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The Insane Clown Posse (ICP) are a horrorcore rap / rapcore group originally from Wayne, Michigan, consisting of Violent J (Joseph Bruce) and Shaggy 2 Dope (Joseph Utsler). They almost always professionally display themselves in full black and white "evil clown" makeup that could be compared to the corpse paint of black metal musicians or the makeup of the rock group KISS. Violent J's makeup is usually drawn as a smiling face, while Shaggy's is an angry face. While never achieving full mainstream success, the group has nevertheless obtained an impressive collection of platinum and gold albums and legions of loyal fans, know affectionately as Juggalos.

Early history

The first incarnation of the group was in 1988 as The JJ Boys, a trio that Violent J, Shaggy 2 Dope and John Utsler (a.k.a. John Kickchazz) had formed while still in their early teens. Violent J was on the guitar while Shaggy's job was the ukulele. John Kickchazz was to play drums with sticks and a metal bucket. This later became "Inner City Posse", and consisted of three members: Violent J, Shaggy 2 Dope and John Kickchazz (Shaggy's brother, who performed on Inner City Posse albums Bassment Cuts and Dog Beats). Kickchazz left the group before Carnival of Carnage was released. Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope still wanted ICP to be a trio, and so brought in a local rapper called Kalyn Garcia, who appeared on Beverly Kills 50187. He subsequently left as well, and ICP have been a duo ever since, forming Psychopathic Records with manager Alex Abbiss in 1991.

The six Joker's Cards

In 1992, ICP released Carnival of Carnage, which they designated as "The First Joker's Card". The group hinted at the next five major-release albums being numbered in this fashion. They also stated that "the end of time will consume us all" once the Sixth Joker's Card was revealed, and that their fans would know all there is to know about The Dark Carnival (alternatively referred-to as "The Dead Carnival" on The Riddlebox)— something the band refers to on every album as a powerful force which has spoken to them and is directly opposed to the Devil. In ICP's songs, the Dark Carnival often took the shape of a travelling carnival road-show, where instead of harmless entertainment, the clowns and rides serve up death and pain as punishment for the wicked.

The title and theme for each Joker's Card revealed a different "persona" of the Dark Carnival, directing the listener to confront both the sins and mortality of the self and of the world, in the form of fables about the Jokers' purpose within the Carnival. For example, The Great Milenko, a magician, represents the illusions which people may present themselves in order to justify their actions. The Amazing Jeckel Brothers appear upon one's death and juggle fireballs, one for every sin committed in one's life. Jack represents one's evil spirit while Jake represents one's good spirit. If Jake drops any one ball thrown to him by Jack, then the newly-departed is banished to Hell. This concept of inner-duality is expanded-upon in the Sixth Joker's Card.

The Sixth Joker's Card

As explained by Violent J: "There is one Sixth Joker's Card, but there are two versions." While the face of the Sixth Joker's Card was "The Wraith" (or simply Death), The Wraith had two "exhibits" to present to all who will listen, The Wraith: Shangri-La (Heaven) and The Wraith: Hell's Pit (Hell). Each of The Wraith's exhibits was given its own album. It was up to each listener, ICP claimed, to decide which version of "The Wraith" is the correct one.

In November 2002, ten years after the first Joker's Card was released, in the final track of The Wraith: Shangri-La, ICP revealed their big secret: "Truth is, we follow God, we've always been behind Him. The Carnival is God, and may all Juggalos find Him! We're not sorry if we tricked you. We don't care what happens now."

ICP's ultimate message to the world was that we all have a choice as to where we will spend our afterlife, and that choice is made with every right and wrong deed one does in one's life. The choice of preference between The Wraith: Shangri-La and The Wraith: Hell's Pit appears to be a metaphor for that possiblity.

The Messages Of The Six Joker's Cards*

The First Joker's Card "Carnival of Carnage

Welcome to the show, the traveling ghetto. No longer will the ghetto just be that slum that you keep your kids away from, that slum that you drive through pointing and gawking at. No longer will the ghetto just be a slum that you hear about on the news. If someone from this hell hole wanders into your neighborhood he is quickly noticed and harrassed and shunned back into the home you've given him. As you watch the kids play in the park on your street you never even think about the kids in the ghetto. If you don't care, who does?

