Shaggy 2 Dope’s History in Insane Clown Posse Videos

9/2/2012

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Chances are slim that either Violent J or Shaggy 2 Dope, the men behind Insane Clown Posse’s empire, ever thought they would create something so large it could spawn a motion picture. Yet that’s exactly what has happened. Insane Clown Posse’s video empire may be substantially smaller than its musical kingdom, but that doesn’t mean Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J don’t view Insane Clown Posse videos like Big Money Rustlas as being of negligible importance.

It’s much easier for Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J to get their message across when they have the assistance of a visual medium, like Insane Clown Posse videos such as Big Money Rustlas or any of the band’s music videos. There isn’t on Juggalo out there who will tell you they only enjoy ICP in an audio, not video too, one reason why feature films like Big Money Rustlas are produced in the first place.

So what role has Shaggy 2 Dope played in bringing Insane Clown Posse video to Juggalos worldwide? In the 90s, when music videos were in their heyday, Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J shared screen time equally. Both were usually depicted as ruthless horror rappers with few cares in the world.

That said, even though Shaggy 2 Dope may have shared equal screen time with Violent J, that does not mean he is featured during that screen time. In fact, because Violent J is usually the first rapper heard on all Insane Clown Posse tracks, he is the first seen in all Insane Clown Posse videos. There are some Insane Clown Posse videos where Shaggy 2 Dope doesn’t utter a line, but is in the shot nonetheless, even if he’s just in the background chillin’.  The same is not true for ICP films like Big Money Rustlas.

There are rare instances where Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope are pitted against each other in the plot of an Insane Clown Posse music video, but it would be looking to far into these circumstances to say Shaggy 2 Dope or Violent J is more often than not the scapegoat when these things happen.

When the medium shifts from Insane Clown Posse videos that revolve around songs to feature films like Big Money Rustlas, Shaggy 2 Dope’s role shifts yet again. In Big Money Rustlas, a film that takes place in a dusty western town, Shaggy 2 Dope returns from years of exile to take back the city in the name of his assassinated father, but must conquer Violent J’s character and underling assassins too.

It’s difficult not to root for Shaggy 2 Dope’s character in Insane Clown Posse videos like Big Money Rustlas, but even though he plays the protagonist in Big Money Rustlas, the sample size is not large enough to imagine his protagonist ways remain consistent in other Insane Clown Posse videos. The truth is, he and Violent J’s characters are about split when it comes to good / evil. 

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Insane Clown Posse videos like Big Money Rustlas position Shaggy 2 Dope’s character in a positive light, but does this theme hold true for other Insane Clown Posse videos? To learn more about feature films like Big Money Rustlas, please visit http://hatchetgear.com/bands/icp.html. 

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How do ICP’s J and Shaggy 2 Dope Compare to Other Hip Hop Artists?

2/15/2012

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When you think of the stereotypical hip hop artist, what image comes to mind? Most would say African American, fashionable, wearing expensive jewelry, into the partying lifestyle, and it’s likely that any stereotypical hip hop artist came from a wealthy background. I say this not because hip hop artists act like they came from bad areas, but because much of the lyrical content spouted by hip hop artists has to do with coming from a rough background. With all that said, how do ICP’s J and Shaggy 2 Dope stack up?

They align well with about half of the criteria that was outlined above. ICP’s J and Shaggy 2 Dope do come from poor backgrounds, but this overcoming of adversity is one of the number one attributes that attracts their Juggalo fan base to their music. Furthermore, much of the Insane Clown Posse’s Dark Carnival mythology is structured around themes of the poor receiving redemption for being mistreated by the wealthy class.

ICP’s J and Shaggy 2 Dope met when they were teenagers, and experienced live in the Detroit Ghetto together, something that no doubt brought them closer and gave them material for what was to become their immense catalog of songs.

ICP’s J and Shaggy 2 Dope are not African American. This is obvious to most, but for any newcomers it might be difficult to discern because ICP’s J and Shaggy 2 Dope are constantly wearing clown face paint, concealing their skin color. On the topic of race, while most mainstream hip hop artists are African American, most hip hop artists that operate within the horror rap genre, as do ICP’s J and Shaggy 2 Dope, are white.

Interestingly enough, the first white hip hop artist to ever reach prominence in the genre was Eminem, who happens to be from the same city as ICP’s J and Shaggy 2 Dope: Detroit. Coincidence? Or is there something about this city that breeds unique hip hop artists?

Are ICP’s J and Shaggy 2 Dope fashionable like the hip hop artists you see on TV? For 2011, the answer is no. You won’t see ICP’s J or Shaggy 2 Dope sporting the latest kicks, the most expensive bling, or smelling of the freshest cologne. And they’d have it no other way. ICP’s J and Shaggy 2  Dope do not buy into the same materialistic whirlwind that many other mainstream hip hop artists do; for them, it’s more about the music.

Looking at ICP’s J and Shaggy 2 Dope, you’d think that they never got the memo the 1990s rap game is over, because they still dress that way. All good to them, however!

Lastly, we arrive at partying. It’s well documented that ICP’s J and Shaggy 2 Dope enjoy the partying lifestyle just like other hip hop artists do, and who’s to blame them? In fact, ICP’s J and Shaggy 2 Dope throw a bigger party every year than any other hip hop artist: The Gathering of the Juggalos. The best part? They invite their fans too! How many other mainstream hip hop artists can say that?

 

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ICP’s J and Shaggy 2 Dope have much in common with other mainstream hip hop artists, and at the same time are quite different. To learn more about ICP’s J and Shaggy 2 Dope, please visit http://insaneclownposse.com.

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