Every genre has its marquee album. You know, the album that made a name for the genre and its performing artists. For horror rap, that album is arguably Riddlebox by ICP. No one will deny the fact that most horror rap heads (now known as Juggalos) were quite familiar with the genre and Insane Clown Posse before ICP’s Riddlebox was released, but Riddlebox by ICP is important because it’s the album that introduced much of the wider world past Juggalos to horror rap.

As Violent J put it back then, Riddlebox was "all the records we had done … rolled into one single effort." That insightful quote says a lot—perhaps ICP’s Riddlebox was the record that broke them to an audience past Juggalos because they treated it as such going in. Remember, up until this point, horror rap had existed solely as an underground genre situated mostly in the Midwest. Once Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope started treating their horror rap art as a movement that could reach the entire nation, they started to take off.

What’s also interesting about ICP’s Riddlebox is the fact that they managed to breakout of their geographical niche while retaining the respect of die hard Juggalos that had been there since the beginning. Often times, artists only blow up because they sell out. That is, they deliberately write songs that appeal to a larger number of people just for the monetary success it will bring them. Not the case with ICP’s Riddlebox, and that’s why Juggalos respect ICP to this day. They’ve never wavered from their horror rap roots.

ICP’s Riddlebox stayed true to the Joker’s Card legacy started in their earlier albums. The Joker’s Card for Riddlebox by ICP is indeed a jack in the box that determines whether the dead will spend eternity in heaven or hell. Just like past Joker’s Cards, this jack in the box aligns with horror rap themes of judgment and retribution.  Additionally, as is protocol with all Joker’s Cards, if the jack in the box deems you’re fit for hell, how it sends you there is graphic to say the least. And Juggalos like imagery of gore.

However, that’s not the most important thing that Juggalos like. The thing that unites Juggalos isn’t always strictly horror rap, or the violent rhymes in their favorite artists’ verses. Instead, it’s a feeling of being misunderstood, just like ICP has been their entire career. I mention this because it came to a head with the release of ICP’s Riddlebox.

When the labels showed little interest in promoting Riddlebox by ICP, what did ICP do? They promoted the album themselves independently in local record shops, selling plenty. This example of the band walking the walk transparently with their own album really helped Juggalos solidify their love for horror rap, and its creators.

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ICP’s Riddlebox holds a special place in Juggalos’ hearts because it was the album that broke horror rap, their favorite genre of music, to the wider world. To learn more about horror rap, Juggalos fashion, or merchandise pertaining to ICP’s Riddlebox, please visit http://www.hatchetgear.com/bands/icp.html. 

Heartbroken and Homicidal is the 9th studio album from Psychopathic Records horror rap duo Twiztid. But it’s more significant than just another installment in their prolific discography. For many, Twiztid’s lyrics on Heartbroken and Homicidal portray just what horror rap is all about, more specifically, the balance of gore and emotion.

Before we even dive into some of the lyrics present on the album’s songs, just look at the album’s title. Not much is more horrific or gruesome than homicide, and few words powerfully illustrate emotion as well as the word heartbroken does.

Many outsiders incorrectly assume that horror rap has no central theme other than violence, when in fact, horror rap is just as emotional as it is violent. When these two worlds collide in harmony, pure horror rap is concocted. If you need proof, just take a listen to any of Psychopathic Records’ artists’ catalogues. Enough has been said about Twiztid’s catalogue (also signed to Psychopathic Records), but let’s take a closer look at Twiztid’s lyrics on Heartbroken and Homicidal to see where their horror rap takes us past the title.

Here is a sample of Twiztid’s lyrics on the Heartbroken and Homicidal song "Circles":

What can I say

My claim to fame

Won’t come in the shape

Of hearts and flowers

 

How come I’ve been needing a purpose

Assuming that the world even cares

If we all live or die

Here is a sample of Twiztid’s lyrics on the Heartbroken and Homicidal song "Spiderwebs":

She was a type of girl

Get me in so much trouble

Head over heels in this

That’s why I love her

 

She don’t think I give a f*ck to care

But I’d rather die

But the truth of the matter its all a lie

And I can’t get her outta my mind I’m so blind

 

As most any observer will note, both of these samples of Twiztid’s lyrics from Heartbroken and Homicidal lyrics contain mentions of love and death. And that, is the essence of horror rap, whether it be through Psychopathic Records or not.