Years of breathing the souls of rotted minds has created a bad case of 'Ghetto Insanity'. You walk their streets and are stared at as a freak show, less than human, an ogre walking the streets paved with gold. If those of the ghetto are nothing more than carnival exhibits to the upper class, then let's give them the show they deserve to see. No more hearing of this show because you can witness it in your own front yard! A traveling mass of carnage, the same carnage witnessed daily in the ghetto, can be yours to witness, feel and suffer. No longer killing one another, but killing the ones who have ignored our cries for help. Like a hurricane leaving a trail of destruction, the Carnival of Carnage!

The Second Joker's Card "The Ringmaster"

The day has come, the time of reckoning. Who will perish in dreaded hell and who's soul will be content within the pleasures of heaven? Looking past the words spoken with a wicked tongue and looking past the evil deeds done in one's life, but instead looking into the conscious of man.

What is the real evil that seems to plague mankind? Who are the real demons that walk this earth? Is it those whose minds have become devious because of a lifetime spent inside of a caged hell, or is it those who invented this caged hell years ago and done nothing to help destroy it yet? Who's guilty, Frankenstein or the doctor that created him? The sword, or the man who has slain with it? Which is the real evil, the man who kills another for food or the man who does not share his food to avoid the killing? While you sit in judgement of a criminal, you may very well be the one who's guilty. Guilty of greed, deception and hate.

Those who are rejected at the gates of heaven, shall be dragged off into the pits of hell. Viciously torn from this life by the non-living, the phantoms of the dead. These beasts take the form of a demented carnival, that of a wicked, dark, circus, led by one. One who was created by your own evil ways. One who will judge your very fate. The one known only as... The Ringmaster.

The Third Joker's Card "The Riddlebox"

Time flows like a dark horde, consuming all in its path. Man lives his life in the blink of an eye. Just as day becomes night, all life fades into death. In death each person will be judged for his deeds performed while alive. There are the few who walk a life of purpose, and there are those who trod the path of greed, their souls host to demons. Time slows near each person's end. Those whose deeds were evil grasp onto life as long as they can because, though they don't know what awaits them in the afterlife, they feel for them it is a horror beyond words. Time stops in this world, as the heart becomes still and the soul leaves the body. In the afterlife time is eternal, and even death is but a new beginning. For you see, when you step into death your soul steps upon the floor of a dark chamber and you look to see it empty, except for a strange looking box on an old wooden table. On the front of the box, you will see a painted question mark faded with time and a twisted crank handle on its side. Turning the handle, a sharp melodic tune will fill the air. For the evil ones this sound will be a deafening noise reverberating off the walls and building into a climatic terror. But the surprise is when the music stops as you slowly turn the handle... and then the top of the box pops. For the few, they will see a vision of God with a golden light warming their souls as they step forth into eternal peace. For most they will see a fog seeping from the box, stripping their sanity, as they witness an image of hell, spawned and formed fromtheir own evil; a hideous reflection of their demented souls. The floor of the room begins falling away as they plummet into a bottomless pit full of shadowy creatures, forever to be lost in a sinister void. What will be in store for you is the mystery, but if you take a look within yourself you will find the answer. For now, you still have time to change the outcome of... the mighty Riddle Box.

The Fourth Joker's Card "The Great Milenko"

From deep within the Netherworld of shadow walkers comes yet another exhibit of the Dark Carnival. He is the master of the art of using magic without magic. He is a Necromaster... the craft of using magic through the dead. Dead meaning both physically and mentally. This spectacle shall be witnessed only by those who are meant to see it. Look deep inside of your soul and ask yourself... Do you hold a ticket to witness the show? The answer lies within yourself. He is the fourth to rise. He feeds upon one's own greed. He is powered by one's own jealousy, lust, and temptation. To envision yourself with something that rightfully does not belong to you... that is the illusion cast by him. To act upon this vision and seek it out at the expense of another... that is the magic cast by him. Continuous dreamers of profit at the cost of another are pledged and haunted by his wizardry. Others are content and satisfied with what they can achieve by themselves and have not the urge to tamper with another's well being for quick gain. They see him only as a hoax and see no illusions or magic by he. It is simple... He is you. His illusions are your evil thoughts. Your evil acts are his magic - yesterday, now and forever. You and he are the fourth to rise... You and he are the master of Necromancy... You the dead and him the magic. Together, you and he are The Great Milenko.

