Cypress Hill Says They’re Still Banned from ‘SNL’ and Don’t Mind Keeping It That Way

An “SNL” insider told TheWrap they don’t believe there is a ban on any act, including Cypress Hill

Nearly 30 years later, Cypress Hill is still proud to have been shut out of “Saturday Night Live.”

The California hip-hop group was infamously said to have been banned from the late night show after its 1993 performance when DJ Muggs smoked a marijuana joint on stage. An “SNL” insider told TheWrap they don’t believe there is actually a ban on any act, including Cypress Hill.

During a TCA panel for the upcoming documentary “Cypress Hill: Insane in the Brain” on Tuesday, rapper Sen Dog called the idea of being unable to get back on the “SNL” stage “punk rock.”

“I kind of like the fact that we’re banned,” Sen Dog said. “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.”

His bandmate B Real agreed: “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.”

If the band were ever to be invited back on the show, B Real said that they might end up getting kicked out again, anyway.

“We had a plan that we were going to do that would have just blown their goddamn minds if we had done it,” he said. “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.”

“Cypress Hill: Insane in the Brain” is told through the intimate lens of photographer and director Estevan Oriol. The documentary promises to be a smoke-filled journey across the lives and careers of the groundbreaking, genre-defying Hip Hop group, Cypress Hill. Their unique sound, influenced by their Latin roots and West Coast upbringing, was built on a movement rooted in true authenticity: from cultivating the flower, to smoking it, to rapping about it, their influence is forever burned into the musical landscape of Hip Hop as they continue to stay relevant after 30 years.

Using a treasure trove of never-before-seen archival footage captured by Oriol himself, as well as images of band members B Real, DJ Muggs, Sen Dog and Eric “Bobo” Correa, “Cypress Hill: Insane in the Brain” tells the story of a brotherhood that has withstood the test of time to create a truly original, everlasting legacy.

The documentary is produced by Sony Music Entertainment and Mass Appeal for Showtime. Tom Mackay and Richard Story of Sony Music Entertainment, Sacha Jenkins and Peter Bittenbender of Mass Appeal, and Deb Klein of Primary Wave serve as executive producers. The film is produced by Oriol and Peter J. Scalettar.

“Cypress Hill: Insane in the Brain” will premiere on Showtime on April 20 at 8 p.m.

Tony Maglio contributed to this report.

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