Snoop Dogg Signs Cypress Hill To Priority

By Roman Wolfe

Snoop Dogg’s goal of uniting the West Coast rap scene is one step closer to fruition, as the rapper has announced Cypress Hill as his first singing, since taking over as Creative Chairman of Priority Records.

Cypress Hill (B-Real, Sen Dog and Eric BoBo) recorded for Columbia/Sony the majority of their career.

Today (January 15), the group announced a worldwide exclusive deal with Priority/EMI and will release Rise Up, their first studio album of all new material, in six years.

"My role as Creative Chairman of Priority Records has put me in the driver's seat to help revive the most important west coast Hip-Hop label," Snoop told AllHipHop.com in a statement. "As such, I'm excited to announce my first signing as Cypress Hill. Cypress Hill is undeniably one of the most important Hip-Hop groups in music history, not only are they incredibly talented and the first Latino Hip-Hop group to go platinum, they are also from the west coast-so this signing is the perfect marriage."

Although the group hasn’t released an album in six years, they remained active in the recording studio.

Rise Up was recorded over the past three years at B-Real’s Los Angeles based recording studio, The Temple.

"We took a little break after the last record to work on individual projects," B-Real stated. "Both Sen Dog and I wanted to put out our own solo records, which we had been working on for some time. And though we were doing other things, we each kept ideas in mind for Cypress Hill and would go into the studio periodically to record. It was great to work at our own pace and without a deadline hanging over us. We'd get together at my studio and record whenever we felt that burst of creativity. It was an amazing way to work and resulted in what I think is our best record yet."

The self-titled lead single from Rise Up features Rage Against The Machine/Street Sweeper Social Club group member Tom Morello, who also appears on a track titled “Shut ‘Em Down.”

"It was great to work with my longtime friends and comrades Cypress Hill on these two monster rock tracks," said Morello. "Cypress are back with a vengeance!"

Cypress Hill’s Rise Up is the follow-up to the group’s 2004 album Till Death Do Us Part.

Rise Up is due in stores April 6.

allhiphop.com