The Fifth Joker's Card "The Amazing Jeckel Brothers"

His evil influence flows from the city streets like red molten ooze, filling every alley and gutter. There are those who are burnt by it, like the charred remains of a napalm strike. He moves in silence, yet with his heat comes ear-shattering screams as the masses are scorched in his choking smoke of corruption. His fire consumes like a lethal injection flowing through the veins of a dying convict. Hosts of small red ants crawl in the wake of his presence, biting and stinging flesh. His holocaust fills the woods of hope and prosperity like a wave of hungry piranhas on a newborn lamb. He goes by many names, but for now let it be spoken like the force of a fireball bursting into a crowd. He's Jack, pure and simple... Jack Jeckel.

His glow of compassion kindles the heart, like a campfire on a cold winter's eve. His embers burn eternally, spreading the flame of mercy like a warm blanket over the shoulders of a vagabond. His kindness is fueled by sympathy for human suffering, but his inferno of righteous cause, incinerates creatures of sin to ash. The torch of his salvation guides wanderers in the dark abyss to freedom. Its flaring sparks float on the winds of change, like soaring birds recently freed from a dreary cage. Laughter explodes forth from the essence of his being, radiating the land with childish joy. He has many names, but for now let it be spoken like melodic music drifting through the air. He's Jake, true indeed... Jake Jeckel.

Emerging from the Dark Carnival like phantom smoke drifting into the minds of men, they are the Amazing Jeckel Brothers. A chaotic duo of juggling masters, Jack "the sinister" and Jake "the just" juggle the sins of mortal men. The price of admission to their show is a mere human soul.

When death creeps around and life decays, the departed spirit will begin its journey. A vision of a candle will begin to form like a distant dream with billowing smoke rising from its eternal flame. In this thick haze the deceased will begin to see an image of Jake and Jack Jeckel juggling red balls between themselves. Each ball soaked in fresh blood and pulsating like an erratic living heart. For every sin committed in a mortal's life another ball is added to their unearthly performance and the harder it becomes. The deceased will witness sinister Jack throwing Jake curves in a vile attempt to see a ball drop. For if they should fumble in their act, a pit of infinite evil shall open beneath the feet of the viewer and cast the soul into an eternity of pain and suffering. Success on the other hand, opens the gates of Shangri-La and grants one ascension into pure enlightenment and peace.

Jack and Jake Jeckel rest in all of us for they are the very fabric of our being conscience and soul. There is no escape from their Juggling act because there is no way to escape from ourselves. Only in death will we realize this as we twist and spin to the other side?

The Sixth Joker's Card (The Final Card) "The Wraith"

A pressence can be felt by those who have followed thy epic saga as told by thy Insane Clown Posse. It is a presence that is synonymous with thy crumbling of time itself. Thus emerges a being so powerful that he can exist between both the land of thy living, and that of the dead. He goes by many names but is known to thy living only as Thy Wraith. He walks upon worlds forgotten, and descends from Heavens; fade into gray to witness thy death of all mortal things, so that he may guide thy departed upon thy path that they have chosen. Only now will we truly understand thy meaning of thy saga, for this saga all along, each Jokers Card, is actually none other than... thy echo of our lives.

