B-Real
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| B-Real | ||
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| Background information | ||
| Birth name | Louis Freese | |
| Also known as | B-Real | |
| Born | June 2, 1970 | |
| Origin | South Gate, California | |
| Genre(s) | Latin Hip hop | |
| Instrument(s) | Rapping, Conga | |
| Years active | 1989 – present | |
| Label(s) | Columbia / Ruffhouse | |
| Associated acts |
Cypress Hill, Psycho Realm, House of Pain, Dr. Dre, Fear Factory | |
Louis Freese (born June 2, 1970), known by stage name B-Real, is a Latin rapper of Mexican and Afro-Cuban heritage. He is best known for being the lead rapper in hip hop group Cypress Hill, who debuted with their self-titled album Cypress Hill in 1991.
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[edit] Early life and career
Born to a Mexican father and an Afro-Cuban mother, B-Real moved with his sister and mother out of his father's home to South Gate before ending up in South Central Los Angeles. Before dropping out of Bell High School, he befriended future Cypress Hill members Sen Dog and Mellow Man Ace (who forewent staying with the group to go solo). Sen Dog, who was affiliated with the Bloods gang set known as "Neighborhood Family" [or South Swan Bloods], would later introduce B-Real into the set. B-Real became a drug dealer and gangbanger. He was shot in through the lung by a .22 pistol in 1988. The shooting and subsequent hospitalization caused B-Real to rethink his priorities and take up a job as a department store security guard.
After being introduced to DJ Muggs by Julio G the KDAY Mixmaster, B-Real and Sen gained interest in Muggs' concept of an album based on experiences from Cypress Ave in South Gate. Thus, Cypress Hill was born. The group was signed with Ruffhouse/Columbia records in 1991, and made their influential debut in 1992. B-Real would use his life-threatening experiences as material for the group's self-titled debut album, and subsequent releases. Although subversive as some would argue, the strong content is nevertheless an important artistic contribution as well as highly interesting from a sociolgical view.
Cypress Hill's trademark sound - an eccentric combination of B-Real's exaggeratedly high-pitched nasal vocals and DJ Muggs' 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.
Aside from Cypress Hill, B-Real has been involved in several other musical projects. 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. The group recorded a full-length debut album, entitled Deluxe Rapture, but it was never released. He was also previously a member of the group The Psycho Realm.
[edit] Solo projects
B-Real has released two mixtapes as a solo artist "Gunslinger" and "Gunslinger Vol. II". He is currently working on his first solo album, entitled Smoke In Mirrors and has teamed up with Snoop Dogg in a single called Vato for Snoop Dogg's album The Blue Carpet Treatment.
B-Real has also collaborated with many other artists, including, Kottonmouth Kings, KRS-One, House Of Pain, Kid Frost, Psycho Realm, Proof, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Coolio, Busta Rhymes, Method Man, Deftones, LL Cool J, Everlast, Warren G, Outkast, Dilated Peoples, The Alchemist, Tha Dogg Pound, DJ Quik, Wu-Tang Clan, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Subliminal Orphans, Fear Factory, Chino XL, Nas, D12, The Transplants, La Coka Nostra, Da Lench Mob and Shaquille O'Neal.
[edit] Trivia
- He is a known marijuana user. He has been convicted for possession of marijuana more than 50 times in California alone.
- Was previously romantically involved with Carmen Electra.
- Can currently be found featuring on Snoop Dogg's single, "Vato".
- On the Rage Against the Machine album "Renegades" B-Real and Cypress Hill join Rage onstage for a version of the song "How I Could Just Kill a Man".
- Plays paintball on the professional team Stoned Assassins.
- He is featured in Fergie's video, Glamorous.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Solo
- 2005 - The Gunslinger Volume I (mixtape)
- 2006 - The Gunslinger Volume II: Fist Full of Dollars (mixtape)
- 2006 - Vato [Single] (With Snoop Dogg)
- 2007 - Smoke In Mirrors (album)
- 2007 - I'm The Judge feat. B-Real (Busta Rhymes - Before Hell Freezes Over)
[edit] With Cypress Hill
- 1991 - Cypress Hill
- 1993 - Black Sunday
- 1995 - Cypress Hill III: Temples of Boom
- 1996 - Unreleased and Revamped
- 1998 - IV
- 1999 - Los grandes éxitos en español
- 2000 - Skull & Bones
- 2000 - Live At The Fillmore
- 2001 - Stoned Raiders
- 2004 - Till Death Do Us Part
- 2005 - Greatest Hits From the Bong
[edit] External links
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Freese, Louis |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | B-Real |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | American musician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 2, 1970 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | 122434 |
| DATE OF DEATH | 451345 u khhhwas up dawg |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
