The first seeds of Psycho Realm were sown in the tough downtown Pico-Union neighborhood, right across the street from Doheny Park. First-generation Americans and the eldest two of the four Gonzalez boys, Jack and Gustavo, a.k.a. "Duke," grew up in the contentious neighborhood in the mid- and late-1980s.
"Our side of town is the 'Sick Side' of town. They have the South Side, North Side, East Side, whatever. Our side is the Sick Side," Jack explains over a lunch of Argentine Lomo and Mimosas on Hollywood's Melrose Avenue one recent Sunday, fresh off a series of concert dates in Italy.
The patriarch of the Gonzalez family came to the U.S. from Mexico at the age of 15 and supported his family by painting cars. Their house was filled with music: classic oldies, which surface prominently in Psycho Realm's tracks, along with regional Mexican music and giants of the 1960s and '70s like Creedence Clearwater Revival, Led Zeppelin, and Jimi Hendrix.
Immersed in hip-hop as a middle-school student, Jack's neighborhood friend, Yonjo, got ahold of a record featuring a guy out of Miami rapping in Spanish. They threw it on the turntable and, inspired by what they heard, the boys wrote a Spanglish rap about all of the friends they grew up with and the growing specter of neighborhood gang warfare that would crest just a few years later in the early 1990s.
Older brother Duke was attending Cal State Northridge (CSUN) at the time, and Jack and Yonjo made the trip out one weekend to see Latin hip-hoppers A Lighter Shade of Brown play the on-campus pub. When the following act was late to the stage, a deejay friend of Duke's threw on an instrumental beat and persuaded Jack and Yonjo to get on stage. Their song about the neighborhood characters got the crowd going crazier than the headlining act, and Jack was hooked.
Eventually, Yonjo dropped out to work for his family's business, Duke got in on the act, and his days at CSUN soon came to an end as well. "I think he went with the intention of doing something, but didn't know what he wanted to do," says Jack. According to his little brother, Duke spent most of those two years with his '79 Regal backed up to the door of his dorm room, juicing up the batteries on his hydraulics with free electricity, courtesy of the Cal State University system. When the party was over, he left.
By now Jack was attending the Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies' (LACES) magnet high school Mid-City. Always a talented writer, he once won an essay contest for an opportunity to travel to the Soviet Union, but those plans were derailed by the ill-timed collapse of communism. Jack also played first-chair trumpet in the band and rubbed elbows in Miss Cox's music class with Lucas MacFadden (a.k.a. DJ Cut Chemist of Jurassic 5, Ozomatli and the Brainfreeze projects with DJ Shadow), and a certain actor you may have heard of named Leonardo DiCaprio.
Jack admits that he and his boys used to give Leo a hard time, but when they ran into each other years later at a Playboy magazine party, there were no hard feelings. "He was like, 'Hey, your music's tight.' I was like, 'You're acting's dope,'" Jack remembers.
After graduating from LACES, Jack also took a stab at higher education, attending Santa Monica College on scholarship, taking random courses for credit like weight training. "My dad always wanted us to do the college thing," he says. "Get a good job, make eighty-, a hundred-thousand-dollars a year. Live the good life, you know?" But with an infant daughter to support (he's now the proud father of five girls) and a waning interest in academics, Jack decided that his energy was better spent working and nurturing Psycho Realm's music.
About that time, Psycho Realm caught what could be considered the band's big break. It was 1993 and they were playing a free "End Barrio Warfare" show at the Olvera Street Plaza downtown, which happened to be attended by B-Real of Cypress Hill. B liked what he heard, met with Jack and Duke after the show, and eventually signed Psycho Realm to his production company and the Ruffhouse/Columbia/Sony label, mentoring the fledgling duo. "He was a good mentor," says Jack. "He helped us structure our songs more.
Live shows, he taught us how to work the crowd."
