At first glance, the song “17 Dead” by Insane Clown Posse might appear to Juggalettes and Juggalos to be about some sort of killing spree or other massacre. It could refer to a shooting, or a bad car accident, or a 17 year old who died. However, it is none of the above. ICP’s “17 Dead” is really just another one of the group’s morbid horror rap songs that Juggalos and Juggalettes can’t get enough of.

Consider the following “17 Dead” excerpt when looking for meaning in “17 Dead.”

I woke up next to a dead body / roll it out the way and jump out of bed / strap on my kicks and step out of my room / cuz somehow there’s another stiff in the bathroom / dead fucks all over the grass / I’m a kick somebody in they dead ass.

 

It’s difficult to determine if the guys in ICP are trying to portray themselves as the murderers of these 17 dead or if they’re just observing the aftermath of some massacre that left 17 dead. So if that’s really all there is to “17 Dead”, then why is the song such a hit with Juggalos and Juggalettes. The answer is simple.

Juggalos and Juggalettes are fans of more than just ICP; they’re also fans of ICP’s genre of music – horror rap. And horror rap is filled with these types of rhymes and verses, that’s kind of the point. Don’t ever assume that ICP’s J and Shaggy 2 Dope are serious when writing lyrics like this for Juggalos and Juggalettes, they think it’s nothing more than fun and games to write gruesome lyrics, and their Juggalo and Juggalette fans feel the same way. Nothing to get bent out of shape over!

However, the astute Juggalos and Juggalettes reading this will know that there is some reasoning to part of the title in “17 Dead”, the number 17. That number wasn’t chosen randomly, instead it’s a very important number in Juggalo and Juggalette culture. You see, 17 dead was the number of records that ICP sold on the first day their first album, Carnival of Carnage, was released.

It goes without saying that 17 copies isn’t much, but I’m sure the guys wouldn’t have really cared how many they sold on that first day if they knew how many copies of all their albums they would be selling 20+ years later to adoring Juggalos and Juggalettes! If you look closely, you’ll see mentions of the number 17 in many ICP songs, and sometimes the numbers mentioned, if not 17, add up to 17 when combined.

So remember, just because horror rap isn’t known for its metaphors or hidden symbolism doesn’t mean that innovative groups like ICP will slip a little clue into their music every once in a while! It’s this kind of tactic that keeps Juggalos and Juggalettes glued to every ICP release for a long, long time.

 

Resource Box

 

Insane Clown Posse has written many gory songs over the course of their career, songs like “17 Dead”. To learn more about ICP’s songs like “17 Dead”, please visit http://insaneclownposse.com.

Juggalos are among the most colorful musical subcultures going today. To explain simply what they are, juggalos are devoted fans first and foremost of the Detroit horrorcore rap duo Insane Clown Posse. ICP is known for performing in clown makeup as their name indicates, and many of their songs have a circus theme.

The term "juggalos" first came during an impromptu performance of the ICP song "The Juggla," when the group members called their audience "juggalos" during an impromptu ad lib.

The term "juggalos" stuck, and it's become a rallying cry for these devoted fans. Juggalos are also fans of other artists on ICP's Psychopathic Records, as well as similar underground rap and hard rock acts.

They favor a unique style influenced by hip-hop, as well as a grab-bag of other underground subcultures. Unlike other hip-hop subcultures, juggalos often sport rock-influenced hairstyles and wear bright colors and ICP-inspired face paint.

Most interestingly about juggalos as a group is the high visibility of females in the subculture. They're known as juggalettes, and they come in all stripes. You're equally likely to encounter a hot juggalette who emphasizes her sexiness, or a group of tough juggalettes who are proudly tomboyish. For juggalettes, just like male juggalos, individuality is key and almost anything goes.

But how can you dress like the juggalettes? First, you should probably attend a local event where you might be likely to encounter other juggalettes, like a concert by ICP or another similar group. If that's not possible, you can look up pictures of juggalettes online or befriend some online through forums and social networks.

Once you look around for photos of juggalettes, you'll see that there are no hard-and-fast rules. Juggalettes may even change their dress style from day to day depending on how they feel or what side of themselves they want to express.

If you want to dress like a hot juggalette, though, there are a few basics you can master.  Casual days are the easiest. To hang out every day, juggalettes might just choose baggy hip-hop style jeans, a T-shirt of ICP or another Psychopathic Records group, and maybe a treasured Psychopathic charm necklace.

Concerts and gatherings may call for a more hot juggalette look. There are a few variations here. A hot juggalette might again choose baggy jeans, but instead pair them with a sexier small top.

For a hot juggalette look, short, pleated skirts are also a popular choice. Often these are paired with knee socks and a collared shirt for a schoolgirl type of hot juggalette outfit. Other times, this might be paired with a mesh or lace top for a more goth or raver-influenced look.

Also important to a hot juggalette look is your hair. Some juggalettes favor bright, crazy, colorful hairdos made up of tiny braids or huge ponytails augmented by fake hair. You might dye your hair a crazy unnatural color. Other juggalettes prefer a more traditional feminine style with long, shiny hair. Either is fine and up to you.

Finally to top off your hot juggalette outfit, you might try ICP-style face paint. This is a popular look among juggalettes for big concerts and gatherings. You'll need grease paint rather than regular face makeup, and you should experiment with your design a few times to get it right.

Just as with every other element of your hot juggalette outfit, there are no set rules and you should let your personal creativity flow.

Resource Box

Of course, the epicenter of the juggalos' subculture is Insane Clown Posse. To learn more about these leaders of juggalos and juggalettes, visit the official Insane Clown Posse web site at http://www.insaneclonwposse.com.

There you'll find the latest news on concerts and other gatherings where you'll encounter other juggalos and juggalettes.

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!

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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/