Born to an Afro-Cuban mother and a Mexican father in L.A., B Real was surrounded by gang violence from an early age. In the 1980s, he started rapping alongside friends Sen Dog and Mellow Man Ace, developing his trademark adenoidal style to distinguish himself. After their three-song demo reached Joe the Butcher, Cypress Hill scored a deal with Sony/Ruffhouse leading to their now-classic 1991 self-titled debut. Seven group albums and a trio of solo mixtapes later, B released his first official solo LP SMOKE N MIRRORS in 2009 through his own label Audio Hustlaz and Duck Down Records.