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.
Unknown Soldier
The Psycho Realm Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(G.Gonzalez, J.Gonzalez)
(Jacken)
The unknown soldier
Came back when the war was over
He gave his life to keep the order
And comes home unknown
They give him the cold shoulder
And ti don't matter if they lose their lives
Some survive, so much for patriot pride
They arrive, nobody welcoming those who fight
And the unlucky ones who fall get no love at all
Get scribed on the wall, memorial plate, cause fate called
The body hauled into the garden, the problem solved
Only if the corpse is found and undissolved
(Duke)
Now it's a struggle, for my life to stay humble
When the lines of sanity disappeared in the jungle
Rumble, my mind is torn between calm
And sick ass storm I'm in trouble
I lead double lives indeed
I can't wait to make you bleed, I want peace
My family can't deal with me
Please, I need insanity
My head is stuck, with memories of bullets
And who they struck so I'm fucked
Must take control of myself
Before I shift and hurt someone else
Hook:
The unknown soldier (x2)
War scars the mind of all veterans
(Jacken)
Now, the story was told to me by my folks
The old war was filled with rain and blood soaked
Our people rebelled and made the gun smoke
Had hopes to live better back then so they broke
Couldn't cope with being shut down, put down
So they found the ubderground looking for freedom from psycho realms
Outlook was dim evil filles this glass to the rim
But victory was recorded on memory film
(Duke)
Yeah, I'm insane
And the war leaves soldiers
Scarred and lost with no name
Real hard to kill and well trained
In games that bring cold flashes abd pain
Blood floods the lawn with red rain
And red down lives on in memory line
I lay awake with no escape
And the eyes in the mirror look more derranged
Don't fuck with me, my world
Is controlled by a force that keeps my heart coldI
Murder unfolds from the gub I hold
And thesse actions keep a soldier unknown
...The unknown soldier
Hook:
The unknown soldier (x2)
In the song "Unknown Soldier," The Psycho Realm speaks about the struggles and sacrifices of the soldiers who go to war on behalf of their countries. The first verse starts with the description of an unknown soldier who gave his life to keep the order while serving his country. However, when he returns home, he is given the cold shoulder instead of a hero's welcome. The second verse is a reflection of a soldier who is struggling to cope with the aftermath of the war. The soldier leads double lives, one where he wants peace, and another filled with dark, violent memories that haunt him. The soldier is afraid that he might hurt someone else if he doesn't take control of himself.
The song's hook repeats the phrase "the unknown soldier," which emphasizes the theme of sacrifice and anonymity that comes with serving one's country. The song speaks to the grim reality of war and its costs, both to those who fight it and to those who are left to pick up the pieces afterward. It also speaks to the resilience of people who fight for their freedom, even in the face of insurmountable odds.
Line by Line Meaning
The unknown soldier
This is a reference to those soldiers who come back from war and are forgotten and unknown by society.
Came back when the war was over
The unknown soldier returns home after the war is finished, believing that they have kept order and stability in their country.
He gave his life to keep the order
The soldier sacrificed their life to try and maintain order and safety in their country.
And comes home unknown
Despite their sacrifice and service, the soldier comes back and is unknown and forgotten by their society.
They give him the cold shoulder
The unknown soldier is ignored and avoided by their society, who do not acknowledge the sacrifice and service they have given.
Borders die like troops that take sides to break widespread panic
Borders and boundaries are often broken and destroyed in times of war, as soldiers take sides and fight to try and break the fear and panic that arises.
And it don't matter if they lose their lives
Soldiers who fight in wars can lose their lives, and their sacrifice is often not fully appreciated or respected by society.
Some survive, so much for patriot pride
Some soldiers survive the war, but the lack of respect or recognition they receive shows that there is really no true pride in being a patriot.
They arrive, nobody welcoming those who fight
When soldiers return from fighting in a war, they often do not receive a warm welcome or recognition for their service.
