Members of the hip-hop group Cypress Hill confirm that they are still banned from the hit show Saturday Night Live. Cypress Hill originally formed back in 1988 in South Gate, California and are considered one of the progenitors of '90s West Coast hip-hop. They also hold the record as the first hip-hop group to have sold multi-platinum and platinum albums. During their mainstream popularity, all of the members of Cypress Hill were strong advocates for both the medical and recreational use of cannabis in the United States, and while this is not uncommon today, this did lead the group to some trouble back in 1993.
That year, Cypress Hill were one of the lucky groups who had the chance to appear as musical guest on Saturday Night Live. During their second performance, member DJ Muggs decided to light up a joint on stage. According to the rest of the group, Muggs did this as a sort of statement after they were told by Saturday Night Live crew that they could do whatever they wanted in their greenroom, including smoking marijuana, but it wasn't allowed on stage. Reportedly, he was not pleased with being told where he could and could not light up, and decided to flaunt the rules. While this may not have been such a big deal today, it certainly was at the time, and the act resulted in Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels giving Cypress Hill a lifelong ban from appearing on the show.
Members of Cypress Hill recently discussed the SNL ban during a Television Critics Association panel for their new Showtime documentary entitled Cypress Hill: Insane in the Brain. The group confirms that, 29 years later, they are still blacklisted from the sketch comedy show. Despite this, none of the members seem to mind much, and Sen Dog even likes the idea of being banned, calling it "punk rock in itself." He goes on to say that he likes the idea of Cypress Hill being known as "the outlaws that are not allowed around town." The rap group were not the first to be banned from Saturday Night Live, however, leading member B Real to admit that he also enjoys the idea of being "in the company of some greats." See their full quotes below:
Sen Dog: I kind of like the fact that we’re banned. The whole thing about being banned, it’s punk rock in itself. I would like to leave it like that. If the guys wanted to do it, then that’d be something we could talk about or whatever, but I kind of like that idea of being the outlaws that are not allowed around town. [...]
B Real: I don’t mind the ban aspect of it, because, you know, we’re in the company of some greats that have been banned, and that’s OK with us. [...] We had a plan that we were going to do that would have just blown their goddamn minds if we had done it. But it turned out the way it turned out. So, if we were to get unbanned and do it again, probably the plan we had set in the first place will initially take off and we’ll get banned again.
B Real also reveals during the panel that the group did have an original plan for their performance on Saturday Night Live, and while it did not involve smoking a joint on stage, he thinks it would have blown the audience's minds if they had done it. He continues by saying that, if Cypress Hill was ever allowed back on the show, this is likely the performance they would give - which he suspects would just get them banned all over again. While B Real doesn't elaborate on what this planned performance would involve, it certainly will spark speculation amongst Cypress Hill fans.
As it stands, it is unlikely that the acclaimed hip-hop group will ever be seen again on Saturday Night Live. Michaels is notorious for holding a grudge, and those he bars from returning to his show will be hard pressed to get the ban overturned. Fans who are curious about what Cypress Hills' planned performance would have been might just have to be content with imagining the possibilities, but perhaps Cypress Hill: Insane in the Brain will some clues about what the SNL performance that never was could've looked like.
Source: TCA Panel