For all the press (negative and positive) Insane Clown Posse’s horror rap music receives from mainstream and underground media alike, there’s one aspect of the Insane Clown Posse shtick that is all too often overlooked: the Dark Carnival. That could be because many people don’t take the time to understand it, which is unfortunate because the Dark Carnival is just one more element of Insane Clown Posse’s music that makes them so unique. Ever since crafting the concept of Dark Carnival and Joker’s Cards at the beginning of their musical career, it’s been central to the band successfully connecting with fans. Dark Carnival: The Origins It all came to Violent J in a dream. In this dream, spirits in a traveling carnival appeared to him. After deliberation between Violent J’s older brother, Robert Bruce (better known by his stage name JumpSteady) and the other half of Insane Clown Posse Shaggy 2 Dope, it was decided that the Dark Carnival was a static state between life and the after life in which spirits of the dead waited before going to heaven or hell. Dark Carnival’s Involvement with Insane Clown Posse Song Material Insane Clown Posse members have intelligently decided to use this dream to their advantage and make it a permanent fixture in their persona. Insane Clown Posse uses the Dark Carnival as a platform to relay messages or moral stories through their albums, or Joker’s Cards. These Joker’s Cards all communicate unique messages. But what morals could a band like ICP possibly convey through Joker’s Cards and the Dark Carnival? After all, their music doesn’t exactly lend itself to virtuous living. The best examples are outlined in the Carnival of Carnage, The Riddle Box, and the Great Milenko Joker’s Cards. In Carnival of Carnage, the Joker’s Card takes the form of a traveling carnival that releases brutality upon the upper class and government that were negligent to society’s lower classes during their lifetime. The moral here is equality. The Riddle Box urges onlookers to seek their own morality deep inside themselves, and correct it if it’s on the wrong path. Finally, the Great Milenko symbolizes the inner hedonist within us all, and emphasizes that this desire must be fought off in order to reach heaven. The entire Dark Carnival mythology becomes amazingly complex when all seven cards and their meanings are analyzed. There are currently seven Joker’s Cards in the Dark Carnival, six in deck 1 and one (soon to be two) in deck 2. The Dark Carnival Joker’s Cards in order of release are as follows: Carnival of Carnage, The Ringmaster, Riddle Box, Great Milenko, The Amazing Jeckel Brothers, Death (end Deck 1), and Bang! Pow! Boom! (end Deck 2). Insane Clown Posse is looking to release card #2 in Deck #2, The Mighty Death Pop, in 2011. It has been announced that The Mighty Death Pop Joker’s Card will have two faces instead of one, look out for number two coming soon! -- Insane Clown Posse is a horror rap musical group that has created mythology called Dark Carnival surrounding its music. Used to communicate moral stories and messages, the Dark Carnival and subsequent Joker’s Cards truly make Insane Clown Posse a one-of-a-kind act. To learn more about Insane Clown Posse, The Dark Carnival and all seven Joker’s Cards visit ICP's website at http://insaneclownposse.com/
Anytime an artist finds him or herself underneath the mainstream media spotlight, he or she will soon learn just how harsh the public can be when judging talent for itself. When said act under the spotlight is a band as deliberately notorious and underground as Insane Clown Posse and Saturday Night Live does the parody, well, it’s a good thing they have tremendously thick skin and a massive following of Juggalos to back them up. But when does the buzz garnered from parodies (like Saturday Night Live’s of Insane Clown Posse) and critics outweigh any negativity associated with those parodies or critics? Is it true that there’s no such thing as bad publicity? It’s been hypothesized that as long as music was being heard and/or getting into the hands of potential consumers, any cost associated with getting it there was considered worth it. This question has been at the forefront of musicians and marketing teams in the music industry for quite some time. Insane Clown Posse’s Saturday Night Live parody, their shoddy relationship with mainstream media, and their Juggalo fan base provide the perfect case study for analysis on the topic. The Saturday Night Live Insane Clown Posse Parody Haters of ICP and Juggalos are one thing, but national comedians and other funny factories like college humor that reach an audience of millions are another. In