Before co-founding Cypress Hill, Muggs (then DJ Muggs) joined The 7A3, a pair of MCs out of New York that went by the names Brett and Shawn B, as their DJ. The group recorded a song, Mad Mad World, for the Colors soundtrack and signed with Geffen Records to record their first, and only, album called Coolin’ in Cali in 1988. There are a few standout tracks, including the title track, but The 7A3 would get dropped before recording a second album. Afterward, Muggs would join some old friends, Sen Dog and B Real, to form Cypress Hill and would release their first self-titled album in 1991. If you’re a fan of Cypress Hill or any of the other projects Muggs has been a part of, such as producing for House of Pain, Funkdoobiest, Beastie Boys, Ice Cube, and others, it might be worth hunting down a copy of Coolin’ in Cali. It fits in rather well with other mid-late 80’s rap music, and is an interesting early look at Muggs at the very least. |