"Throw Your Set in the Air"
Single by Cypress Hill
from the album Cypress Hill III: Temples of Boom
ReleasedSeptember 26, 1995[1]
GenreWest Coast hip hop
Length4:08 (album version)
3:25 (edit)
LabelRuffhouse, Columbia, SME
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)DJ Muggs
Cypress Hill singles chronology
"Lick a Shot"
(1994) 		"Throw Your Set in the Air"
(1995) 		"Illusions"
(1996)
Music video
"Throw Your Set in the Air" on YouTube
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]

"Throw Your Set in the Air" is a song by American hip hop group Cypress Hill, released in September 1995 by Ruffhouse, Columbia and SME as the lead single from their third album, Cypress Hill III: Temples of Boom (1995). The song was written by group members B-Real and DJ Muggs, and produced by Muggs. Its accompanying music video, directed by McG,[2] has a sepia tone and features the group performing in various places along with images of Buddha. Along with "Insane in the Brain", "Throw Your Set in the Air" is used in The Simpsons episode "Homerpalooza".[3]

Feud with Ice Cube

According to B-Real and DJ Muggs, the rapper Ice Cube stole the hook of his song "Friday", the theme song of the 1995 comedy film Friday, from "Throw Your Set in the Air".[4] This ignited a feud between Cypress Hill and Ice Cube's supergroup Westside Connection, which resulted in three diss tracks: "No Rest for the Wicked" on Cypress Hill III: Temples of Boom (by Cypress Hill), "King of the Hill" on Bow Down (by Westside Connection) and "Ice Cube Killa" (non-album single by Cypress Hill).[5]

Critical reception

James Masterton for Dotmusic said the new single "represents no progression on their previous work, but to its credit it is one of the more accessible rap records around at present."[6] Pan-European magazine Music & Media commented, "Advise your listeners to follow the instructions given by the Hispanic rappers in this song title. The bang of the exploding radio will be less weird than the noises featured on the record."[7] A reviewer from Music Week rated it three out of five, adding that "the godfathers of stoned rap return with a laid-back offering that will please fans."[8] David Quantick from NME wrote, "This record is the usual with a nice sample and some dull aggressive talking."[9]

Track listing

Club Remix
No.TitleLength
1."Throw Your Set in the Air" (Album Version)3:25
2."Throw Your Set in the Air" (Club Remix)3:12
3."Killa Hill"3:26
4."Throw Your Set in the Air" (Instrumental)2:52
5."Throw Your Set in the Air" (Slow Roll Remix)3:23
6."Killa Hill" (instrumental)3:26
7."Throw Your Set in the Air" (Club Remix Instrumental)3:12
8."Throw Your Set in the Air" (Slow Roll Remix Instrumental)3:24

Charts

Chart (1995) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[10] 29
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[11] 11
Germany (Media Control Charts)[12] 83
Ireland (IRMA)[13] 19
New Zealand (RIANZ)[14] 7
Scotland (OCC)[15] 13
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[16] 13
UK Singles (OCC)[17] 15
US Billboard Hot 100[18] 45
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[19] 60
US Hot Rap Songs (Billboard)[20] 11

References

  1. ^ a b "Throw Your Set in the Air [Ruffhouse Single] - Cypress Hill". AllMusic. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
  2. ^ "Cypress Hill - Throw Your Set In The Air". IMVDb. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  3. ^ "The Simpsons "Homerpalooza" (TV episode 1996) - Soundtracks". IMDb. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
  4. ^ Isenberg, Daniel (January 26, 2013). "DJ Muggs Tells All: The Stories Behind His Classic Records (Part 1)". Complex. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
    - Freese, Louis Mario (April 16, 2013). "B-Real Details Ice Cube Beef Over Stealing Songs" (Interview). Interviewed by Vlad Lyubovny. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  5. ^ Jenkins, Sacha; Wilson, Elliott; Mao, Jefferson; Alvarez, Gabriel; Rollins, Brent (1999). Ego Trip's Book of Rap Lists. New York: St. Martin's Press, Ego Trip. p. 237. ISBN 978-0-312-24298-5.
  6. ^ Masterton, James (October 1, 1995). "Week Ending October 7th 1995". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  7. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 38. September 23, 1995. p. 13. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  8. ^ "Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. September 16, 1995. p. 46. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  9. ^ Quantick, David (October 7, 1995). "Singles". NME. p. 43. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  10. ^ "Discography Cypress Hill". Australian charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
  11. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Cypress Hill". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 55. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  12. ^ "Chartverfolgung / Cypress Hill / Longplay" (in German). PhonoNet. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
  13. ^ "Discography Cypress Hill". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
  14. ^ "Discography Cypress Hill". charts.nz. Hung Medien. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
  15. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100 01 October 1995 - 07 October 1995". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  16. ^ "Discography Cypress Hill". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
  17. ^ Zywietz, Tobias. "Chart Log UK: Chris C. – CZR". Zobbel. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
  18. ^ "Cypress Hill Album & Song Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
  19. ^ "Cypress Hill Album & Song Chart History: R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
  20. ^ "Cypress Hill Album & Song Chart History: Rap Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
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