Insane Clown Posse

Insane Clown Posse is an American ^{United States} hip hop ^{hip hop music} duo ^{Duet (music)} from Detroit, Michigan. The group is composed of Joseph Bruce and Joseph Utsler, who perform under the respective personas of the wicked clowns ^{Evil clown} Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. Insane Clown Posse performs a style of hardcore hip hop known as horrorcore and is known for its elaborate live performances. The duo has earned two platinum ^{Music recording sales certification} and three gold albums. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the entire catalog of the group has sold 6.5 million units in the United States and Canada as of April 2007.

Originally known as Inner City Posse, the group introduced supernatural- and horror ^{horror fiction} -themed lyrics as a means of distinguishing itself stylistically. The duo founded the independent record label Psychopathic Records with Alex Abbiss as manager, and produced and starred in the feature films Big Money Hustlas and Big Money Rustlas. They formed their own professional wrestling federation, Juggalo Championship Wrestling, and later collaborated with many famous hip hop and rock ^{rock music} musicians.

The themes of Insane Clown Posse center on the mythology of the Dark Carnival ^{Dark Carnival (Insane Clown Posse)} , which the duo claim is a spiritual force that has revealed a series of stories known as Joker's Cards. These stories each offer a specific lesson designed to change the "evil ways" of listeners before "the end consumes us all." Insane Clown Posse has a dedicated following, often referred to by the group as Juggalos and Juggalettes.

 
Early history (1985–1994)


Formation of the group

Joseph Bruce (Violent J) and Joseph Utsler (Shaggy 2 Dope) met in Oak Park ^{Oak Park, Michigan} , a suburb on the North border of Detroit, Michigan. Along with Utsler's brother, John, and friend, Lacy, they wrestled in backyard rings ^{backyard wrestling} that they had built themselves.

In 1989, Joseph Bruce, as Jagged Joe, Joseph Utsler, as Kangol Joe, and John Utsler, as Master J, released the single titled "Party at the Top of the Hill" under the name of JJ Boys, but the group did not pursue a serious career in music. Poverty and a difficult home life drove Bruce to move in with Rudy "The Rude Boy" Hill in River Rouge ^{River Rouge, Michigan} , a city near the industrial southwest side of Detroit.

Feeling a sense of home and belonging, Bruce formed a gang called Inner City Posse, which was composed of Joseph Utsler, Rudy Hill, other friends of Bruce, and a number of other connections he had made in Southwest Detroit. this experience convinced him to reduce his involvement in gang life. Growing popularity in the local music scene turned negative for the group's gang, which became the target of growing violence. After receiving jail sentences, the group members abandoned gang life. Referring to local rapper Esham's acid rap style, Bruce suggested the band adapt this genre, in a bid to have Detroit represent acid rap, much as Los Angeles ^{Los Angeles, California} represented gangsta rap. The group agreed, but not to copying the style of Esham closely. Instead, they suggested using horror-themed lyrics as an emotional outlet for all their negative life experiences. They were also unanimous in deciding not to rap openly about Satan, which Esham often did. The group finished recording the album with Clark, who continued to work with them throughout their career. The album featured appearances from local rappers, including Esham and Kid Rock. The word has been the subject of criticism from both Ben Sisario of Rolling Stone and Allmusic's Erlewine, who suggested the term is similar to the racial slur jigaboo ^{List of ethnic slurs#J} .

The group's second studio album, Ringmaster ^{Ringmaster (album)} , was released on March 8, 1994, and its popularity enabled the group to sell out larger nightclubs across Detroit. Because Bruce and Utsler made reference to the Detroit-produced soft drink Faygo in their songs, they "figured it would be cool to have some on stage with [them]." The group's second EP, The Terror Wheel, was released on August 5, 1994. One of the songs from the EP, "Dead Body Man", received considerable local radio play. After Battery/Jive Records showed little interest in promoting the album, Insane Clown Posse funded the promotion of Riddle Box independently. This effort led the group to Dallas, Texas, where it persuaded several music retail stores to stock the album. Sales averaged 1,500 copies per week as a result.