spring 2010, another musical act fell victim to the famous Saturday Night Live parody: Insane Clown Posse. In the Insane Clown Posse Saturday Night Live parody, ICP is depicted as being dumbfounded by the most basic of things, i.e. why kids look like their parents, why some mountains look like presidents (Mt. Rushmore), and where the sun “hides” at night just to name a few. Juggalos were not amused. But fortunate for the ICP team – and the crew involved in the Insane Clown Posse Saturday Night Live parody – Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope were cool, calm, and collected about the whole thing. They even thought the Saturday Night Live Insane Clown Posse parody was hilarious, and viewed it as a strategic move to gain a larger audience beyond any pre-existing Juggalos. Insane Clown Posse member Violent J even went as far to defend the show against Juggalos outspoken against the event, saying “How can you be mad at Saturday Night Live? That’s what they do. They make parodies. They’re funny. That’s flattering, that you’re a large enough player in the game that Saturday Night Live even recognizes you.” Considering there was no negative reaction from the band regarding the Saturday Night Live Insane Clown Posse parody and little to no physical reaction from the band’s Juggalo fan base, it’s strange to think that ICP’s members have such a bad reputation for violence and protest. The same cannot be said for Insane Clown Posse’s Juggalo fan base, most of which took offense to Saturday Night Live’s Insane Clown Posse parody and aired their opinions on Juggalo channels of social media networks like YouTube and Facebook. ICP Parody Affect Sales Low and behold, if you look at a graph of ICP’s website traffic during the month the Saturday Night Insane Clown Posse parody aired and went near-viral on the Internet, there is indeed a spike. We’ll never know if there was also a spike in new Juggalo membership, but I’d say it’s a safe bet to assume so. Of course, Insane Clown Posse is an anomaly of a case, because they (and their Juggalo followers) love to be hated. In fact, they may have even enjoyed the Insane Clown Posse Saturday Night Live parody more than others. ICP has deemed themselves “the most hated band in America,” yet ironically they happen to also be one of the most successful. All press may not be good press for most bands, but that seems to be the case for ICP. -- The Insane Clown Posse is an American horrorcore duo that often finds itself as the punch line for comedians, TV shows, and flash mobs. A Saturday Night Live Insane Clown Posse parody recently debuted, but ICP’s two members are more than alright with their band being the brunt of jokes, saying they too find the material hilarious and use it to their advantage when growing their fan base past existing Juggalos. To learn more about Insane Clown Posse or their Juggalo fan base visit ICP's website at http://insaneclownposse.com/
Music festivals in general are big business already, but two unique festival ideas that are growing more popular by the year are artist-curated and themed music festivals. The former option gives one band or record label full reign on who plays and what activities are involved, and gives that company tons of brand exposure in return. In themed festivals, there’s often a musical theme like jam bands or metal bands that is accompanied by any atmosphere associated with that style. If you’re smart, you can combine both ideas into one and throw an artist-curated, themed music festival that gives more bang for buck than any other option. Insane Clown Posse was so ahead of the game on this one that they’ve been doing it for twelve years! Why Gathering of the Juggalos is so Popular There are many things that made Insane Clown Posse’s Gathering of the Juggalos horror rap soiree different from every other major music festival in 2011, primarily its deliberately underground nature. This music festival’s predominant genre of music is that of horror rap, a genre very rare in mainstream music -- just the way Insane Clown Posse members and Juggalos want it. Aside from the general sound booked at the Insane Clown Posse music festival, other things that set it apart were the wide range of activities available to Juggalos in attendance: bonfires, helicopter rides, artist seminars (with Insane Clown Posse and others), autograph sessions, wet tee shirt contests and Juggalettes are just some of what was offered at this Gathering of the Juggalos horror rap music festival in 2011. For examples of just how devoted Juggalos are to Insane Clown Posse’s mission, check out some of the ways fans get prepared for the festival