And the unlucky ones who fall get no love at all
Soldiers who die in battle often do not receive any love or respect for their sacrifice.
Get scribed on the wall, memorial plate, cause fate called
Those soldiers who have died in war are often memorialized on plates or walls as a reminder of their sacrifice.
The body hauled into the garden, the problem solved
If a soldier's body is found after they have died in combat, it is often taken away and buried, as if their death is just a problem to be solved.
Only if the corpse is found and undissolved
If a soldier's body is not found or has been destroyed in the conflict, they may never be memorialized or remembered for their service and sacrifice.
Now it's a struggle, for my life to stay humble
The soldier who has returned from war feels a struggle to maintain their personal identity and humility.
When the lines of sanity disappeared in the jungle
In the midst of war and conflict, it can be hard to maintain one's sanity and sense of self.
Rumble, my mind is torn between calm
The soldier's mind is struggling to find a balance between chaos and calmness.
And sick ass storm I'm in trouble
The soldier is caught in the middle of a storm and feels as though they are in trouble.
I lead double lives indeed
The soldier feels as though they are leading two separate lives after returning from fighting in a war.
I can't wait to make you bleed, I want peace
The soldier feels an internal conflict between wanting to be peaceful and wanting to continue fighting.
My family can't deal with me
The soldier's family struggles to understand or connect with them after their return from war.
Please, I need insanity
The soldier feels as though they need to be a little crazy in order to cope with their experiences and memories from the war.
Now, the story was told to me by my folks
The artist is relaying a story they were told by their family about a past war.
The old war was filled with rain and blood soaked
This line paints a vivid picture of how brutal and violent the old war was.
Our people rebelled and made the gun smoke
The artist's people rebelled and fought in the war to try and gain better living conditions.
Had hopes to live better back then so they broke
The soldiers fighting in the war did so with the hope of creating a better future for themselves and their people.
Couldn't cope with being shut down, put down
The soldiers fighting in the war felt as though they were being oppressed and held back in their society.
So they found the underground looking for freedom from psycho realms
The soldiers who felt oppressed and helpless turned to the underground as a means of finding freedom and liberation.
Outlook was dim evil filled this glass to the rim
The outlook for the soldiers felt bleak and dark, as though their future was full of evil and darkness.
But victory was recorded on memory film
Despite the struggles and bleak outlook, there was some victory and success recorded and remembered.
Yeah, I'm insane
The singer is acknowledging that they have been affected by their experiences in war and may not be completely sane.
And the war leaves soldiers
The war has a lasting impact on soldiers who fight in battle.
Scarred and lost with no name
The soldiers who return from war often feel a sense of being lost and forgotten.
Real hard to kill and well trained
Soldiers who have fought in war are often highly skilled and difficult to defeat in battle.
In games that bring cold flashes and pain
The battles and conflicts fought in war are often brutal and painful, causing soldiers to feel cold and disconnected.
Blood floods the lawn with red rain
This line creates a vivid image of the carnage and destruction that occurs during war.
And red down lives on in memory line
The sacrifices and deaths of soldiers are remembered for generations to come.
I lay awake with no escape
The soldier struggles to escape their memories and experiences from the war, which haunt them even in their sleep.
And the eyes in the mirror look more deranged
The soldier sees the effects of the war in the mirror, feeling as though they are becoming more and more deranged.
Don't fuck with me, my world
The soldier is easily triggered and protective of their mental state, and anyone who threatens it should beware.
Is controlled by a force that keeps my heart cold
The soldier feels as though their emotions are numb and cold, due to the traumatic experiences they faced in war.
Murder unfolds from the gun I hold
The soldier struggles with violent tendencies because of their experiences in war.
And these actions keep a soldier unknown
The violence and trauma experienced by soldiers often leaves them feeling isolated and forgotten by society.
The unknown soldier
This final line serves as a poignant reminder of the soldier who is forgotten and overlooked by society.
Contributed by Anna N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.