Biography

Overview

Jesse Palacios (born: March 10, 1993) is a Cuban-American musician, writer, filmmaker, and YouTuber from Los Angeles, California. He started on YouTube in 2009, uploading music both covers and originals. Over time he began to upload short films and review videos. In 2020 he released an EP titled "I Ain't Got No Money" and in 2023 he premiered his new series titled "The Lair of Evil" a review show that focuses on bad monster, horror, and suspense movies.

Occupation: Musician, Filmmaker, Writer, Actor, Entrepreneur, Film Reviewer, Scholar

Citizenship: United States, Cuba

Genres: Rock, Pop, Spanish Rock, Country/Rock

Instruments: Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Piano, Keyboard, Percussion

Label: Century Star Studios

Early Life and Career

Jesse Palacios was born March 10, 1993. He was raised in Southern California in a very Cuban ethnic household. His Cuban maternal grandparents helped raise him, as they lived in the same household. He first became interested in making films when he saw the special editions of Star Wars in the late 90s and became interested in music after seeing the biopic "Walk the Line" about country/rockabilly musician Johnny Cash. In 2007, he made his first short film, a Star Wars fan film on a VHS camcorder. 

In 2007, his parents separated, and his father was mostly absent for several years. In 2008, their house burned down, and they were left homeless after all their savings that were stored in a Chex cereal box burned with the house. They lived in a hotel for a time, and soon after, what remained of the house went into foreclosure. Eventually, they had nowhere to go, and they squatted in an abandoned drug house. A friend of his older brother told them about it and how he was the last tenant to leave. The owner of the house was in the Philippines and was trying to prevent the house from going into foreclosure overseas. The house was in horrific conditions, with mold, insects, rats, and rotting wood. It was also infested with thousands of roaches, and it would be common to see roach droppings everywhere, including food and personal items. It was during this challenging time that he began to write music as a way to cope with his situation and worsening mental health. Songs written during this time included "Paralyzed", and "It's All Good!". 

In 2011, after three years of living at the abandoned house, the police escorted them out, and they lived in a hotel once more, but for a shorter amount of time. A few weeks later, they rented an apartment in Covina. In 2012, he was involved in a motor vehicle accident that left him physically unable to move or work for many months. He once more took the time to write more music and begin work on a fantasy novel. He wrote many more songs and recorded early versions of them whenever he could. In the same year, he released his first EP titled "It's All Good!" which contained three songs. By 2013, the pressures of constant financial issues, family instability, and neglect led him to have a major emotional breakdown. After some time, he recovered but still had injuries from the accident. In 2016, he was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and ended up in the hospital for several days. The event left him debilitated and unable to work once more. Also, in 2016, he and his father reconciled. He, along with help from his father, opened the physical location of his production facility, Century Star Studios, in Glendora. The same year, he made another short film titled "The Fighter."

In 2017, after so many years of not being able to work regularly, constant financial instability, and worsening mental illness, he had another major breakdown. He decided to get treatment and was diagnosed with Bipolar II, Complex PTSD, Anxiety, and Major Depression. For the next year, he focused on bettering himself. After some time, with improved physical and mental health, he began working regularly and enrolled in Pasadena City College. In 2019, he met Amanda Johansen, whom he would marry in late 2019 after ten months of dating. The same year, he made the short student film "Michael Myers Returns." Between 2019 and 2021, he made eight short films, most of which were student films. Throughout this time, he operated the studio until it closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In April 2020, During the lockdown, he released a seven-song EP titled "I Ain't Got No Money," which contained many re-recordings of earlier songs as new ones. A few weeks later, his older brother would pass away. In 2021, he released the original version of the film "Killer Basket Ball," and in the same year, he would reopen the studio. However, in 2022, he closed the Glendora location once more after deciding to reopen it elsewhere. In 2023, after many years, he graduated from Pasadena City College with two film degrees and is now pursuing a bachelor's. The same year, he premiered the horror B movie review show "The Lair of Evil" on YouTube.