Till Death Do Us Part
Never mind the fact that Cypress Hill's 15 minutes of fame expired around 10 ganja-fueled years ago--Till Death Do Us Partis a solid release from a crew who've largely been written off as a cartoonish novelty act. The South Central cartel has given its signature sound a much-needed overhaul: B-Real has smoothed his trademark nasal whine into a more measured flow that complements DJ Muggs's rejuvenated sound. The underrated producer wisely eschews the rap-metal formula that has made Cypress Hill such frat-boy favorites and instead infuses their seventh studio album with a combination of sinister hip-hop beats, sweet Latin brass, and pure, unadulterated reggae. Inspired guest appearances add flavor as well, most notably by Puerto Rican reggaeton don Tego Calderon, who turns the Alchemist-produced "Latin Thugs" into a Spanish hip-hop classic. Despite the revamp, Cypress Hill retains their love of weed and wacky sense of humor, both of which figure heavily in tunes like theBeastie Boys-inspired "Busted in the Hood."--Rebecca Levine