Functioning as an extended addendum to Cypress Hill's debut, this sophomore effort, Black Sunday, might as well have been titled More Songs About Gats and Blunts. And that's just fine, because this West Coast rap trio's basic formula — wacked-out Spanglish tough talk, deep bass, and DJ Muggs' trademark squeals and sirens — is such a winner that these guys could probably milk it forever.
There's something delightfully surreal about Hill's conflation of weed (they're the official musical spokespersons for NORML — the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) and gunplay that renders their music hilarious. Try keeping a straight face while listening to freaky-voiced B-Real intone lines such as ''Tried to ack me, but homey got shot/Lalalalalalala.'' Hill may have scads of street cred, but they still aren't convincing gangstas; after all, how scary can a pothead with a gun be? Listening to Black Sunday is like watching the Three Stooges. You can laugh at the violence because you know it doesn't really hurt. I can't wait until these guys discover sex. A-
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