Using these two examples of Twiztid’s lyrics from Heartbroken and Homicidal, it’s safe to say that the genre is a polarized one, to say the least. How many other genres can you name off the top of your head, that like Twiztid’s lyrics on Heartbroken and Homicidal, can so nonchalantly speak of death and love in the same phrase?

Psychopathic Records artists are accustomed to this writing style, as Psychopathic Records artists are experts in the realm of horror rap, but you’d be hard pressed to find artists outside of Psychopathic Records who view this as the norm.

While that distinction is an important one to note, what do Twiztid’s lyrics on Heartbroken and Homicidal say about the bigger horror rap picture? Chiefly, they debunk the myth of horror rap that it’s nothing but vitriol. Twiztid’s lyrics on Heartbroken and Homicidal validate horror rap as a genre with more than one direction, whether it’s distributed through Psychopathic Records or not.

 

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Psychopathic Records group Twiztid and their lyrics on Heartbroken and Homicidal legitimize horror rap as a genre more well rounded than most people think.  To learn more about Twiztid, Psychopathic Records and their merchandise, please visit http://hatchetgear.com/bands/twiztid.html. 

This best way to demonstrate the difference between hard core rap and horror rap groups would be to compare different lyrical samplings of each side by side. However, it’s smarter to start with the difference in backgrounds and mentalities of hard core rap groups like Dayton Family and horror rap groups like Dark Lotus.

Dayton Family is a hard core rap group from Flint, Michigan, who named their group after one of the most crime-ridden streets in their crime-ridden city, Dayton street. That should say enough about the attitude of these hard core rappers. It’s not often that an environment such as the one Dayton Family originates from breeds anything other than gritty, honest, street-heavy rap. You won’t hear anything lighthearted in Dayton Family’s rhymes, and when they talk tough, they’re not kidding around.

If there was ever any doubt about Dayton Family’s cred, said doubt vanished once founding members Bootleg (Ira Dorsey) and Backstabba (Matt Hinkle) were each incarcerated separately during the turning point in the band’s short career. These two imprisonments undoubtedly hindered the quality and quantity Dayton Family was able to produce as a hard core rap group throughout its career.

Now Dark Lotus, on the other hand, is different in many respects. For one, Dark Lotus is a horror rap super group, so each one of Dark Lotus’s members was an established horror rap artist in his own right before joining up with Dark Lotus. That said, the themes present in Dark Lotus’s horror rap music really is not far off each of its individual member’s own horror rap music.

For those unfamiliar, horror rap themes usually include but are not limited to death, suicide, murder, violence, Satanism, and other terrifying themes. Unlike Dayton Family, you will not see Dark Lotus rapping about the hood, drug dealing on street corners, or about cops in a derogatory fashion (at least not often). 

Dark Lotus’s horror rap, in contrary, is much more personal, introspective, and spiritual. Often times you can find Dark Lotus’s horror rap artists bemoaning the fact that they are still alive and wishing to die, thoughts that often travel into the supernatural with talk of souls traveling to different destinations.

One common link between Dayton Family’s hard core rap music and Dark Lotus’s horror rap music is their origin. Members in both groups come from impoverished, street-centric adolescenses, and thus have much of the same fodder for their rhymes. Though they may approach these topics from two different angles in horror rap and hard core rap, when you boil it down, Dark Lotus and Dayton Family are the way they are for very similar reasons!

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The Dayton Family, one of hard core rap’s most notorious Midwestern groups, and Dark Lotus, arguably the largest horror rap super group of its kind in the world (definitely in the Midwest), may write different styles of music, but they come from similar backgrounds. To learn more about  Dark Lotus and their music, please visit http://hatchetgear.com/bands/darklotus.html. 

