B-Real on Cypress Hill’s First Original Spanish-Language Album: “We Wanted to Challenge Ourselves”

Cypress Hill's B-Real explained that the band's decision to create Dios Bendiga, their first Spanish-language album, stemmed from a desire to push themselves creatively. Early songs like "Latin Lingo" hinted at their bilingual identity, but it was Los Grandes Éxitos en Español (1999) that truly established their influence in Latin America.

Despite their reputation, B-Real acknowledged that Cypress Hill still had room to grow and challenge themselves. In recent years, collaborations with Spanish-speaking artists like Lupillo Rivera and Santa Fe Klan reminded the band of unfinished business. To write an entirely new album in Spanish, the group spent two weeks focusing solely on the project in November.

Producer DJ Flict helped shape the momentum into an album that still sounded like Cypress Hill. B-Real found the biggest challenge was the language itself, as his vocabulary wasn't as instinctive in Spanish. Bringing in outside writers was not an option, as he wanted every verse to be his own. However, the language ultimately led to new directions in their music.

Collaborations with artists like Alemán and Trueno added fresh perspectives to the album. The band also drew inspiration from Latin American hip-hop, finding it inspiring and uplifting. Looking back, B-Real sees Dios Bendiga as proof that rap in Spanish can reach a wide audience, rather than just a novelty. Performing the album live in Latin America may also pose challenges, as fans there are more passionate and appreciate live shows more frequently.