pressures – that’s not fun to have to deal with. That’s not a good way to go forward with it. And I think that we were just enjoying the fact of doing it. Regardless of the success, we were just happy being able to make music that we wanted to make. To come out with something really cool and fresh for us, and continue to grow. It was important for us to be able to grow as artists.
AG : Creatively and career-wise, what do you consider the group’s high-water marks?
EB : Wow. Oh man – I think we have a couple. Doing festivals like Lollapalooza and Woodstock in 1994 and opening up those doors to be able to play in not just hip-hop deemed events and concerts, but with all kinds of music. Being able to be placed in different festivals with different genres. I think those have all been big highlights. And then doing this project with the London Symphony Orchestra and other orchestras. That has been something incredible, because it really shows a different side and a strong maturity. After 30+ years in the game, I think it’s important to show that growth. And we were fortunate to be able to do it.
AG : Is it surreal to think about how much of an effect you have had on both hip-hop and rock bands who went on to become music icons because of your influence?
EB : You know, we’re very happy that we’ve been able to influence several artists. It’s about being able to open those doors for people to come after us and say, “You know – we can do this.” That it’s OK to go out on a limb like we did and try some different stuff. No matter what the results will be at the end, you’re never gonna know how it’s going to turn out until you try it. And we weren’t afraid to try. I think that’s a big important thing – to not be afraid to try things and come out of your comfort zone. But at the same time, still keep true to what you do. I think that been a big plus for us and a big influence on others.
AG : Any plans for a new album?
EB : We’re releasing Cypress Hill and the London Symphony Orchestra: Black Sunday Live at the Royal Albert Hall as an album. That comes out soon. In the meantime, we are starting to develop new material. So there will be new music coming from Cypress Hill. We are definitely far from done.
Cypress Hill and The Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra perform live on Wednesday, May 14 at 7:30 pm at the Providence Performing Arts Center, 220 Weybosset Street in Providence, RI. Tickets can be purchased at ppac.evenue.net/events/HILL or by calling 401-421-2787.