Who was you with when you got tattoos? 
Who was you tripping with when you did them mushrooms? 
Who the f*ck threw up all over your car? 
And then felt worse then you about that shit in the morning? (Friends ya'll) 

Who loans ya money, homie? 
Who owes ya cash? 
Who taught you how to use the bong for the grass? 
I don't know much but I gotta assume 
When ya hit ya first neden, ya homies was in the room

These are the lyrics to "Homies" by ICP. This song has neared anthem status for those within the Juggalo Family, but more importantly, "Homies" by ICP acts as insurmountable evidence that horror rap can bring people together. Many anti-horror rap crusaders out there have long accused horror rap of being an overly violent, misogynistic genre of music that does nothing but turn youth against their parents, or existing fans against the rest of the public.

As "Homies" by ICP lyrics demonstrate above, nothing could be further from the truth.

But it’s not just songs like "Homies" by ICP that perpetuate the Juggalo family atmosphere among horror rap fans. It’s the people and horror rap’s over-arching message that makes Juggalo and family go together like horror rap and Psychopathic Records.

ICP’s Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope, unarguably the godfathers of horror rap music, have always viewed themselves, for better or worse, as misfits. They don’t fit in with mainstream society, and would have it no other way. This is where horror rap comes in.

Instead of moping about their status or feelings toward the public at large, the guys write songs like "Homies" by ICP to show a welcoming mentality towards other horror rap heads who feel the exact same way they do.

Has this strategy worked? To say the least, yes. Songs like "Homies" by ICP and the band’s general attitude towards the Juggalo family have created an artist-fan bond so strong that ICP could retire now and never have to work again if they wanted to.

The scenarios put forth in "Homies" by ICP, as evident in the lyrics to "Homies" by ICP above, are perfect examples of this kind of Juggalo family love. Aside from their shared love of horror rap, those within the Juggalo family are just as strongly connected as stereotypically bonded relationships, like frat brothers or father-son, if not stronger.

Juggalo family members loan each other money, get too drunk, talk about girls (or boys for the Juggalette members of the Juggalo family) , etc.

So next time you think that horror rap only deals with themes of suicide, murder, Satanism, or other non-sense violence, remember "Homies" by ICP and the Juggalo family bonds! It they weren’t real, the Juggalo family and all other homies of ICP would have long since disbanded.

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Everyone knows that the Juggalo family is one of the most securely bonded musical fan bases in the world, but not everyone sees proof of this their horror rap lyrics, like those to "Homies" by ICP. To learn more about music similar to "Homies" by ICP and view Juggalo family merchandise, please visit http://hatchetgear.com/bands/icp.html.  

At first, the reason horror rap fans started illegally downloading horror rap tunes from Psychopathic Records artists was because they were free. At the dawn of the download era, this type of temptation was understandable. Why pay for Twiztid’s new album when you can download a Twiztid torrent instead? That was probably the thought process behind many horror rap fans’ decision to do things like download Twiztid torrents illegally.

However, since that wild west phase on the internet more than a decade ago, it’s become apparent that doing things like illegally downloading Twiztid torrents, or torrents of any Psychopathic Records artist, is seriously damaging to that artist’s livelihood. It’s a misconception that musicians like those signed to Psychopathic Records are so wealthy that they can live large without people purchasing their horror rap music.

Yes, these musicians may be better off than you or I, but the fact of the matter is that when you steal music from and Psychopathic Records artist, they start cutting their staff, many of which are essential to their career’s progression.

Imagine that most fans of Psychopathic Records horror rap artist Twiztid started downloading Twiztid torrents for free online instead of buying them through hatchetgear.com, iTunes, or a traditional record store. When Twiztid starts feeling the financial pinch, he might cut his publicist. Without his publicist, he won’t be scoring nearly as many promotional gigs. Without those gigs, people won’t know about his concerts or new work, and eventually he start seeing less money in every aspect of his career.

This type of chain reaction as mentioned in the Twiztid torrent scenario is the reason why many artists have vanished off the face of the earth, including horror rap artists. Just because you’re signed to Psychopathic Records does not mean you’re immune! 