every year. If every music festival in 2011 had this much personality and drew this much energy from music enthusiasts, music festivals in 2011 would be more popular than they already are. Insane Clown Posse Face Paint It’s impossible not to notice the face paint permanently plastered to the faces of Insane Clown Posse horror rappers Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. They’re never seen without it, and neither should you be at Insane Clown Posse’s Gathering of the Juggalos horror rap music festival! When applying the face paint, remember that the objective is to look frightening. Insane Clown Posse perform horror rap, after all. You wouldn’t fit in very well at the Gathering of the Juggalos if you painted your face like a normal, happy clown. Thanks to its complexity, accomplishing the Insane Clown Posse horror rap face paint look is harder than it sounds. Whatever horror rap face paint design you choose, make sure to dash in some red accents to make sure you look as wicked as possible. At the same time, make sure your horror rap face paint looks good before you attend Gathering of the Juggalos! Gathering of the Juggalos Inside Lingo A unique lingo is just one more thing that the Gathering of the Juggalos brings to the table that no other music festival in 2011 has offered or will offer. If there’s one term that’s universal among Insane Clown Posse adoring Juggalos at the Gathering of the Juggalos, it’s “whoop whoop.” Its meaning is about as simple as you’d expect, translating to a simple hello or what’s up. Horror Rap Merchandise As Insane Clown Posse and most other bands that performed at the Gathering of the Juggalos music festival in 2011 are closely associated with the horror rap genre, nearly all merchandise sold at the Gathering of the Juggalos will reflects that. Horror rap hoodies, tees, action figures, posters, pretty much any artist merchandise you can imagine was on hand, branded with artistic horror rap gore of some sort. Anatomy of Successful Music Festivals in 2011 If the facts about Gathering of the Juggalos above can teach us anything about the modern music landscape and how festivals can continue to grow beyond 2011, it’s that creating a sense of belonging is key. Through providing alternative activities and creating miniature inner-festival cultures, many music festivals could soon grow to reach the same status as Gathering of the Juggalos. -- The Gathering of the Juggalos was one of the best-known music festivals in 2011, featuring a lineup of horror rap artists on the Psychopathic Records roster. It offers a lot over the course of its four-day life, so coming prepared ahead of time is a necessity. To learn more about <a href="http://www.insaneclownposse.com/">Gathering of the Juggalos music festival</a> visit ICP's website at http://insaneclownposse.com/
In its 30+ year history, rap has come along way. It’s gone from being an insignificant micro genre to one that’s enjoyed heavily all around the world. It’s gotten so big that it has many sub genres of it’s own at this point, and is blanketing enough to exist in the mainstream and underground. If underground rap is one of your favorite types of music, then there are other types of rap and hip hop out there that you’ll probably enjoy as well, one of which being horror rap. If you like horror rap, then you’re automatically a fan of horror rap duo Insane Clown Posse. Insane Clown Posse’s Horror Rap Roots If you know anything about the Insane Clown Posse, it’s that they don’t come anywhere close to mainstream sounds in any of their horror rap music. From the beginning, Detroit’s Insane Clown Posse (originally Inner City Posse) has been rooted in underground rap, choosing to rhyme about underground rap / horror rap themes revolving around violence, death, evil, Satan, suicide, and more. Insane Clown Posse Dark Carnival Mythology But there’s more to Insane Clown Posse than their brutal lyrics. For one, they have an entire mythology surrounding their work called the dark carnival. This concept of a limbo period before departed souls are dumped to hell is weaved throughout all of Insane Clown Posse’s albums. While many underground rappers can claim insider themes for their die-hard fans, few if any have the same complexity and allure of horror rap duo Insane Clown Posse’s dark carnival and subsequent Joker’s Cards. No, these aren’t the same useless Joker’s Cards in your standard 52-card deck, they’re synonymous with the albums Insane Clown Posse releases and each contain insight into the band’s moral philosophies. Insane Clown Posse Costumes Another thing underground rap lacks in comparison to Insane Clown Posse’s