INFO

• ALL INFORMATION ON THE MESSAGES WAS FOUND ON insaneclownposse.com

Fan base and criticism

Fans of ICP are called Juggalos (although Juggalo is not a gender based word, female fans are sometimes called Juggalettes to avoid some confusion, i.e. Two juggalos got married) and a Juggaho or a Juffalo is a poser trying to act like a Juggalo. This derived from one of Violent J's habits, which is constantly inventing strange names and personas for himself in their songs. One of these personalities is "The Juggla", a psychotic carnival juggler, and somehow the fans came to be known as "Juggalos" in homage. Even more common is the sight of Juggalos painting their faces in clownface, the unofficial Juggalo badge.

ICP have been voted the worst band of any genre of music in various magazine polls including Spin and Rolling Stone. This has not discouraged the group, and they repeatedly state they do not care what music critics think of their work. In return, Spin, slim anus, and Vibe have been singled out for mockery in several ICP raps such as "Fuck The World" they state "Fuck Spin, Rolling Stone, and fuck Vibe Fuck everybody inside Whoevers on the cover, fuck his mother" and " Fuck critics, Fuck your review, even if ya like me, FUCK YOU!"

In an interview in PBS's Frontline documentary series, Merchants of Cool, Violent J stated:

"Everybody that likes our music feels a super connection. they feel so connected to it because it's — it's exclusively theirs. See, when something's on the radio, it's for everybody, you know what I mean? It's everybody's song. 'Oh, this is my song.' That ain't your song. It's on the radio. It's everybody's song. But to listen to ICP, you feel like you're the only one that knows about it." " icp is the closest thing some of my friends have known to family, it's like a getaway from reality, whenever your feeling low just throw on your headphones and let the music take you.... it's not about all the killing and violence, that just makes them different from all the other mainstream groups."

On February 1, 2006, self-described Juggalo Jacob D. Robida attacked people in a gay bar with a handgun and a hatchet, a weapon featured on the logo of ICP's record label, Psychopathic Records. Mr. Robida wore a swastika tattoo and flaunted Nazi insignia and paraphernalia on his website, and was a former teen cadet in the Junior Police Academy. On February 5, he killed a traffic officer at a routine stop. When police stopped him, he killed the passenger in the car and opened fire on the police. He shot himself with the same gun used in the bar shooting during the standoff.

On February 7, 2006, Insane Clown Posse released a statement on the Robida attacks. Alex Abbiss, ICP's manager, extended ICP's condolences and prayers to the families of the victims. "This guy had problems," said Abbiss, and "anyone going into a bar swinging an axe and shooting a gun ... would clearly have to be insane and out of their mind to do this." He went on, "it's quite obvious that this guy had no clue what being a Juggalo is all about. If anyone knows anything at all about ICP, then you know that they have never, ever been down or will be down with any racist or bigotry bullshit." (This was in reference to ICP's long-standing mockery and contempt for racists in their song lyrics). Abbiss claimed ICP was being scapegoated by the media.

Echo Side

A fate WORSE than Hell. That is all it can be described as.

Professional wrestling

The Insane Clown Posse have long been involved in professional wrestling. In 1997 they were assaulted by Rob Van Dam and Sabu after running them down on the mic at Hardcore Heaven '97. In 1998 they were brought in by the then World Wrestling Federation, now known as WWE, in a musical role for the stable The Oddities, a group of freak wrestlers led by Golga, a masked John Tenta. ICP entered WCW in 1999 and teamed with wrestler Vampiro, forming the group the Dead pool along with Raven. It was the first time fans saw ICP in a nationwide wrestling role, making their debut with a run-in on Rey Mysterio and Konnan. One of their more infamous moments in WCW was a handicap hardcore match against Mike Awesome (using the That 70s Guy moniker) where in a spot gone wrong Shaggy 2 Dope was powerbombed on top of the "70's Bus" and slid off the side falling to the ground below. They also run their own independent promotion, JCW or Juggalo Championshit Wrestling. JCW was modeled after the backyard wrestling of Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope's youth, as well as the Japanese hardcore wrestling matches featured in bootleg-style videos released by ICP. They are also main characters in the video game series Backyard Wrestling by Eidos for the Xbox and PlayStation 2. ICP was also in Extreme Championship Wrestling, Xtreme Pro Wrestling, and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). The ICP were also involved in TNA's first-ever house show in Plymouth, Michigan, where they wrestled in and helped promote the event.

