Founding Cypress Hill member and House Of Pain producer DJ Muggs (real name: Lawrence Muggerud) has signed to Epitaph Records' Anti imprint, and will release his third solo album in early 2002. According to a statement from the label, Muggs' Anti debut will be half-stocked with collaborations with various artists, in the vein of his two albums under the Soul Assassins moniker, while the other half will be solo Muggs tracks with a guest female vocalist.

"I feel like this is a new age for music," Muggs said in the statement. "So many different combos of music are coming together. I'm getting into it now as a fan and want to bring it full circle."

Muggs first drew notice in 1991 as the production mastermind behind Cypress Hill's self-titled Columbia debut. While continuing to contribute to the successful rap group throughout the '90s, Muggs expanded his horizons, producing and remixing for the likes of Janet Jackson, U2, George Michael, and Wu-Tang Clan.

In 1997, he released his debut solo album, "Muggs Presents the Soul Assassins, Chapter 1" (Columbia), featuring a large team of guest rappers, including Dr. Dre, RZA, KRS-One, Mobb Deep, and Wyclef Jean. The album debuted at No. 20 on The Billboard 200. "Muggs Presents the Soul Assassins, Chapter 2" followed in 2000.