B-Real

Louis Freese (born June 2, 1970),[2] known by his stage name B-Real, is an American rapper and actor. He is one of two lead rappers in the hip hop group Cypress Hill, a part of the supergroup Serial Killers and was one of the frontmen of rap rock group Prophets of Rage (2016–2019).

B-Real
Cypress Hill frontman B-Real at Metro City in 2010
Background information
Birth nameLouis Freese
Also known asDr. Greenthumb
Born (1970-06-02) June 2, 1970
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres
InstrumentsVocals
Years active1988–present[1]
LabelsColumbia
Ruffhouse
Duckdown Records
Goliath
Aftermath
Associated acts

Early life and career

Born in Los Angeles to a Mexican father and a Cuban mother, B-Real moved with his sister and mother out of his father's home to South Gate, California at the age of five. He later lived in Bell, California. Before dropping out of Bell High School, he befriended future Cypress Hill members Sen Dog and Mellow Man Ace (who later left the group to go solo) and became an active member of the Family Swan Bloods, known as the Neighborhood Family Bloods at that time. At the age of 17, Freese was shot in a gang-related shooting with a hollow-point .22 caliber bullet, which punctured his lung.[3][4]

After being introduced to DJ Muggs by Julio G the KDAY Mixmaster, B-Real and Sen gained interest in Muggs's concept of an album based on experiences from Cypress Ave in South Gate. The group was signed with Ruffhouse/Columbia records in 1991 and made their influential debut that year. B-Real would use fictional stories telling of life-threatening experiences as material for the group's self-titled debut album, and subsequent releases.

Cypress Hill's trademark sound – an eccentric combination of B-Real's exaggeratedly high-pitched nasal vocals and DJ Muggs's distinctive beats – led to the trio becoming the first Latin rap group to have Platinum and multi-Platinum albums. They remain the best-selling Latin rap group to date.[5] Speaking in March 2010 to noted UK urban writer Pete Lewis, Deputy Editor of the award-winning Blues & Soul, B-Real stated: "Fortunately I guess the fact we were able to achieve what we achieved, being Latino but without really exploiting that side of it, showed like a whole generation behind us how you could have that success without being labeled as just one THING. Because back in the day, when you were labeled 'a Latino rapper', the record companies would only try to market you to that Latin fan-base which didn't really EXIST yet!... So yeah, it feels good to see people recognizing us as some of the pioneers that opened the doors for a lotta these other Latino rappers to come through."[6]

Aside from Cypress Hill, B-Real has been involved in several other musical projects. In 1996, he contributed to the soundtrack for the movie Space Jam. In 2002, he teamed up with Mellow Man Ace and Son Doobie for the short-lived Serial Rhyme Killas, which released one 12" single in 2002.[7] The group recorded a full-length debut album, entitled Deluxe Rapture, but it was never released. B-Real formed a rap metal group, Kush, with Deftones guitarist Stephen Carpenter and Fear Factory members Christian Olde Wolbers and Raymond Herrera.[8][9] According to B-Real, Kush is more aggressive than other bands in the genre.[9] He was also previously a member of the group The Psycho Realm,[10] and in 2007 announced that he would collaborate with Sick Jacken once again on a new album.[1] He revealed in an interview that he plans on recording a "V.S." album of Cypress member DJ Muggs. In 1998, he appeared as a newborn baby singer for The Rugrats Movie, reported as a minor role.[11]

His live streaming site Breal.tv[12] features live interactive programming over the Internet. He is the host of the "Dr. Greenthumb Show", "The Smoke Box" and "Meditation".

As of 2016, he has joined a new group called Prophets of Rage along with Chuck D and former members of Rage Against the Machine.