Signature moves

• Shaggy 2 Dope - Top Rope Leg Drop
• Violent J - Moonsault

Discography

• The Pre-ICP Days

1. Party at the Top of the Hill (1989 — single) * The JJ Boys
2. Southwest Song (1989? — single) * The JJ Boys
3. Enter the Ghetto Zone (1990 — LP) * Violent J
4. Ghetto Territory (1990 — LP) * Inner City Posse
5. Intelligence and Violence (1990 — EP) * Violent J and D-Lyrical
6. Bass-ment Cuts (1991 — LP) * Inner City Posse
7. Dog Beats (1991 — EP) * Inner City Posse
8. Gangsta Codes (1992 — unreleased, became Carnival of Carnage) * Inner City Posse

• Insane Clown Posse — The Joker Card albums

1. Carnival of Carnage (1992)
2. The Ringmaster (1994)
3. The Riddlebox (1995)
4. The Great Milenko (1997) (Hollywood Records)
5. The Great Milenko (1998) (Island Records)
6. The Amazing Jeckel Brothers (1999)
7. The Wraith: Shangri-La (with bonus DVD of Gathering live concert) (2002)
8. The Wraith: Shangri-La (with bonus DVD of Gathering seminar) (2002)
9. The Wraith: Hell's Pit (with bonus DVD of the Bowling Balls video) (2004)
10. The Wraith: Hell's Pit (with bonus DVD of Real Underground Baby Music Video and Bootlegged in Denver concert) (2004)

In the years between the fifth and sixth Joker's Cards, several sites announced the sixth as being "The Red Magician", even offering a track listing, featuring a wealth of otherwise unknown ICP tracks. Whether this was a hoax or an unreleased album is still unknown.

• Insane Clown Posse — The Side Shows / EPs

1. Beverly Kills 50187 EP (1993)
2. The Terror Wheel EP (1994)
3. Carnival X-Mas '94 (1994)
4. Tunnel of Love EP (1996)
5. A Carnival XMas '97 (1997)
6. The Pendulum EP (2000 - 2002)

• Insane Clown Posse — the Necromonicon

1. Bizzar (2000)
2. Bizaar (2000)

• Insane Clown Posse — the new era

1. The Calm EP (2005)
2. The Tempest (2006)

• Insane Clown Posse — compilations

1. Forgotten Freshness (Original) (1995)
2. Mutilation Mix (1997)
3. Mystic Wonders (1997) - bootleg; an unofficial follow-up to "Forgotten Freshness"
4. Forgotten Freshness Volume 1 & 2 (1998)
5. Psychopathics from Outer Space (1999)
6. Forgotten Freshness Volume 3 (2001)
7. Psychopathics from Outer Space 2 (2003)
8. Forgotten Staleness (2004) - bootleg
9. Bootilation Mix (2005) - bootleg
10. Forgotten Freshness Volume 4 (2005)

• Insane Clown Posse — Hallowicked give-aways

1. "Dead Pumpkins" (1994)
2. "Mr. Rotten Treats" (1995)
3. "Witches & Warlocks" (1996)
4. "Mr. Johnson's Head (Remix)" (1997)
5. "Pumpkin Carvers" (with Twiztid & Kottonmouth Kings) (1998)
6. "Sleepwalker" (1999)
7. "Hallowicked 2000 Box Set" (Includes Bizaar, Bizzar, Freek Show, Hallowicked 2000 EP, Hallowicked shirt, Hallowicked sticker, Hallowicked flier, certificate of authenticity) (2000)
8. "Every Halloween" (2001)
9. "Children of the Wasteland" (Blaze Ya Dead Homie) (2001)
10. "Waited Till Halloween" (Twiztid) (2001)
11. "Silence of the Hams" (Violent J & Esham) (2002)
12. "Dead Body Man 2002" (Blaze Ya Dead Homie) (2002)
13. "Thug Pit" (with Bone Thugs N Harmony, Kottonmouth Kings, Tech N9ne, & Esham) (2003)
14. "Murda Cloak" (with Anybody Killa) (2004)
15. "Wicked Hellaween" (2005)

• Insane Clown Posse — singles, rare recordings, event tracks, etc.

