Pucho (aka Mysterme) grew up in the Bronx of Puerto Rican heritage; his early influences were old-school rap, especially Run DMC. He first met and worked with Lamar (aka DJ 20/20) when they attended South Bronx High School. Mysterme moved to San Francisco after graduation to find a record deal, but after Joe Quixx produced his "Unsolved Mysterme" single, he moved back to New York, where DJ 20/20 had already produced some local hardcore rap. The duo began recording and were soon signed by Gee Street Records. A remix of "Unsolved Mysterme" was their first single; Let Me Explain (1994) showed the group as socially conscious hardcore rappers speaking out against violence on songs such as "Happy like Death" and "Playtime's Over." ~ John Bush, Rovi