The Great Milenko

Manager Alex Abbiss negotiated a contract with the Walt Disney Company ^{The Walt Disney Company} -owned label Hollywood Records, which reportedly paid US$1 million to purchase the Insane Clown Posse contract from Battery/Jive/BMG Records. The group started recording its fourth studio album, The Great Milenko, in 1996, during which Disney requested that the tracks "The Neden Game," "Under the Moon," and "Boogie Woogie Wu" be removed. Disney also asked that the lyrics of other tracks be changed, threatening to not release the album otherwise. Bruce and Utsler complied with Disney's requests, and planned to go on a national tour with House of Krazees and Myzery as their opening acts. The group was also informed that its in-store signings and nationwide tour had been canceled, commercials for the album and the music video for "Halls of Illusions" (which had reached #1 on The Box ^{The Box (UK TV channel)} video request channel) were pulled from television, and that the group was dropped from the label. Although Abbiss told the press that Disney had stopped production of The Great Milenko to avoid further controversy, Disney claimed instead that the release of the album was an oversight by their review board, and that the album "did not fit the Disney image" because of its "inappropriate" lyrics, which they claimed were offensive to women.

After the termination of the Hollywood Records contract, Insane Clown Posse signed a new contract with Island ^{Island Records} /PolyGram Records, which agreed to release the album as intended. Entertainment Weekly music critic David Browne gave the record a C-minus rating: "[With] its puerile humor and intentionally ugly metal-rap tunes, the album feels oddly dated." Halfway through the tour, Brian Jones of House of Krazees had a falling out with his band members. Jones left the group, forcing House of Krazees to quit the tour.


Eminem feud

In late 1997, Bruce took Myzery to St. Andrew's Hall. Eminem, then an unknown local emcee, approached Bruce and handed him a flyer advertising the release party for The Slim Shady EP. The flyer read, "Featuring appearances by Esham, Kid Rock, and ICP (maybe)."


The House of Horrors Tour

One month after ICP's Strangle-Mania Live, Insane Clown Posse began their second nationwide tour, "The House of Horrors Tour", with Myzery added as one of the opening acts. While searching for the second opening act, Bruce received a telephone call at his home from former House of Krazees members Jamie Spaniolo and Paul Methric, who told Bruce that the group was officially disbanded and asked to be on the tour. The January 1998 issue of Spin ^{Spin (magazine)} magazine ran a four-page cartoon lampooning Insane Clown Posse and Juggalos, claiming that the group was offensive "not for their obscenity, but for their stupidity." Spin likened Insane Clown Posse's stage act to "a sort of circus karaoke" and portrayed the group's fans as overweight suburbanites. On the group's website, Bruce responded to the article by stating, "I could give a *** less."

After a show in Indianapolis, Insane Clown Posse's tour bus stopped at a Waffle House in Greenfield, Indiana. When a customer began to harass Spaniolo and Bruce, a fight broke out between the customer and all of the bands' members. The group's tour was briefly derailed in January 1998, when their tour bus drifted off a highway and down an embankment, leaving Frank Moreno of Psycho Realm with a concussion. As a result of the accident, Insane Clown Posse postponed two shows scheduled for Cleveland, Ohio, on January 22 and January 23, but honored their promise to perform on January 25 and January 26.


