STAT SHEETNAME: Sendog Reyes
AGE: 28
ORIGIN: Cuba
CURRENT LOCATION: Southgate, L.A., California
HEIGHT: 5' 10''
WEIGHT: 170 lbs.
SIGN: Sagittarius
FAVORITE BAND: Led Zeppelin
FAVORITE FUNK: Cameo
FAVORITE SONG: Insane In The Brain
OCCUPATION: Musician in Cypress Hill
They have sold well over 4 million records. They have
successfully toured Europe and the States multiple times, as well
as other parts of the world. They have skated the Beastie Boys
ramps. They have been nominated for a Grammy. They forget lyrics.
They get drunk and fall down on stage. They thrash their stage setup,
only to have a new one at the next show. And, incidentally, they burn
a lot of the finest herb. They are Cypress Hill and they are having
the time of their lives, ruling the Hip-Hop world. However, things
were not always so sweet in Gingerbread Land. While Heckler was
on location at the infamous Vegas Trade Show, staying in our
luxurious enchanting Circus! Circus! motel room, piddling away our
huge travel budget, we ran into Sendog from Cypress. The next day,
Matt Kennedy and I went to his room for an intimate chat on the
real deal.
"My Dad taught school at a University in Cuba. They told him to
teach the kids Communism or he was going to be fired. He refused
and so they put him in jail. When they let him out, they confiscated
his belongings and said, 'Get out of the country and take your damn
family with you!' I met my father on the airport hangar for the first
time when I was five years old"
Sendog has seen a lot of grief, but his family has always been
tight. His father was a salsa musician and his mother was a Spanish
gospel singer who had Sendog singing in church. He cites his sister's
45's of disco/funk, such as LTD, The Bar-Kays, and The Bee Gees
as an early musical influence. When he was 14 and 15 years old, he
met up with the stoner-rocker kids from his block in Southgate and
got turned on to the likes of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath.
"I was like, 'Wow, man, I never heard this before. This shit kicks
ass!'"
Naturally, his musical taste widened into other types, such as ska
and The English Beat. Then, in 81-82, when hip-hop got strong,
Sendog started searching out roots with The Treacherous 3, GMF,
The Furious Five, Kurtis Blow, and of course, Run-DMC.
"I was a pop-locker and one day we was out popping when my
homey Porky said, 'Fuck all this dancing shit, let's rap!' I was
tripping out. Then when I heard Run-DMC's It's Like That, I started
rapping."
The groups first name was DVX, standing for Devastating
Vocal Excellence, a hella' old school name. That crew included
Mellow Man Ace, T-Funk(Funk Doobiest), B-Real and Sendog. B
and Sen split to find DJ Muggs, who was into the likes of Deep
Purple and The Who. It was this eclectic combo that formed
Cypress Hill.
Their first show as Cypress was at the Three Palms in
Hacienda Heights. They were in a battle of the bands where the
winner got their demo played on the radio. When Cypress performed
their early song, Real Estate, Sendog jumped on the table of the
judges. When he tried to get off, all his weight cracked the table in
half. The crowd went crazy, even though Sen and B thought it was a
terrible show. It was that 1989 show when DJ Muggs knew that
these kids were gonna be the ones who could fuck shit up.
"Cypress represents almost every race on the planet. Our shows
unite all different people to hear one message-Legalize It"
When asked to describe Cypress in one word, he replied, "Good
music and marijuana!"
Sendog is also doing his part to change the music industry. He is
starting his own management and production company where he feels
the manager and artist relationship should return to a more family
vibe. He sights Barry Gordy of Motown as an example of how
managers can be more like a big brother than a cash stock broker.
Sen already has a group under his wing called Delinquent Habits
bound to bust on the scene soon.
As for now, all Sendog can think about is rest and relaxation.
Their label, Ruff House/Columbia/Sony Music, has them touring
their asses off. Matt and I were supposed to take Sen and his woman
riding last year, but the snow melted. So, this year we will hook it
up. After all the fame, Sendog is one real and cool man. I was
honored to spend quality time with the Hip-Hop dude with the rock
and roll attitude.
Peace Out, Sonny