brand of horror rap? The costumes. Horror rap acts can be spotted a mile away in their trademark evil clown face paint, a style that without doubt adds mystique to their performances. If traditional underground rapper garb isn’t hellacious enough for you, check out an Insane Clown Posse concert and see what you’re missing. Gathering of the Juggalos and Juggalo Family While some of the above mentioned comparisons, there is one aspect of Insane Clown Posse’s horror rap family that knows no comparison: the annual Gathering of the Juggalos horror rap music festival. Can any mainstream or underground rapper out there say they have their own music festival? Or beyond that, their own music festival created by its own record label? We think not. And as any Juggalo will tell you, Juggalos far and wide share a family mentality and bond that’s competitive with that of any artist around. So if you’re tired of the same old underground rap and are looking for something new and refreshing, try the Insane Clown Posse. With family ties, face paint, mythology and a huge annual festival, Insane Clown Posse and their horror rap brand of music is if nothing else at least guaranteed to bring a breath of fresh air. -- Insane Clown Posse is an underground rap duo consisting of Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. They are one of the most unique bands in America. To learn more horror rap, underground rap or Insane Clown Posse visit ICP's website at http://insaneclownposse.com/
Insane Clown Posse’s media empire is nearly unprecedented amongst modern day musicians. How many other acts today can say they have three feature films, two documentaries, original mythology, their own festival, and a beyond robust merchandise line to their name? The answer is very, very few, making Insane Clown Posse one of the most well rounded acts in the global music business. This success has leaked into the visual arts well as world, where Insane Clown Posse videos, both documentary and feature, now number five. Big Money Hustlas was their first effort in 2000, followed up with Death Racers in 2008 and most recently, Big Money Rustlas in 2010. All too often, musicians take their acting careers too seriously, and disappointment is the result when box office sales are low and critics are harsh. Insane Clown Posse videos provide evidence that neither Violent J nor Shaggy 2 Dope fall victim to this typical music-actor transition error, because Insane Clown Posse videos are of the B movie comedy type, where nothing is to be taken too seriously. Enter Big Money Rustlas. Big Money Rustlas Review As seemingly random as some of the artistic directions Insane Clown Posse takes with their career, it would make sense for Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope to come out of left field and make a film like Big Money Rustlas -- an old timey Western Insane Clown Posse video. Big Money Rustlas begins with Big Baby Chips (Violent J) sitting around a poker table at the Hatchetman Saloon, winning his vast earnings through deception and threats which doesn’t hesitate to carry out. It becomes apparent immediately that Big Baby Chips is the Big Money Rustla of the land, and has the town of Mud Bug wrapped around his finger. That is, until Sugar Wolf (Shaggy 2 Dope) arrives. Having been sent away from Mud Bug as a child, Sugar Wolf has returned to check in on things. Once his mother (the resident prostitute) tells him about Big Baby Chips and how all the town’s people live in fear, Sugar Wolf takes it upon himself to avenge his father’s death (a past sheriff who died at the hands of Big Baby) by becoming the new sheriff in town. Big Money Rustlas Showdown Big Money Rustlas chief antagonist Big Baby Chips and protagonist Sheriff Sugar Wolf become archenemies instantaneously, and a series of attempts to assassinate Sugar Wolf are enacted by Big Baby Chips. Comedic moments abound throughout this Insane Clown Posse video, with dwarfs, inept sidekicks (played by Psychopathic Records’ artists Monoxide and Madrox), constant perverse humor, and even villains who shoot lasers out of their eyes. Real life Big money rustlas Vanilla Ice, Dustin Diamond, and Ron Jeremy all make cameo appearances in this Insane Clown Posse video. Being the Insane Clown Posse video that it is, Big Money Rustlas is at its best when the unpredictable twists come in. And there are many. -- Directed by Paul Andresen, Big Money Rustlas is an Insane Clown Posse video with an old time Western theme. To learn more about this Insane Clown Posse video</a> visit the Insane Clown Posse website at http://insaneclownposse.com/
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