Mainstream success (1998–2000)


The Amazing Jeckel Brothers

On April 19, 1998, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Bruce suffered a panic attack during a performance and was carried off stage. Bruce, who later recalled being completely "out of it",

By late 1998 over one million copies of The Great Milenko had been sold, and Insane Clown Posse was ready for its fifth album, The Amazing Jeckel Brothers. Working with Mike E. Clark and Rich "Legs Diamond" Murrell, Bruce and Utsler developed their album with the highest of hopes. The group was known nationally, but were not taken very seriously. Hoping to receive the respect Bruce and Utsler felt they deserved, they planned to feature well-known, respected rappers on their album. and has since been certified platinum by the RIAA. Rolling Stone writer Barry Walters gave the album a "two out of five stars" rating, writing that "no musical sleight of hand can disguise the fact that Shaggy and J remain the ultimate wack MCs." At the same time as The Amazing Jeckel Brothers' release, Island Records merged with Def Jam Records. It quickly became apparent to Bruce and Utsler that Def Jam Records had no interest in them. The stage crew members, which showed their dislike for Insane Clown Posse, were a source of contention. Despite the crew striking twice, the movie was filmed in two months. They were excited about the offer, as it indicated their impact on the music industry. Some people perceived participating in Woodstock 1999 was a sell-out ^{selling out} for the group; however, Bruce and Utsler disagreed. As Bruce explains, "[Woodstock] sold out the mainstream style for us! Woodstock never came to us and asked us to change one ***in' thing about us or our show! They wanted ICP just as ICP is, and nothing else. If that ain't fresh, then I don't know what the *** is!" Osbourne stated that her group was to receive US$12,500 per show for a scheduled two-month package tour. Bruce reiterated that Coal Chamber's music did not appeal to Insane Clown Posse fans, and that ticket refunds decreased after Coal Chamber had been removed from the tour. In June 2000, Eminem physically attacked Douglas Dail, an Insane Clown Posse affiliate, threatening him with a gun in the parking lot of a car audio store in Royal Oak, Michigan. Eminem pleaded guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for two years probation and a US$10,000 fine. In July 2000, Bruce and Utsler staged the first annual Gathering of the Juggalos at the Novi Expo Center in Novi, Michigan. Described by Bruce as a "Juggalo Woodstock", the Gathering of the Juggalos was a three-day music festival that featured wrestling, games, seminars, contests, sideshows, and performances by all Psychopathic Records' artists. In The New Rolling Stone Album Guide, Ben Sisario wrote that the albums "qualify as ICP's masterworks of both merchandising and music." Both albums were given a "three out of five stars" rating. Insane Clown Posse had their own studio built, called "The Lotus Pod."

The second Gathering of the Juggalos was held from July 13–July 15 at the SeaGate Convention Centre in Toledo, Ohio.


The Wraith: Shangri-La

The face of the sixth Joker's Card is "The Wraith"—or simply, Death ^{Death (personification)} . The card featured two "exhibits", Shangri-La and Hell's Pit, which would each be given its own album. On November 5, 2002, Insane Clown Posse released their eighth studio album, The Wraith: Shangri-La, where it is revealed that the hidden message of their music was always to follow God and make it to Heaven. According to Bruce, "We went on an in-store tour right when the sixth Joker Card came out. It was the most moving thing we ever went through in our lives. All across the country, it had such an effect. People would come to the in-stores crying, thanking us. A very, very emotional time. [...] Some people might've been upset by that, but through our eyes all we did was touch a lot of people. We definitely wanted it to be something everlasting. Maybe a 19-year-old might not understand or like that ending now. But later, when he has four kids, he might think, 'That was the shit.'"

The Wraith: Shangri-La debuted at #15 on the Billboard 200 and #1 on the Top Independent Albums chart. In September 2003, Insane Clown Posse was voted the worst band of any musical genre in Blender ^{Blender (magazine)} , with The Wraith: Shangri-La named as the group's worst album. The magazine also gave the album a positive review for its "charming, good-natured idiocy."

