This came out in 2001 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
The bigger they are, the harder they fall. And the higher they are, the harsher they crash. By either measure, it seems once-mighty hemp-hop low riders Cypress Hill are getting down to seeds and stems.
Stoned Raiders, their sixth studio joint, continues to toy with the band-based rap-metal they introduced on last year’s Skull and Bones. Admittedly, they do it OK — the live drums of Eric Bobo pack more punch and groove than any beatbox, and guest rockers from Fear Factory and SX-10 provide some skillful crunch. But it’s still kinda sad to hear one of hip-hop’s most distinctive acts sounding like pretty much every other rap-rock outfit. And when the rhymeslingers start rehashing old hits like Here is Something You Can’t Understand, it’s a sure sign they’re running out of ideas. Thanks to a few solidly sinister old-school cuts like the P-Funky Kronologik, Stoned Raiders isn’t junk — but it’s still a long way from the killer crunk of Hits From the Bong. Puff, puff, and pass.