Now that we as a society have had a decade to witness the cycle of artists who’ve fallen victim to things like the Twiztid torrent scenario mentioned above, it’s time we change our actions to better accommodate artists we admire.

There’s some truth to the statement that Psychopathic Records artists wouldn’t have reached nearly the fame they enjoy today without the help of websites that give out things like Twiztid torrents. However, empty fame is less valuable than a smaller group of devoted, paying fans. Horror rap artists everywhere can get behind a sentiment like that.

The moral of the story is to pass up the next opportunity you have to take action on a Twiztid torrent or other Psychopathic Records horror rap artist illegal download. You may not think it will have an immediate impact, but you’re wrong! The last thing any horror rap fan wants is for there to be no more horror rap left to enjoy!

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All musicians, including horror rap artists signed to Psychopathic Records, have felt a financial hit thanks to the internet offering up things like Twiztid torrents for free. To learn more about Twiztid’s albums and purchase them legally, please visit http://www.hatchetgear.com/bands/twiztid.html.

Many students of 90s hip hop could tell you about hip hop super group Psycho Realm off the top of their heads. Those same people would probably tell you, that while Psycho Realm lyrics do not epitomize horror rap values, Psycho Realm’s lyrics had enough influence on Psychopathic Records artists Insane Clown Posse for them to invite their Californian rap pals on tour.

But even though Psycho Realm lyrics to not embody what horror rap is known for, at least as far as Psychopathic Records is concerned, that doesn’t mean Psycho Realm’s couldn’t have had another type of impact on horror rap Gods Insane Clown Posse. And to say that Psycho Realm lyrics did have an impact on these legendary horror rappers would be quite the compliment, because Insane Clown Posse even owns their own label—Psychopathic Records--full of other talented horror rap artists. To say they know what they’re doing would be an understatement.

The similarity of Psycho Realm lyrics and Insane Clown Posse lyrics that sticks out the most to me has nothing to do with their content; instead, the delivery of Psycho Realm’s lyrics and the delivery of Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope’s horror rap lyrics are on the same wave length. Both are tight, rhythmic, and dropped with intensity. Listen to Psycho Realm’s lyrics on "Stone Garden" and compare them to Insane Clown Posse’s lyrical delivery on "Hokus Pokus" (released on Great Milenko through Psychopathic Records) and you’ll see what I mean.

So there’s the delivery comparison. And while there may be more to discuss in that realm of things, perhaps there is some overlap when it comes to the substance of Psycho Realm’s lyrics and the meaning of lyrics that come from the mouths of Psychopathic Records artists. Consider this snippet of Psycho Realm lyrics from "Stone Garden":

 

We’re on our way to the stone garden,

End of the road where everybody goes but not forgotten,

Frames all rotten souls travel to unravel,

Other worlds and big cloud castles

Any Juggalo or Juggalette can note similarities in this song and Psychopathic Records’ horror rap music, specifically that of ICP, right away. For one, they’re talking about the after life, and we all know how prominent of a theme Hell and Heaven are in Psychopathic Records songs. ICP even has Joker’s cards dedicated to them. This theme is not only true for ICP, but for other Psychopathic Records artists too.

Secondly, these Psycho Realm lyrics discuss departing souls. Souls that travel happen to be a lyrical staple for Psychopathic Records artists. I don’t know if there’s a closer cousin to ICP’s horror rap mythology about the Dark Carnival, where souls wait in limbo to find out if they’ll be traveling to heaven or hell.

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Psychopathic Records recording artist Insane Clown Posse has many influences that are forgotten to all but hip hop students of the 90s. Psycho Realm is one of those artists. To see if you can hear any similarities in ICP’s music to Psycho Realm’s lyrics, please check out the band’s horror rap offering on http://hatchetgear.com. 

It would be understandable for anyone unfamiliar with Twiztid’s albums to assume that he’s a gangster rap artist, just based on his name. After all, there was (and might still be?) a mach-speed rapper named Twista, so the association lends itself. Either way, there are many components of Twiztid’s albums and his overall persona that prove he is a horror rap artist and not a gangster rapper.