Production work

In addition to his career as an MC, B-Real has worked as a music producer for six years, with clients ranging from Proof of D12 to the WWE.[1] He intentionally kept his production for Cypress Hill down to a minimum, as not to interfere with DJ Muggs' involvement in the group, but has produced several tracks for his own solo projects. B-Real also manages a team of music producers known as the 'Audio Hustlaz'.[1] B-Real personally produced three tracks on his solo album Smoke N Mirrors, "Don't Ya Dare Laugh", "Fire" and "Dr. Hyphenstein", looking to outside producers for the other tracks. B-Real and his production crew will be working alongside DJ Muggs and others on the upcoming Cypress Hill album.[13]

Solo projects

B-Real has released three mixtapes as a solo artist: Gunslinger, Gunslinger Vol. II and Gunslinger Vol. III.[14] He released his first solo album, entitled Smoke N Mirrors and has teamed up with Snoop Dogg in a single called "Vato" for Snoop Dogg's album Tha Blue Carpet Treatment. In 2018, B-Real is also featured on the Hollywood Undead song “Black Cadillac” for the band’s fifth album Five.

Non-Music Projects

In the early 2000s B-Real along with DJ Muggs founded and co-captained his own professional paintball team, the Stoned Assassins. They competed regionally, nationally, and internationally, usually in the second-level divisions. B-Real and the Assassins also appeared in the console game Greg Hastings Tournament Paintball.[15]

In 2018, B-Real partnered with smoking subscription box company Daily High Club to craft a B-Real-themed smoking supply box for the month of March.[16]

Discography
B-Real in 2006

Solo
  • Smoke N Mirrors (2009)
  • Tell You Something (2020)

with Cypress Hill
Main article: Cypress Hill discography

with Prophets of Rage

Studio albums

Studio EPs

  • The Party's Over (2016)

Mixtapes
  • The Gunslinger (2005)
  • The Gunslinger Part II: Fist Full of Dollars (2006)
  • The Gunslinger Part III: For a Few Dollars More (2007)
  • The Harvest Vol. 1: The Mixtape (2010)
  • The Medication (2014)
  • The Prescription (as Dr. Greenthumb) (2015)

EPs
  • Prohibition (with Berner) (2014)
  • Prohibition Part 2 (with Berner) (2015)

Serial Killers
  • Serial Killers Vol. 1 (2013)
  • The Murder Show (2015)
  • Day of the Dead (2018)

Collaboration albums
  • Prohibition Part 3 (with Berner) (2016)
  • Los Meros (with Berner) (2020)
gollark: I don't have any, but that doesn't mean the status quo is fine.
gollark: The raffle numbers are far too low.
gollark: Because you can increase average player satisfaction!
gollark: I mean, prizes in the market would have been pretty good for everyone. Doesn't even need that much hunting but does require some actual gameplay.
gollark: You can't please everyone. You can please more people. TJ09 fails at both.

References
  1. "B-Real Interview with Cypress Hill". LatinRapper.com. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
  2. Mason, Stewart. "B Real – Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved February 19, 2009.
  3. "Sinister (Rapper)". September 14, 2015. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
  4. "Cypress Hill's B-Real + Psycho Realm (Soul Assassins/L.A.)". Retrieved December 19, 2017.
  5. "Greatest Hits From the Bong Out" Archived September 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  6. Design, Stephen Clark -. "Cypress Hill: Rise & Shine". Retrieved August 26, 2016.
  7. "心に優しい出会い体験談発掘所 – ホッコリする話集めました♪". Archived from the original on June 7, 2007. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
  8. Moss, Corey (April 23, 2002). "With Kush Record Done, B-Real Keepin' Real Busy". MTV News. Retrieved December 31, 2008.
  9. Downey, Ryan J (November 27, 2002). "B-Real Finishing Up Kush LP, Going Grimmer For Next Cypress Hill Album". MTV News. Retrieved December 31, 2008.
  10. "Psycho Realm Interview - Sick Jacken". LatinRapper.com. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
  11. B-Real: Pay It Forward | Rappers Talk Hip Hop Beef & Old School Hip Hop. HipHop DX (September 23, 2010). Retrieved on 2012-05-02.
  12. "Live Network Site founded B-Real of Cypress Hill". BREAL.TV. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  13. Cypress Hill’s Sen Dog: Solo Entry. AllHipHop.com (September 30, 2008). Retrieved on 2012-05-02.
  14. "B-Real Cypress Hill Solo Album - Gunslinger CD". LatinRapper.com. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
  15. Regardie, Joe (February 2005). "The Stoned Gunman". Spin. p. 40. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  16. Sanger, Brittney (March 25, 2018). "How to get high like Cypress Hill's B-Real". Herb.
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