Insane Clown Posse went on the 75-date "Shangri-La World Tour", where they performed across the United States, Australia and Europe. On August 31, 2004, Insane Clown Posse released their ninth studio album, Hell's Pit, the second exhibit of The Wraith, intended to warn listeners of the horrors of Hell. Bruce described the album as the darkest, most painful work he had ever done. Two versions of the album were released, each containing a different DVD. One release featured a live concert and a twelve-minute music video for the song "Real Underground Baby", and another featured a short film for the song "Bowling Balls", which was the first 3-D film shot in high-definition video. Attempts to officially end the feud between Eminem and Insane Clown Posse have been unsuccessful, but Bruce states that the rivalry has ended.

On February 1, 2006, Insane Clown Posse fan Jacob D. Robida attacked individuals in a*** bar in New Bedford, Massachusetts with a handgun and a hatchet—a weapon featured in the logo of the group's record label, Psychopathic Records. Robida had a swastika tattoo and flaunted Nazi insignias and paraphernalia on his website. On February 5, Robida shot and killed a traffic officer during a routine stop. When police pulled Robida over during a later stop, he killed his girlfriend, Jennifer Bailey of Charleston, West Virginia, then opened fire on the police. Robida was shot twice in the head during the shootout with the police, and later died in the hospital.

On October 21, 2006, Insane Clown Posse performed at one of twenty benefit shows organized by MySpace as part of the "Rock for Darfur" campaign to raise awareness of the War in Darfur and funds for the region's aid. On March 20, 2007, Insane Clown Posse released their tenth studio album, The Tempest ^{The Tempest (album)} , which debuted at #20 on the Billboard 200 and sold nearly 33,000 copies in its first week. In 2008, Bruce and Utsler starred in the film Death Racers. It was released direct-to-video on September 16, 2008 by The Asylum. In December 2008, John Antonelli filed a lawsuit against the group after being struck by an unopened two-liter of Faygo during a performance at the Fargo ^{Fargo, North Dakota} nightclub The Hub, formerly known as Playmakers. Antonelli is seeking at least $50,000 in damages. The lawsuit also names the venue, Playmakers, as a defendant. An attorney for Playmakers states that only Bruce should be held liable.

The tenth Gathering of the Juggalos took place at Hogrock in Cave-In-Rock, Illinois from August 6-9. The event had the largest attendance in Gathering history with 20,000 people. Over 120 musical artists performed at the event, including the likes of Tech N9ne, Kottonmouth Kings, Ice Cube, GWAR, Coolio, Vanilla Ice, Onyx, Scarface ^{Scarface (rapper)} , The Dayton Family, Bizarre ^{Bizarre (rapper)} , Esham, and NATAS ^{Natas (group)} . An infomercial for the event was released online by Psychopathic Records. Insane Clown Posse's eleventh studio album, Bang! Pow! Boom!, was released on September 1, 2009. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top Independent Albums chart and #4 on the Billboard 200. The Detroit News music critic Adam Graham gave the album a B rating, describing it as "the best material the Clowns have touched since 1999's The Amazing Jeckel Brothers." On December 5, 2009, Saturday Night Live aired a sketch titled "Kickspit Underground Rock Festival", which parodied the Gathering of the Juggalos infomercial. Bruce and Utsler plan to tour theaters around the country to screen the film before its DVD release.
Lyrics and music


Insane Clown Posse's performance style is often described as horrorcore hip hop, which "utilize[s] shocking (and blatantly over the top) narratives to give an over-exaggerated, almost cartoon-like version of urban deprivation in Detroit", according to author Sara Cohen. The group's early work features a raw, minimalistic sound, which later evolved into a more rock-oriented style. The group's lyrics serve as morality tales ^{Morality play} , Insane Clown Posse's debut album, Carnival of Carnage, features a politically-oriented focus, criticizing elitism and prejudice against those who live in the ghetto, while the album's liner notes criticize the Gulf War. domestic violence, and child abuse.

