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B-Real of Cypress Hill : Publicity image
Rapper B-Real of Cypress Hill spoke with me yesterday in the EMI Records artist lounge, hours before his show at SOB's in Brooklyn. Watch the video for B-Real's thoughts on his metalhead roots, The Simpsons, and non-medicinal marijuana.
Also, see below for a full transcript of B-Real's take on new frontmen in rock bands such as Black Sabbath and Alice in Chains.
Examiner: Were you a Guns N’ Roses fan before [the collaboration with Slash]?
B-Real: Oh yeah, for sure
Examiner: Have you heard the new album, Chinese Democracy?
B-Real: No, I mean look. I liked Guns N’ Roses in the old form. Right now they’re just Guns. Or actually they’re just Roses, no guns. Til he puts the rest of the guys back there that sh*t is not Guns N’ Roses just cause he owns the name, means nothing.
Examiner: So you’re a Gn’R purist?
B-Real: I’m a Gn’R purist. Just like Van Halen. Van Hagar, eat me! Look, Van Halen with David Lee Roth, I’m all for it. The only band that did that, two bands that did that that I was cool with, and didn’t have a problem with. One was AC/DC. I loved Bon Scott, when they replaced him when he died, obviously I was younger but hearing the transition from Bon Scott to, what’s his name, it was great it’s like they didn’t miss a step, you know. So I stayed an AC/DC fan because it was like, those were the first records I heard with Bon Scott and then I started hearing the other ones, with Brian Johnson, and I was like f*ck, this sh*t is still kinda cool. And then, I was a big Black Sabbath fan, and the records with Ozzy I loved, and I didn’t know cause obviously that was before my time, I was a youngster when Black Sabbath was actually active with Ozzy, so being an Ozzy Osborne fan I went to those back catalogues and found the old era Sabbath stuff, then I heard the Dio stuff and at first I thought how the f*ck did they make a record without Ozzy, and they got Dio. And then I started listening to the Dio sh*t and was like you know what, it was actually kind of tight. But it doesn’t work with all bands like that, you know? It’s always a gamble. That’s why I gotta give props to Alice in Chains, man, because they did just that.
Examiner: He sounds just like him
B-Real: He sounds great, man, their show is f*cking phenomenal. That’s why you gotta give it to a band that can get past a tragedy like that, and get out there and do the music. And you gotta give the new guy a chance, cause it’s not his fault the other ain’t there no more, it’s a tragedy. He’s just trying to come and take that band further so that you can always remember those first memories, and they’ll give you some new ones, know what I mean?
The new Cypress Hill record, Rise Up, comes out next week on April 20th. Many thanks to the Cypress Hill management and label for arranging access to B-Real.
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Comments
This mook is lucky Slash needed help, I mean who the f*** cares about some washed up rap joke. The new GNR is great and the old band couldn't have made an album as good as Chinese. Go back to yer borough man.
Your right Cap'n. Chinese democracy is the best rock n' roll album since Appetite. Velvet Revolver? Suh-uh-ucks.
van hagar had its moments.
if you like dio in sabbath then you should respect sammy.
go listen to chickenfoot and montrose- B.
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