B-Real
Smoke N Mirrors

Awaiting the upcoming (and heavily advertised on Myspace) new album by Cypress Hill, B-Real has begun the rehearsal stages with his solo debut "Smoke N Mirrors," released under Duck Down Records.

If with the latest releases from the Cypress world and its surroundings (remember Louis's numerous mixtapes, Muggs' parallel projects, and not least the respective solo albums of Sen Dog and Eric Bobo), the decline of the CH brand already appeared quite clear, it was obvious that expectations for what's next were at an all-time low. In fact, nothing worse could be expected from this disappointing work, which features and collaborations with several old acquaintances already seen on previous releases (Kurupt, Snoop Dogg, Damian Marley, Xzibit), and other names decidedly less resonant (Babydoll Refresh, protégé Young De, Bo.Roc). Sick Jacken, The Alchemist, J.Turner, Scoop Deville, and even the Mexican/Cuban rapper himself were responsible for the productions. It's needless to point out that the absence of Dj Muggs is very noticeable, but not to the extent of compromising the final result, given that beyond the productions, certainly not up to par, it is primarily B-Real himself who is unconvincing: it is quite evident, in fact, that the crowd's showman, an authentic added touch to successes like Insane In The Brain and Tequila Sunrise, has lost the polish and the fluid, cutting flow that made him famous and beloved in his genre.

Among the improbable Latin excursions ("Fire," and "1 Life" featuring the other Cypress member Sen Dog) more similar to one of those ridiculous group dances than the fascinating Latin-dark sounds of the beginnings, unnecessary ultra-modern arrangements ("6 Minutes," "Gangsta Music," "Smoke N Mirrors"), toy-like sounds worthy of the worst YouTube beatmakers ("Don't Laugh" is only partially salvaged by a good performance from Xzibit, "Dr.Hyphnenstein" shows us an increasingly pathetic Snoop Dogg), there are really few flashes in an album that seems to have nothing to add to the already fulfilling career of the charismatic rapper. Among these are "Everything U Want" (an engaging track and little else), and the excellent "Psycho Realm Revolution," bolstered by the featuring of old partner Sick Jacken, and unexpected yet effective 90's callbacks (nice g-funk style synth).

We can only wait for the new album to see if it's truly time to put an end to a respectable and historic brand like Cypress Hill.