According to Bruce, the group used profanity and references to violence and *** in their lyrics because "to get attention, you have to speak their language. You have to interest them, gain their trust, talk to them and show you're one of them. You're a person from the street and speak of your experiences. Then at the end you can tell them God has helped me out like this and it might transfer over instead of just come straight out and just speak straight out of religion." Sly Fox ^{Sly Fox (band)} , and Above the Law ^{Above the Law (group)} . Bruce and Utsler refer to the acid rap style of Esham as an influence on their own music, Pearl Jam and Michael Jackson. Kimberly Chun of the San Francisco Chronicle described Insane Clown Posse's musical style as a mixture of "dub ^{Dub music} , goth ^{Gothic rock} , metal ^{Heavy metal music} , shock rock and hip-hop, with a WWF ^{World Wrestling Entertainment} announcer's delivery and shuffling stoner beats thrown in for good measure." Mike E. Clark's production for the group incorporates elements such as "carnival organ riffs, power chords and shotgun blasts [...] banjolike plucking and Van Halen-esque guitar squeals," Bruce has stated "We do our own genre of music". In his review of The Tempest, Allmusic's David Jeffries writes that Bruce and Utsler "[rap] in a carnival barker fashion that fits with their circus motif, their Insane Clown disguises, and Mike E. Clark's big top-inspired production." Insane Clown Posse has influenced similar acts, such as Axe Murder Boyz, Blaze Ya Dead Homie and Boondox.


Live performances

during its elaborate live performances.
Insane Clown Posse is known for their elaborate concert performances. In Marley Brant's Tales from the Rock 'n' Roll Highway, Bruce described a typical performance: "We toss out, kick out, and shoot out into the crowd about three to four hundred two-liters of Faygo at every show. [...] We bring with us monsters, dancing clowns, girls, trampolines, and pure and absolute madness to the stage. [...] Shaggy and I know that without all that crazy shit going on around us, we'd just be two more idiots walking back and forth, rapping on stage. [...] ICP's motto has always been '*** keepin' it real: we just keep it entertaining.'" Performances feature backdrops including, among other settings, a game show set and a cemetery. Bruce stated, "We always have a different set, not only for Hallowicked but every tour we go out on. We've been around so long that we get to dig up the many cool sets that we used back in the day and then get to use them again on a national level. Something we might've done once in '94 at St. Andrew's Hall, we can go back again and now do it nationwide-style." According to Bruce, "This is actually the biggest tour we've ever brought out, as far as stage theatrics and extras on stage [...] We've got a whole circus. We're touring clubs and theaters, but it's more like an arena show. It's like an arena concert packed into a club."Both Bruce and Utsler began wrestling as single competitors in 1983 in their backyard wrestling promotion Tag Team Wrestling, later renamed National All-Star Wrestling. After leaving the company, they went to wrestle for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) with The Dead Pool ^{Raven's Nest#Dead Pool/Dark Carnival} and The Dark Carnival between 1999 and 2000. In 2004, they briefly wrestled in NWA Total Nonstop Action ^{Total Nonstop Action Wrestling} . The duo continues to wrestle today in Juggalo Championship Wrestling as well as in various independent promotions.

Insane Clown Posse gained fame for being both professional musicians and professional wrestlers. Overall, they are two-time JCW Tag Team Champions ^{JCW Tag Team Championship} . Additionally, Bruce is a one-time JCW Tag Team Champion with 2 Tuff Tony, and Utsler is a one-time JCW Heavyweight Champion ^{JCW Heavyweight Championship} . Bruce and Utsler are also founding members of the Juggalo World Order.*Carnival of Carnage (1992)
*Ringmaster ^{Ringmaster (album)} (1994)
*Riddle Box (1995)
*The Great Milenko (1997)
*The Amazing Jeckel Brothers (1999)
*Bizzar; Bizaar (2000)
*The Wraith: Shangri-La (2002)
*Hell's Pit (2004)
*The Tempest ^{The Tempest (album)} (2007)
*Bang! Pow! Boom! (2009)*Big Money Hustlas (2000)
*Death Racers (2008)
*A Family Underground (2009)
*Big Money Rustlas (2010)