Cypress Hill with London Symphony Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall

With a run of warm-up symphony concerts in the US last year, Cypress Hill rehearsed for the first time with the London Symphony Orchestra only 48 hours before tonight. For an ambitious concert featuring a full run-through of their Black Sunday album, with bonus hits from their back catalogue, they betray no anxiety. The quintet arrive onstage in crisp black suits to a rapturous reception from their UK audience.

The string section delivers a superb rendition of I Wanna Get High’s piercing introduction, while B-Real’s distinctive nasal rapping style cuts through the dense array of instruments. I Ain’t Goin’ Out Like That sees Sen Dog adding a distinct lyrical punch through his more powerful vocal register. The orchestra is utilised to its full extent; brass stabs supply a rhythmically satisfying addition to Insane In the Brain, before a harmonically rich instrumental outro.

Combining the textural depth of an orchestra with the snappy beats of Califorian hip-hop must be no easy feat. In the home of the London Symphony Orchestra, however, it is the perfect venue to realise this vision. The Royal Albert Hall has a pristine sound quality, more than capable of balancing the varied musical elements with the clamouring crowd.

The downstairs seating arrangement becomes more like a rough guide as the intensity heightens. Frenzied percussion delivered by Eric “Bobo” Corea steals the show throughout Lick a Shot before a down-tempo interlude allows the audience a short reprieve. The orchestra immensely magnifies Cypress Hill’s dynamic range, adding dramatic emphasis to the lyrical refrains of songs like A to the K and Hand on the Glock. Hits from the Bong is yet another crowd favourite, although the security is far too tight to allow any practical realisation of its message.

After a full play through of their sophomore album, the darker, more subtle tones explored in their later albums come to the fore. Dr Greenthumb ushers in a more mellow, swelling presence, allowing the orchestra to blossom among the sparser rhythms. Lights and dynamics retreat during Illusions, allowing a playful exchange between the orchestra and DJ Muggs’s virtuosic record scratching.

The dynamics reach a fever pitch in the night’s final moments. Crashing cymbals and frenetic strings punctuate Cuban Necktie’s swaggering rhythms before Rock Superstar ends the setlist with cinematic elan. What started as a joke on an episode of The Simpsons culminates in a spectacular orchestral reimagining of seminal West Coast hip hop.

Ben Browning
Photos: Andy Paradise

For further information and future events visit Cypress Hill with London Symphony Orchestra’s website here.

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