In the mid-’90s Jacken, Duke and B-Real of Cypress Hill united to form the well-respected group Psycho Realm, and delivered a staggering blow in the name of West Coast hardcore hip-hop with their self-titled debut album, released in 1997 on Ruffhouse/Columbia. Raw, cutting-edge and uncompromising, the record was embraced by the streets and the critics alike for its winning combination of rock-solid beats, reality-based themes and authoritative voices. Around this time, Duke and Jacken introduced Cynic to Crow and the two clicked, forming Street Platoon. With B-Real unable to devote more time to Psycho Realm because of his commitments to Cypress Hill, Duke and Jacken with Street Platoon formed Sick Symphonies in 1998, an independent label devoted exclusively to the Psycho Realm/Street Platoon team. |