Cypress Hill Embrace Latin Roots on First All-Spanish Album ‘Dios Bendiga’: ‘It’s a Prayer for the Culture’
Categoria: Musica
The legendary hip-hop group talk about making the LP, feat. Trueno, Alemán and more, and why now was the right time to do it.
Por Billboard | 24/07/2026
Some groups left an indelible mark on hip-hop history, and Cypress Hill is without a doubt one of them. Since the early ’90s, B-Real, Sen Dog, DJ Muggs and later Eric Bobo became key figures in a scene that captured the harsh social reality of California and Los Angeles, blending innovative sounds with a Latino identity that has always been central to what they do. That connection to their roots was cemented in 1999 with Los Grandes Éxitos en Español , a project that brought together some of the group’s most iconic songs adapted into Spanish and ultimately became a cult classic among Latino audiences. Tracks like “Yo Quiero Fumar” and “Loco en el Coco” made it clear that the Mexican and Cuban roots of several of its members were never a side note, but a fundamental part of the band’s identity. Now, nearly three decades later, Cypress Hill is deepening that connection with the release of Dios Bendiga , the first album of entirely original Spanish-language material in its career. It’s a project arriving at a time when Latin rap is seeing unprecedented global growth, and one that aims to reclaim the cultural heritage that has been with the group since day one. “ Dios Bendiga is more than just a collection of songs; it’s a prayer for the culture. This album serves as a powerful reminder that our heritage isn’t a trend, but a divine legacy and a global future. We’re living through a historic era for Latin rap, and with this project we wanted to bring a sound that honors our history and resilience,” B-Real tells Billboard Argentina . And when it comes to Latin rap, Trueno was an inevitable choice. After linking up on “F*ck El Police Remix” in 2023, the group reunited with the Argentine artist on “Saca la Bolsita,” a collaboration that adds a local flavor to the new project. “Trueno is a student of hip-hop — he’s someone who’s great to work with,” Sen Dog says. Released Friday (July 24), the album will be presented live in Buenos Aires on Nov. 8 at Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, a show with which Cypress aims to further strengthen its relationship with the South American country, which the group has been visiting since 1996. The group’s influence, however, goes far beyond its connection to Latin culture. Over the course of its career, Cypress Hill placed seven songs on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached one of its biggest milestones with “Insane in the Brain,” which hit No. 19 in 1993 and went on to become one of the most recognizable rap anthems of the ’90s. That same year, Black Sunday debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 , cementing the quartet as one of the era’s most innovative and successful acts. With more than three decades of career behind them, millions of records sold, and a legacy that has transcended generations, Cypress Hill also helped open the door for Latino artists to carve out a place within the U.S. hip-hop scene. Their blend of West Coast sounds, psychedelic influences, and a cultural id