B-Real was so impressed with Psycho Realm that he actually wanted to join the group and make it a trio, but Jack and Duke were reluctant to let anyone else in the fold. "We had the mentality of the old rock bands: If you can't do an album on your own, you ain't shit," says Jack. The brothers told B-Real they would pass, but he was persistent. "We told him if you're going to be in the group, you've got to do all the promotional stuff, too. You don't get superstar status. And he was down with it, so we were like, 'Let's do the whole album.' And we did the whole first album with him."
The Big Debut
When it came time to put out their self-titled debut album in 1997, Jack and Duke were adamant that it was credited only to Psycho Realm, minting them as their own brand. Sony didn't go for it. "On everything, every sticker, it said, 'Featuring B-Real of Cypress Hill,' " recalls Jack. "You can't really blame them because they're sinking so many dollars into it. They're going to go for the marketing aspect." It wasn't all bad news, though. Even now, when Cypress Hill comes up, Psycho Realm usually gets a mention, and vice-versa.
Timing was not on their side, however. Simultaneously, Cypress Hill, Nas, and the Fugees were all on the Ruffhouse label, and they all had big radio hits. Not being a radio-friendly group, Psycho Realm fell into a no-man's land, and consequently fell through the cracks. "They didn't know what to do with us," laments Jack. "Two Mexican guys from L.A. rapping. They were just like, 'What is this? How can we market this?' "
Psycho Realm eventually decided it was best to part ways with Sony. "Sony did give us a worldwide promotional campaign, so we're known all over the world now," says Jack. "We can go to Europe and have promoters pay us to do shows. And we have fans that are coming to the shows all over the world – Mexico, South and Central America, Europe, Australia."
With a DIY work ethic, the Gonzalez brothers have also cultivated a vast network of independent distributors around the globe, keeping their music, their fans – and their profits – close to their chests. Jack breaks it down: "Instead of making eighty cents a record, we're making six or seven dollars a record. It's more of a direct contact with the streets, too, because on a day-to-day basis I'm going around to stores dropping off product. People at the shows buy it, people see me on the streets. I'm out there every day. It's being accessible. I think a lot of people can relate to us and the fact that we're in everybody's face, we're standing next to everybody, it makes it that much more real."
The ugly face of Los Angeles street violence got a little too real for Psycho Realm in late January 1999, just a month before their second album, "A War Story, Book 1," was scheduled for release on their own Sick Symphonies label. After a Delinquent Habits show at the El Rey theatre, Duke and a few friends went in search of late-night nourishment, ending up at Tommy's burger stand at Beverly and Rampart. Following an altercation in the parking lot, Duke was shot in the neck, severing an artery, with the bullet ending up right between the "L" and the "O" of his "Los Angeles" tattoo.
War Story II
By the time Jack made it to the scene, Duke was already on his way to County-USC Medical Center, and only his jacket remained in the street, ringed by yellow police tape. He caught up with Duke in the hospital hallway, barely alive and disfigured by swelling, bandages and clamps. Duke survived, and the police arrested the shooter, but his injuries left him a quadriplegic at 28.
Jack calls the months after Duke's misfortune "The Dark Ages." "I wasn't really doing much," he says. "Not really making music, just cruising the streets." Duke eventually convinced Jack to get back to making music, and he hooked up with dedicated foot soldiers of the Psycho Realm promotion machine and fellow Angelenos, Street Platoon. Together they recorded "The Steel Storm," released in 2001. Dad went to nursing school so he could care for Duke full time and Psycho Realm eventually got back on track.
Now, along with his musical contributions, Duke runs Psycho Realm's cyber-domain, maintaining the Web site and mailing list. And L.A. hip-hop's favorite sons released their long-awaited third album, "A War Story, Book 2," in November 2003. On one of the 15 new tracks, "Poison Rituals," MTV News' Kurt Loder even recounts the night Psycho Realm's lives changed forever at the burger stand. Standout and single-worthy tracks also include head-bobbing party track "Good Times" and street anthem "The Killing Fields."