1. "Fat Sweaty Betty" (1995)
2. "Chicken Huntin" (1995)
3. "Jokers Wild Sampler" (1995)
4. "Halls of Illusions" (1997)
5. "Psychopathic Sampler" (1998)
6. "Hokus Pokus" (1998)
7. "Join the Show" (1998)
8. "Phat or Wack sampler" (1999)
9. "Fuck the World" (1999)
10. "Another Love Song" (1999)
11. "Mad Professor" (1999)
12. "Party Mix" (1999)
13. "Jacob's Word" (2000)
14. "Bizzar/Bizaar sampler" (2000)
15. "Tilt-A-Whirl" (2000)
16. "Let's Go All the Way" (2000)
17. "Psychopathic Sampler '01" (2001)
18. "The Wraith: Shangri-La sampler" (2002)
19. "Homies" (2003)
20. "Something Underground"- Violent J (2005)

• Violent J and Shaggy solo

1. Fuck Off (1994 - EP) * Shaggy 2 Dope
2. Wizard of the Hood EP (2003) * Violent J
3. FUCK THE FUCK OFF (2006) * Shaggy 2 Dope

Filmography

• Stranglemania (199?) This ultra rare VHS tape (now out of print) was the 1995 IWA King Of The Deathmatch tournament featuring Superleather, Cactus Jack, Terry Funk, and many more. Violent J and Shaggy dubbed over the commentary and added their own humorous commentary, similar to those on their JCW tapes.
• Juggalo Championshit Wrestling: Volume 1,2 and 3
• Strangle-Mania 2
• The Shaggy Show - An internet based reality show from the road. The concept was taken from an identically-named skit on the Amazing Jeckel Brothers album.
• Shockumentary - (DVD & VHS) This is ICPs hard-to-find documentary. It features all the flavor of the documentary and five music videos.
• Big Money Hustlas (2000)
• Bootlegged In L.A. (2004)

RIAA certifications

• 4 May 1998: The Great Milenko — gold
• 23 July 1998: Shockumentary — gold
• 21 April 1999: The Great Milenko — platinum
• 30 September 1999: Forgotten Freshness — gold
• 23 November 1999: The Riddle Box — gold
• 6 January 2000: The Amazing Jeckel Brothers — platinum
• 4 April 2001: Big Money Hustlas — gold
• 21 May 2002: Shockumentary — platinum
• 17 September 2002: The Ringmaster — gold
• 8 October 2003: Bootlegged in L.A. — gold
• 7 June 2004: The Ringmaster* — gold

* The Ringmaster went gold twice, once on Island and the other on their independent release on Psychopathic Records. Sources: Faygoluvers & Insane Clown Posse.

Chart positions

Albums

Billboard 200

• 1997: The Great Milenko 63
• 1998: Forgotten Freshness Vols 1-2 46
• 1999: The Amazing Jeckel Brothers 4
• 2000: Bizaar 20
• 2000: Bizzar 21
• 2002: The Wraith: Shangri-La 15
• 2004: Hell's Pit 12
• 2005: The Calm (EP) 32
• 2005: Forgotten Freshness: Volume 4 88

Singles

Billboard Hot 100

• 1997: "Santa's a Fat Bitch" 67

External links and references

• Insane Clown Posse official site
• Psychopathic Records official site (portal)
• Faygoluvers.net The number 1 Juggalo source for everything Psychopathic, Featuring Scottie D, Dfens, Carnie, Southeast Strangla, Bonko, Dank, and Freekjoka
• An Intelligent Look at the Insane Clown Posse
• Halls of Illusions: The Story of Insane Clown Posse
• HatchetRadio.com--The Best in the Biz
• Behind the Paint, Violent J with Hobey Echlin. (ISBN 09741846083)

• American hip hop groups