Before we even dig into the overarching themes of Twiztid’s albums, let’s take a look at his appearance. How many gangster rap artists do you know who voluntarily don blood (real or fake) on their clothes in press photos? What about gangster rappers who paint their faces white, use clouded contact lenses, or wear their hair in nappy dreadlocks? The answer to that question is 0 gangster rap artists. In fact, every trait mentioned above is a signature horror rap sign.

Several other horror rap artists, whether they appear as guests in Twiztid’s albums or not, are immediately recognizable thanks to these traits. Every horror rapper has black and white face paint of some sort (Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope of Insane Clown Posse, Boondox, Blaze Ya Dead Homie, the list goes on…), horror rap artist ABK sports the same kind of hairdo as does Twiztid, and you’ll find the same gory violence in most horror rap videos—the kind that would in turn lead to blood as found in the press photos promoting Twiztid’s albums.

So now that we’ve covered the superficial reasons why the men behind Twiztid’s albums are horrorcore artists and not gangster rappers, let’s move onto the horror rap music itself.

Gangster rap does have similarities with horror rap in the sense that both can be overtly violent. The difference is, gangster rap tends to be violent in a very serious way. Gangs are real and turf wars are real, and as was proven in the mid 90s, rappers are proud enough to back up their threats heard on recordings with confrontations in person.

Horror rap, on the other hand, while ostensibly just as violent, is lacking sincerity in the topic, and that’s a good thing. Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope, and probably the guys behind Twiztid as well, have always proclaimed the violent lyrics in their horrorcore music to be a joke. Unlike artists known for gangster rap, no one in the horror rap family would go to lengths to make any fantasy killing a reality.

Furthermore, whereas gangster rap artists are constantly fueding with one another, most horrorcore artists show nothing but love for each other. In fact, Juggalos (fans of horrorcore artist ICP) consider each other to be one big family. Such appreciation for each other can be evidenced on Twiztid albums in which many other horrorcore artists appear as guests.

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 Many people incorrectly associate horror rap with gangster rap. This article explains why this assumption is misguided. To learn more about horror rap artist Twiztid and Twiztid’s albums, please visit http://www.hatchetgear.com/bands/twiztid.html. 

Underground hip hop group Dayton Family is often associated with horror rap outfit Insane Clown Posse because they are signed to ICP’s Hatchet House Records. Although Hatchet House is really nothing more than a holding stall for artists Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope think will be the next big thing in underground hip hop, many old Dayton Family fans take this to mean the ICP has faith that Dayton Family will soon be on the top of the charts, and thanks to the support ICP has given them.

While that’s a fair assumption to make in some respects, be careful with the amount of sound similarities you think Dayton Family (traditional underground hip hop) and ICP (horror rap) have. For one, Dayton Family, at least when they were up and coming in the mid 90s, were not a horror rap group. They were a more traditional underground hip hop group whose lyrics touched on themes of survival in an economically challenged environment. There is little talk about the morbid content covered heavily in ICP’s horror rap songs.

For proof, let’s take a look at some examples from one prominent ICP horror rap song and one prominent Dayton Family underground hip hop song.

ICP’s "Chicken Huntin’" Horror Rap:

 

Barrels in your mouth, bullets to your head

The back of your neck’s all over the shed

Boomshacka boom chop chop band

I’m 2 Dope and it ain’t no thang

To cut a chicken, trigger’s clicking

Blow off his head but his feet still kicking

Last as long as you can my man

Cause when that chicken head hits the fan you got

Blood guts fingers and toes

Sitting front row at the chicken show so…

 

As you can see, these lyrics are vile to say the least. Furthermore, it’s pretty obvious that ICP doesn’t expect you to take these horror rap lyrics seriously, they’re plainly meant to be funny and for novelty purposes only. Despite the fact that both Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope come from backgrounds similar to Dayton Family, they choose to make funny horror rap songs in most instances instead of more traditional underground hip hop songs.