By all appearances, Psycho Realm barely missed a step. When they threw a record-release party at the El Rey, the same theater where they attended the Delinquent Habits show that fateful night in 1999, Sick Soldiers lined up around the block, and the 600-plus fans that were turned away incited a near-riot. The L.A.P.D. even showed up, decked out in riot gear, though the situation eventually ended peacefully.
"We do it all ourselves," says Jack. "For two guys [Street Platoon], me and my brother, who's quadriplegic, we're not doing too bad."
ONLINE:
For a list of independent retailers carrying Psycho Realm's catalogue, tour dates, news, and merchandise, visit www.psychorealmonline.com.
Palace Of Exile
The Psycho Realm Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(G.Gonzalez, J.Gonzalez)
We're locked up in the life we lead, end up chalked up
Knocked up everybody looking like us
In the palace running with those who get wild
Outsiders live in exile
Meanwhile we're caged up trapped in a scene
Destiny's made up
In a cell we dwell until we parole
It's all part of living your life a psycho
(Jacken)
They make us to be antagonist
Worst while they're fabulous
We're the broke and scandalous
Who'll never know what lavish is
Law establishers rules for savages
Set up the bait and then debate
On your sentence for damages
Flood the street with cannabisF
Crystal-meth handel this
Get you fucked up
The serve you guns with high calibers
Give you ghetto fame everytime you act crazy
Knuckleheads bringing the heat ti 'hoods daily
Got cops ready to serve you just waiting
To take you to the palace exiled from your baby momma drama
Prison life gonna put you on a program
Rehabilitate your mind state if you wanna
Otherwise go thgough repeated visits to cell
Or dorms in whatever camp palaces where you dwell
If in jail get petty money for labor skills
While stock holders sell and make money off shit you build
Exiled before we pull triggers on burnt steel
No matter what your record is or how many you've killed
You could be clean as a whistle homey but still
The palace was built for you, that's real
(Duke)
Through the borke glass I make my escape
Want what I don't have and that'se the shit that I'll take
From the hands of any man
You retaliate and my blade sinks in you like quicksand
Listen to the warning that I've given
It's the act of violence that keeps most crooks driven
Breaking and entering
And don't-give-a-fuck cops not responding to your screaming yelling
Waiting for the cavalary to invade in
The cottage in the hills where I hold you hostage
Big man sabotage
Your sick ass palace of malice gets robbed through the garage
Muthafuckas with money get stupid and drunk
And have the luxuries of hard drugs and get sprung
Raw individuals come
And all your shit gets stole and then sold
You wanna blame yourself for my sick sideshow
Then you realze that you've got no control
Just lock the muthafucken door
And hope that I don't intro through the window
We're locked up in the life we lead, end up chalked up
Knocked up everybody looking like us
In the palace running with those who get wild
Outsiders live in exile
Meanwhile we're caged up trapped in a scene
Destiny's made up
Laid up all in the cut 'til bail is paid up
In a cell we dwell until we parole
It's all part of living your life a psycho
The Psycho Realm's song "Palace of Exile" tackles the theme of being trapped in one's life and surroundings, specifically in the context of being living in poverty and being in and out of jail. The lyrics depict the cyclical nature of this type of life, where individuals are often trapped by their environment and have few opportunities to escape. The references to substance abuse and violence illustrate a relationship between one's environment and one's actions, implying that being born into poverty and crime can be a trap that's hard to escape.
The lyrics also reference the idea of being exiled from mainstream society, something that these individuals experience both literally and symbolically. Side by side with another marginalized group, outsiders, their lives are lived in a palace of isolation, where their recurrent spiral traps them in a vicious circle of situations from where hardly people come out. By ending up in jail, they dwell in a cell until they are paroled and thrown back into the world that exiled them in the first place. It’s a vicious circle, and one that the song is both condemning and empathetic to.
Line by Line Meaning
We're locked up in the life we lead, end up chalked up
We are confined in the lifestyle we have chosen and could end up dead.
Knocked up everybody looking like us
We all have the same struggles and experiences, leading to stereotyping.
In the palace running with those who get wild
We are in the inner circle with those who live dangerously.
Outsiders live in exile
Those who don't fit in live on the fringes of society.
