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.
Wasted
The Psycho Realm Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(G.Gonzalez, J.Gonzalez)
(Duke)
We run in the packs, sick dogs of attack
Methods of warfare, front to the back
shooting in the troops the juice so they last
Put it in the food can't get through the mask
Remember it's all fair in war
Poisoning the mind with visions of mad killing
Filling me with hate
I can't fight the feeling
(Jacken)
It's a chemical attack from all sides
Carefuly devised
Spraying pesticides on rations
We're catching homicide
Agent orange destroy in similar fashion
Less action little attractionL
Sill death is maxim, they're multi-platinum
Killing milions mostly civilians
Through secret experiements with disregard for your opinion
In the 'shroom fields we feel real defenseless
Against this disorganization of the senses
It's tenseless, past or present, we're invalid
Consider yourself a lyric in this death ballad
hook:
-Wasted yeah
Get hit by the slugs drugs in war zone
-Wasted
Lose your sense against these streets where I roam
-Wasted yeah
Invading the space of your dome of your home
-Wasted
In the fields we live and die our minds gone
Wasted yeah
Wasted
The Psycho Realm's song "Wasted" is a powerful commentary on the devastating effects of war on the human mind and body. The song describes the brutality of war, its impact on soldiers and civilians, and the use of chemical and biological weapons. The opening lines "We run in the packs, sick dogs of attack / Methods of warfare, front to the back" sets the tone for the confrontational, aggressive tone of the song. The lyrics suggest that in war, there are no rules, and any means are justified to achieve victory. The line "Put it in the food can't get through the mask / Remember it's all fair in war" speaks to the use of chemical and biological agents that can be hidden in food or other supplies to cripple the enemy.
The lyrics in the song are filled with visceral, violent imagery that paints a vivid picture of the horrors of war. Lines like "Poisoning the mind with visions of mad killing / Filling me with hate / I can't fight the feeling" suggest that the psychological impact of war can be just as devastating as its physical toll. The lyrics also call out the use of Agent Orange, a toxic herbicide used by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War. The line "Agent orange destroy in similar fashion / Less action little attraction" suggests that the deadly effects of Agent Orange were not immediately apparent but had devastating consequences in the long run, causing illness and death for many veterans and civilians.
One interesting fact about "Wasted" is that it was initially released in 1997 as a B-side to The Psycho Realm's single "Stone Garden." The song was later included on the group's self-titled debut album in 1999. Another interesting fact is that The Psycho Realm was formed by two brothers, Jack and Duke, who were both members of the graffiti crew, The Westside Oldies. The group is known for their socially conscious lyrics and distinctive, West Coast-style production.
Line by Line Meaning
We run in the packs, sick dogs of attack
We move together in groups, like predatory animals with the intention of attacking our enemies.
Methods of warfare, front to the back
We have various ways to engage in battle, from start to finish.
Shooting in the troops the juice so they last
We supply our soldiers with a substance to help them survive longer battles.
Put it in the food can't get through the mask
We administer this substance covertly in the food supply, undetected even by gas masks.
Remember it's all fair in war
In times of war, everything is allowed in order to win.
Head confusion, down by law
The authority is deliberately contributing to the confusion and chaos in our minds.
Poisoning the mind with visions of mad killing
Our thoughts and perceptions are being manipulated to promote a desire for violent actions.
Filling me with hate
I am consumed by a strong feeling of animosity and hostility.
It's a chemical attack from all sides
We are being exposed to hazardous substances from all directions.
Carefully devised
The tactics being used against us are carefully planned and executed.
Spraying pesticides on rations
Toxic chemicals are being added to our food supply.
We're catching homicide
We are becoming victims to intentional killing.
Agent orange destroy in similar fashion
The effects of chemical weapons are similar to the destruction caused by the Agent Orange herbicide.
Less action little attraction
There is minimal action taken towards prevention, which is comparatively unappealing.
Still death is maximum, they're multi-platinum
Despite the lack of action, the impact is still extremely deadly, and the perpetrators are successful, wealthy, and powerful.
Killing millions mostly civilians
The casualties of war are primarily innocent non-military personnel.
Through secret experiments with disregard for your opinion
The government is conducting unethical and concealed trials with no regard for public opinion.
In the 'shroom fields we feel real defenseless
We are vulnerable and helpless against the unknown and unpredictable reality of war.
Against this disorganization of the senses
The chaos and destruction of war is making it challenging for us to make sense of our surroundings.
It's tenseless, past or present, we're invalid
The ongoing conflict makes it impossible for us to have a sense of stability, and it invalidates our past and present lives.
Consider yourself a lyric in this death ballad
You are another victim of this destructive, deadly situation.
Get hit by the slugs drugs in war zone
You will be subjected to violence and exposed to hazardous substances while in this war zone.
Lose your sense against these streets where I roam
You will become disoriented in these dangerous, unpredictable streets where we are present.
Invading the space of your dome of your home
We are infiltrating and occupying the space of your mind and your physical home.
In the fields we live and die our minds gone
We are living and dying in these dangerous fields, with our mental state greatly affected by the violence and destruction we witness.
Wasted yeah
We are experiencing the full extent of destruction and loss due to this ongoing war.
Contributed by Violet S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.