Cypress Hill (1991)

L.A.'s Cypress Hill document, rather than indict, street life with chilling impact. Slathered with mid-tempo bass and strutting snare drums, their self-titled debut, Cypress Hill, rocks, swings, and surprises; ''Hand on the Pump'' even sports a clever sample of the rock classic ''Duke of Earl.'' The group's rappers also rhyme in Spanish, adding another dimension to an album that, along with Naughty by Nature's, helps push the hip-hop art form to new heights. A+