Cypress Hill: "Recording with a symphony orchestra has been like growing up."

Everyone knows that The Simpsons prophesied dozens, if not hundreds, of the most disparate events and occurrences, which appeared comically in the series and then became reality years or decades later. And as incredible as it may seem, that scene from a 1996 episode in which Cypress Hill performed a concert accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra, which they had hired by mistake, has also come true.

It was exactly a year ago, at the Royal Albert Hall in the British capital, where the band performed with the prestigious orchestra to record a live album that was released just a few days ago, shortly before the Spanish tour that has taken in the Icónica Sevilla and Murcia On festivals, and which this Friday stops at the Río Babel in Madrid.

"It's a very interesting story, of course. We first did that collaboration with The Simpsons, and obviously, I never thought it would actually happen. It took a few years of work to make it happen, but the experience has been more than worth it. Having that orchestra behind us playing those beautiful melodies was incredible. It was as if we had suddenly grown up as artists (laughs). But in these Spanish concerts, we're obviously returning to our "natural state" and we'll be playing all the great classics we have time to play."

Cypress Hill was born in 1988 in South Gate, California, and in the 1990s they became one of the most recognizable hip-hop groups thanks to a very personal sound approach that differentiated them from the so-called "West Coast rap" championed by Tupac Shakur , Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and Snoop Dogg. Cypress Hill were less "gangsta," with a Latin edge and more relaxed and fun, and they ended up attracting a whole legion of fans who also opened their ears to other genres like rock. "It was a very special time in the history of music," says Sen Dog with unmistakable nostalgia. "The concerts were absolutely crazy, the fans were absolutely wild. Now they've grown up and bring their kids (laughs), which ensures our survival."

Sen Dog assures that, in reality, the thing about surviving is something they learned from a very young age. “On the streets, you had to have personality, or you were dead. If you weren't authentic, if you didn't stick to your way of being, you were eaten. I think all of that carried over into our way of making music, and fortunately, it found a tremendous response from millions of kids inside and outside the United States. We admired Public Enemy, Run DMC, and also the Beastie Boys , because we were never ones who thought white people could 'steal' our rap. We didn't think that way about them or Eminem, because they both had authenticity, and because everyone, regardless of color or race, is welcome to make rap bigger. We also managed to do things our way and build our own personality, so that our authenticity was also recognized by people.”

The story of Cypress Hill was chronicled in detail in the 2022 documentary 'Inside in the Brain,' but Sen Dog says they'll "never" jump on the biopic bandwagon. "It would be too difficult to recreate our lives accurately and with nothing important missing. For example, when I saw 'Straight Outta Compton' (the film about the band NWA), I saw things that weren't exactly like that in reality. I was there at that time and place, and I witnessed it all. Also, I think it would be very difficult for me to see myself portrayed by an actor. I don't think I'd be satisfied with any of them."

Regarding the evolution of hip-hop in the 21st century, Sen Dog believes that "great things have been done," and although he laughs and admits that it's not the rap he usually listens to because he almost always goes for the classics, he also acknowledges that from time to time, he comes across an artist "who is taking the genre to a new level." Still, he asserts, "today, no one as incredible, talented, and revolutionary as Chuck D and Flavor Flav" (the founders of Public Enemy) has emerged, two role models for all rappers who include social criticism in their lyrics. And in that regard, he asserts that "there is more and more to write about," referring to the new and old problems emerging in the United States. "Everyone should have the right to try to improve their lives with whatever means they have at their disposal, and the criminal activities of some should not be an excuse to criminalize everyone," he says about the harassment suffered by the immigrant population.

Sen Dog confesses to seeing "so many changes in such a short time" that he sometimes feels overwhelmed and doesn't know what to think. "I'm not a very political person, so to speak. I don't have intelligent answers for everything, but what is clear is that it's shameful to see people being arrested in their homes, at their workplaces, and then transferred to these detention camps where they are not treated properly. I hope that one day we will all see each other again as human beings with equal rights."