Psych Ward Druggies

It took a mad scientist to make it happen. After working with a talented collection of artists and producers, the mysterious figure known as Dr. Csalohcin had an idea. The Southern California-based jack-of-all-musical-trades would combine all the talent around him, form a group and launch them through music, movies and comic books. Yet this would be no normal group. It would be called Psych Ward Druggies and would have a specific mission. “He explained the concept to us,” says Golden Boy, one of the nine members of the crew. “That the world is a psych ward and we’re all drugged up by our society.” “I was drawn to the fact that it was different, that it was a positive message,” adds Sir Ryan Anthony. “At first when I heard the name Psych Ward Druggies, I was kind of thrown off by it because it was so left-field. But when Dr. Csalohcin got in-depth with it, how the world was a crazy place and how everybody’s addicted to something, I was like, ‘OK. This is some other stuff.’ I was drawn to the positive messages that he said we could bring to the world.” Psych Ward Druggies is rounded out by Strikes (rapper), Hero (rapper-guitarist), Ryan Bowers (rapper-skateboarder), Golden Boy (rapper), Kehlani (singer), Don Druggie (drummer-rapper) and P Blanco Deville (DJ-producer). The group formed in early 2013 and, at the behest of Dr. Csalohcin, began working on its debut mixtape, Religious Prescription. The title ties in the name of the group and its musical mission. “The world is a crazy-ass place and everybody has something, a prescription or medicine that gets them through whatever they may be going through,” Ryan Bowers says. “For us, it’s music. For other people, it may be drugs.” “Music is my drug, my prescription,” adds Golden Boy. “Things that I’ve gone through and my opinion and outlook that I share, I try to make it medicine in the music, a lesson and let that be the prescription for whatever might help your pain.” As the Psych Ward Druggies began working on Religious Prescription, its members quickly developed a strong working relationship, one that was driven by putting the group first and making the best music possible. “When we heard a song, we can hear whose voices would fit best on the song,” Golden Boy says. “It’s up to the song, the music.” The group made a video for its remarkable, thought-provoking song “Respect The Shooter.” The far-reaching song discusses everything from kids that are bullied to encouraging people to be –and believe in – themselves regardless of who they are and what they look like. Sonically, the song is propelled by an-ultra funky bassline, choice samples and a barrage of well-timed sound effects. “There’s nothing that really sounds like that right now,” Ryan Anthony says. “It’s not that we’re trying to be different. It just is different. Lyrically, it’s about needing to respect everybody. You can push anybody to the point where they really feel like messing things up.” The crew shifts gears on the celebratory “Pop It For A Player,” a club-ready cut that is gaining momentum in clubs and on the radio on the West Coast. “It’s a hot record,” Ryan Bowers says. “It’s a cool song for the clubs and it’s something that easy to grasp the concept of. It’s a fun record, real ratchet.” The rest of Religious Prescription demonstrates the group’s musical and thematic potency. “Veins,” for instance, features the group discussing its demons, articulating the frustration that hits many people head-on when life takes a turn for the worse. “That’s why I started writing, really,” Ryan Bowers says. “When I first started, I was just writing about stuff that I really couldn’t talk to people about. It was things that I didn’t want to have a conversation about, so I’d want to write it down. I might have never recorded any of them. I was basically talking to myself and letting things out on wax. If it comes out to be a cool record, that’s dope.” What’s remarkable about both Psych Ward Druggies and Religious Prescription is that each member of the group showcases their respective personality on the 34-track release, which comes off much more musically polished (it helps when you’ve got live instrumentation) and thematically cohesive than most mixtapes and clocks in at a little more than hour. “Everybody has their moment to shine throughout the mixtape,” Golden Boy says. “Everybody has their place to fit because I feel like Dr. Csalohcin put the proper mixture in. It’s a perfect balance of entertainment.” Psych Ward Druggies plans to extend that balance through its forthcoming film and comic book. It also has developed a buzz throughout Southern California through its brazen pop-up shows. “It’s different and it’s a way to say forget you to the promoters that aren’t putting us on shows,” Ryan Bowers says. “If they don’t want to put us on shows, we’ll just pop up outside and get down outside.” Psych Ward Druggies definitely gets down. With the powerful Religious Prescription mixtape and forthcoming film and comic books in the works, the crew strives to make its mark with hardcore music that will help people. “The mission of the group is to inspire people to overcome their trials and tribulations,” Sir Ryan Anthony says. “I’m going through my own trials and tribulations and they’re messed up. I think everybody needs to get through their situation.” Psychward Druggies are a group of patients put in the psychward by Dr Csalohcin. Each patient has their own unique style that they bring to PWD!