Dayton Family’s "F.B.I." Underground Hip Hop:

 

I'm wakin’ up in the mornin’, with problems on my mind

Motherf*ck the education and drug rehabilitation

I'm smokin’ on that weed and the green is getting’ tasty

Dead feds in my closet cause they tried to chase me

 

These are the opening lines to Dayton Family’s "F.B.I.", and the paint a completely different picture than the horror rap lyrics do right off the bat.  With much of underground hip hop’s themes similar to those mentioned above in the Dayton Family song, it would appear that they are not the anomaly, ICP and their horror rap is.

So, to say that underground hip hop group Dayton Family will be the next big thing in horror rap because of ICP taking them under its wing would be misguided. Chances are that, if Dayton Family does regain the momentum it once had, it will be because they’re bringing back the same gritty street lyrics that once made them popular, not because they crossed genres into horror rap.

However, as is the path for an successful artist signed to Hatchet House, if Dayton Family does get their career back on track, they will most likely end up being signed to horror rap record label Psychopathic Records, where every artist as a horror rap artist. None are mainstream underground hip hop like Dayton Family.

Keeping that in mind, it would not shock anyone if Dayton Family and the horror rap heads in charge at Psychopathic found a way to make a hybrid sound by combining both horror rap and the underground hip hop Dayton Family is known for!

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Dayton Family is an underground hip hop group from Flint, Michigan, who is trying to get their career back on track with the help of Psychopathic subsidiary Hatchet House Records. To learn about other underground hip hop artists on Psychopathic Records and those who run it, please visit http://hatchetgear.com. 

Think horror rap is the next big musical genre? Want to don some horror rap clothing to prove you were an early adopter?  Chances are you’ll inevitably be led to the Horror Rap capital of the Internet, hatchetgear.com.

It would be foolish to assume that you’re big into horror rap but don’t know anything about horror rap duo Insane Clown Posse, because they are without question the forefathers of the growing genre. That said, your first choice will probably be aimed at some ICP clothes. However, as you’ll soon realize, there is too much to choose from!

ICP clothes in particular, there are pages upon pages of choices for shirts alone. All sizes, colors, graphics, styles, etc. The same goes for other types of ICP clothes. But is a surplus in variety of ICP clothes a bad thing? I suppose if you’re a collector, then seeing so many ICP clothes options might just motivate you to further your collecting.

However, there is one deficiency in the offering of ICP clothes online: Insane Clown Posse concert shirts! Despite the fact that there are a myriad of ICP albums and sayings scrolled across all types of ICP clothes you can imagine, finding Insane Clown Posse concert shirts is difficult, which is a real shame.

The concert t-shirt has been an inextricable part of modern music ever since the modern concert began trending in the 50s. Concert t-shirts, and Insane Clown Posse concert shirts are no exception, are such a hot commodity because they are one of a kind. Traditional ICP clothes can be purchased for a very long period of time, and sometimes forever.

For instance, some of the ICP clothes available right now is still promoting ICP albums that came out in the mid 90s. However, Insane Clown Posse concert shirts only exist on one tour from beginning to end. Because of this unique trait, they are more expensive and more sought after than other ICP clothes.

Let’s take the most recent horror rap tour that ICP was a part of, for example. In the 90s, the guys toured the country on the Amazing Jeckel Brothers tour with a number of other horror rap artists. Each Insane Clown Posse concert was well received by Juggalo fans, and probably moreso after they wre able to purchase an Insane Clown Posse concert t-shirt that commemorated them being there. An Insane Clown Posse concert shirt from that event today would probably be worth hundreds of dollars.

Of course there have been other horror rap tours since then and there will continueto be horror rap tours in the future. The high-demand for Insane Clown Posse concert shirts being understood, it might not be a bad idea to at least release some ICP clothes that, while not official Insane Clown Posse concert shirts, at least hint that a purchaser was interested in ICP at the time of the concert!

There is clearly a wealth of money to be made from combining Insane Clown Posse concert merchandise and ICP clothing. Would you agree?

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ICP clothes are quite popular and offered in a variety of styles and sizes, but Insane Clown Posse concert shirts are hard to come by, unless you were at a show. To learn more about ICP clothes, please visit http://www.hatchetgear.com/bands/icp.html.