B-Real, the frontman of Cypress Hill, (the first Latino hip-hop group to go platinum and honorees of the 2008 VH1’s Hip-Hop Honors) has released a solo album. Smoke N’ Mirrors is a three-years-in-the-making project which B-Real describes as different in production, content, flow and delivery of typical Cypress Hill albums. In this solo effort, B-real comes as an artist, producer, and label owner and connects with a plethora of producers and guest emcees and crooners.

Smoke N’ Mirrors begins with a sample of The Stylistics’ 1972 “Children of the Night” in a song of the same title. 60 seconds later a beat comes in hard as B-Real’s trademark nasal whine reports on the realities and trials of life, with a resilient hook sung by Bo Roc to help carry listeners along. Its this kind of life that the pair says inspires “Gangsta Music”. But this reporting technique shines best in the first released single, “Don’t Ya Dare Laugh”, produced by Scoop Deville and featuring Young De. In some versions, a sample of Suzanne Vega’s 1987 dance hit “Tom’s Diner” rides along the funk filled Dr. Dre-esque beat as California mayhem is described: Niggas run up on ya/when you live in California/in the home of marijuana/things get hotter than a sauna.

The album then takes some twists and turns. “Fire”, produced by B-Real himself, is his only sonic ode to marijuana on the album and it features Damian Marley over a mid-tempo reggae beat. Here english, patois, and spanish are coalesced into a radio ready and weed anthem of the year track. Preceding records “Get That Dough” featuring Mimi and “10 Steps” is simply addictive. “1 life” is a dedication to one’s roots if you will, as B-real throws out reflections about life and the value of it under a spanish influenced track. He is joined by his Cypress Hill pal Sen Dog, as spanish and electric guitars provide the soundscape for a bilingual and unnihilistic expression where they declare, we’re driven/and ain’t nothing gonna stop us from winning.

“When Were Fu**ing” is a ribald record that gets appearances from Too $hort, Kurupt, and Young De. The song has the typical subject matter, which by hip-hop rule, calls for a Too $hort appearance. But rather than coming off as a macking monologue, it is more a bawdy mutual understanding between lovers captured over a funky groove.

The album is not absent of flaws though. “Stack’N Paper” is filled with lazy rhymes like I’m from LIC with west coast hustle/it’s a world wide ride from L.A to Brussells/def jams like Russel and I’m getting older/yo check the blueprint man just like Hova. “Dr. Hyphenstein” featuring Snoop, Trace Midas, and Young De comes off as trite and poppy. While “Dude Vs. Homie” just doesn’t hold its audience like B-real intended.

The album also has film and radio dialogue before and at the end of a few songs. Although it is present to help bring a narrative to the album, it can become quite annoying, specifically on an album where the music is strong enough to speak for itself.

Overall, Smoke N’ Mirrors is a successful solo effort. B-Real’s collaborations were wisely chosen and its production by Scoopafly, Sick Jacken, J. Turner, The Alchemist, Fifth, and Salaam Wreck is stella. He performs the selfless act of allowing his Philadelphia protege, Young De, to impressively shine (which should get listeners excited for B-real not only the artist but label owner).

This ‘west coast rider with east coast love’, has put a lot of time and effort into a project that is not merely a west coast album, but a true hip-hop album. It is sure to surprise a lot of people and convert others along the way.

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