On October 2, 1993, Cypress Hill defied instructions during a live performance on NBC, creating one of hip-hop's most remembered cannabis controversies.
The Night Cypress Hill Took Over Studio 8H
On October 2, 1993, Cypress Hill appeared as the musical guest on NBC's Saturday Night Live.
The episode was hosted by Shannen Doherty, with Cypress Hill representing a growing movement of West Coast hip-hop that openly incorporated cannabis into its music and identity.
The group's lineup included B-Real, Sen Dog and DJ Muggs, with Eric Bobo also associated with the group's performances.
Their first song, "Insane in the Brain," proceeded without incident.
The controversy emerged during their second performance, "I Ain't Goin' Out Like That."
DJ Muggs Had Been Warned Not to Smoke
According to DJ Muggs, he had been instructed repeatedly not to light a joint during the broadcast.
He later recalled being warned approximately 20 times.
Despite those instructions, Muggs lit a joint while the group performed live on NBC.
The moment was particularly provocative because the broadcast took place during an era when cannabis remained heavily criminalized and stigmatized in mainstream American culture.
Cypress Hill had already made cannabis a prominent part of its public identity. The live performance brought that identity into a television environment where such behavior was explicitly prohibited.
The Performance Ended in Chaos
Accounts of the broadcast describe additional disorder as the performance concluded.
Instruments were reportedly damaged or smashed, intensifying an already confrontational atmosphere.
The combination of onstage smoking and equipment destruction reportedly angered production personnel.
For Cypress Hill, the incident became a defining moment in the group's relationship with mainstream television.
It also created a lasting story about what happened after the cameras stopped rolling.
Was Cypress Hill Actually Banned From SNL?
Members of Cypress Hill have repeatedly described the incident as resulting in a lifetime ban from Saturday Night Live.
However, the precise nature of that ban remains disputed.
It is unclear whether a formal prohibition was issued by Lorne Michaels, other NBC personnel or the show's production leadership.
SNL has since indicated that it does not formally ban artists, complicating the longstanding narrative.
What is clear is that Cypress Hill did not return to perform on the program during the following three decades.
The absence helped reinforce the story, regardless of whether an official written ban ever existed.
Why Was Lighting a Joint Such a Big Deal in 1993?
The performance occurred at a time when public cannabis use was far less accepted than it would become in later decades.
Hip-hop artists were increasingly discussing cannabis openly, but major television networks still operated within restrictive broadcast standards.
Cypress Hill's decision challenged that separation.
The group brought cannabis culture into a nationally televised performance without disguising or apologizing for its association with the plant.
For supporters, the incident represented resistance to cultural censorship. For television producers, it was a violation of explicit production instructions.
Both perspectives became part of the event's history.
Legacy
Cypress Hill's 1993 Saturday Night Live performance remains one of the most recognizable intersections of hip-hop, cannabis and live television.
The group's reported lifetime ban is an enduring part of the story, although its formal status remains uncertain.
More than three decades later, footage of DJ Muggs lighting the joint continues circulating as a symbol of the group's willingness to challenge mainstream expectations.
A brief moment during a live performance became a lasting chapter in cannabis culture.
Sources
1. TV Guide. "Watch Saturday Night Live Online | Season 19 (1993)." TV Guide. https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/saturday-night-live/episodes-season-19/1000169480/
Supports: Cypress Hill was the musical guest for the Shannen Doherty-hosted episode broadcast on October 2, 1993.
2. Far Out Magazine. "The Infamous Moment Cypress Hill Were Banned from 'Saturday Night Live'." Far Out Magazine, 30 June 2021. https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/cypress-hill-banned-snl-smoking-a-joint/
Supports: Sen Dog's account that SNL, the group's label, management, and friends warned them not to smoke onstage; the group had agreed before "I Ain't Goin' Out Like That" not to light up; and the members understood the result as a permanent SNL ban.
3. REVOLT. "Cypress Hill 'Didn't Give a Fuck' When They Were Banned from 'SNL'." REVOLT, 21 Apr. 2022. https://www.revolt.tv/article/2022-04-21/164408/cypress-hill-didnt-give-a-fuck-banned-snl-smoking-on-stage
Supports: The retrospective account identifies B-Real, DJ Muggs, Sen Dog, and Eric Bobo with the group; Muggs lit a joint after being told not to smoke onstage; the group trashed its instruments; and B-Real later argued that Cypress Hill should be invited back.
4. Leaf Nation. "Cannthropology: Cypress Hill." Leaf Nation, 15 Feb. 2025. https://leafmagazines.com/learn/history/cannthropology-cypress-hill/
Supports: Cypress Hill's cannabis advocacy and the success of Black Sunday; the October 2, 1993 SNL booking; warnings from network and record-company executives; Muggs lighting a joint during the second performance, "I Ain't Goin' Out Like That"; and the account that Lorne Michaels banned the group.
5. Hodge, Christian. "Cypress Hill Says They're Still Banned from SNL." Screen Rant, 24 Feb. 2022. https://screenrant.com/saturday-night-live-ban-cypress-hill-1993-response/
Supports: During a Television Critics Association panel 29 years later, the members maintained that they remained banned or blacklisted from SNL, supporting the draft's account of their repeated lifetime-ban claims.
6. Ferrier, Aimee. "Lorne Michaels Denies 'Saturday Night Live' Has Ever Banned Any Musical Acts." Far Out Magazine, 29 Jan. 2025. https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/lorne-michaels-denies-saturday-night-live-banned-musical-acts/
Supports: Lorne Michaels stated in Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music that SNL has never banned anyone, directly supporting the draft's statement that the formal status of Cypress Hill's alleged ban is disputed.
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