Meanwhile we're caged up trapped in a scene
While we appear to have freedom, we are truly trapped in our own cycle of violence.
Destiny's made up
Our fate is already predetermined by our choices.
Laid up all in the cut 'til bail is paid up
We are stuck in jail unless we can pay for our release.
In a cell we dwell until we parole
Our time is spent in a cell until we are deemed fit for release.
It's all part of living your life a psycho
This is the reality of living a life of violence and crime.
They make us to be antagonist
Society paints us as the bad guys.
Worst while they're fabulous
While we struggle, the privileged live in luxury.
We're the broke and scandalous
We are poor and have a bad reputation.
Who'll never know what lavish is
We will never experience a luxurious lifestyle.
Law establishers rules for savages
Laws are made for those who are seen as uncivilized or violent.
Set up the bait and then debate
Authorities will set traps and then discuss the punishment.
On your sentence for damages
The punishment is based on the harm caused.
Flood the street with cannabis
Drugs are readily available to people in the streets.
Crystal-meth handel this
People are selling crystal meth on the streets.
Get you fucked up
The drugs will make you high or intoxicated.
The serve you guns with high calibers
People will give you powerful guns.
Give you ghetto fame everytime you act crazy
Being destructive and violent can lead to fame in our community.
Knuckleheads bringing the heat ti 'hoods daily
Violent incidents happen frequently in our community.
Got cops ready to serve you just waiting
The police are prepared to arrest you for any wrongdoing.
To take you to the palace exiled from your baby momma drama
You can end up in jail and separated from your family because of domestic issues.
Prison life gonna put you on a program
The structure and routine of prison will shape you.
Rehabilitate your mind state if you wanna
If you want to change your behavior, you can work on bettering yourself.
Otherwise go thgough repeated visits to cell
If you don't choose to change, you will continue to be in jail.
Or dorms in whatever camp palaces where you dwell
You will be housed in different jails and prisons throughout your sentences.
If in jail get petty money for labor skills
You can earn small amounts of money for working in prison.
While stock holders sell and make money off shit you build
Companies make profits off of prison labor.
Exiled before we pull triggers on burnt steel
We are already separated from society because of our violent behavior.
No matter what your record is or how many you've killed
Even if you have a clean record, the criminal world will always be a part of your past.
You could be clean as a whistle homey but still
You can be an upstanding person, but your past will continue to haunt you.
The palace was built for you, that's real
The criminal world was designed for people like us.
Through the borke glass I make my escape
I escape through broken glass.
Want what I don't have and that'se the shit that I'll take
I steal what I can't have.
From the hands of any man
I steal from anyone.
You retaliate and my blade sinks in you like quicksand
If you fight back, I will use my knife to harm you.
Listen to the warning that I've given
Take heed of the threats I make.
It's the act of violence that keeps most crooks driven
Violence motivates many criminals.
Breaking and entering
I break into homes and buildings to steal.
And don't-give-a-fuck cops not responding to your screaming yelling
The police don't care about our problems and won't help us.
Waiting for the cavalary to invade in
We wait for backup to help us during our criminal acts.
The cottage in the hills where I hold you hostage
I take someone hostage in a secluded location.
Big man sabotage
I harm those who have more than me.
Your sick ass palace of malice gets robbed through the garage
I steal from those who have a lot.
Muthafuckas with money get stupid and drunk
Wealthy people will often make poor decisions due to their privilege.
And have the luxuries of hard drugs and get sprung
They have access to drugs and become addicted.
Raw individuals come
Other criminals will come to join me in my stealing.
And all your shit gets stole and then sold
Everything you own will be stolen and sold by me and my accomplices.
You wanna blame yourself for my sick sideshow
You feel guilty for not being able to stop my criminal behavior.
Then you realze that you've got no control
You realize that you cannot control me or other criminals.
Just lock the muthafucken door
To protect yourself, lock your doors.
And hope that I don't intro through the window
But even then, I may still find a way to break in.
Contributed by Caleb K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.