[Dr. Eugene Felikson]

Insane Clown Posse: The Most Hated, and Criminally Misunderstood Band in the World

Succeeding as a white hip-hop artist in the gangster rap era of the 1990’s was an astoundingly difficult task. The music genre is widely recognized as a black man’s world, and this couldn’t have been any more true after the laughable Vanilla Ice craze of the 1980’s. Even more challenging than succeeding as a white hip-hop artist alone, is succeeding as a white hip-hop duo who paint their faces like clowns, and write songs about a mysterious Dark Carnival full of Terror Wheels, Murder Go Rounds, Tilt-A-Whirls, serial killings, fat girls, and a locally produced soda known as Faygo. Especially when said rapping clowns come from southwest Detroit, rather than notorious hip-hop hotspots like New York City or Los Angeles. This is exactly what the Insane Clown Posse (or I.C.P. to their fans) have done, and they have been thriving in their own international success for nearly a decade. Yet mention the group to anyone you know, and you will be treated as a tasteless laughing stock. Simply put: the Insane Clown Posse deserve a lot more respect.

Long before I.C.P.’s worldwide fame, a street gang existed in southwest Del-Rey, Detroit, known as the Inner City Posse. Together, they committed various felonies and got into fight, after fight, after fight. Tired of the dismal street life, three members (and high school dropouts), Joe Bruce, Joey Utsler, and John Utsler, began writing and recording their own rap albums. Achieving local success with their first hit, “Dog Beats”, the gangbangers soon started yearning for more, and decided it was time to change up their game-plan to earn even more acclaim. Feeling the industry was already oversaturated with gangster rap artists, the Inner City Posse cleverly adapted the moniker, Insane Clown Posse, based on a dream that haunted Joe Bruce, about a demonic looking clown roaming the desolate, crime-ridden streets of Detroit. Joe Bruce, Joey Utsler, and John Utsler soon became Violent J, Shaggy 2 Dope, and John Kickjazz; and in 1992 the first Insane Clown Posse album, Carnival of Carnage, was released. John Kickjazz left the group soon-after.

Since then, the two remaining clowns have formed a fierce empire beneath them, and have become multi-millionaires in the process. The rap duo fronts not only their own record label, Psychopathic Records, but a wrestling federation known as J.C.W., and a clothing company, Hatchet Wear, to boot. They have carved out an extremely unique niche for themselves in the music industry, and acquired legions of fans all around the globe who have formed their own universally hated sub-culture known as Juggalos. The rapping clowns have teamed up in the studio with numerous, well-respected, hip-hop legends such as Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Three Six Mafia, Esham, Ice-T, and many others. Their fourth LP, The Great Milenko, even hit the number four spot on the Billboard charts – an unheard of occurrence for any independent artist. They also hold an annual 4-day music festival, The Gathering of the Juggalos, every year without any corporate sponsorship whatsoever, and have co-written, starred in, and produced two feature films, Big Money Hu$tlas, and it’s western prequel, Big Money Ru$tlas. No other band has ever achieved this sort of success on their own terms, aside from possibly The Grateful Dead (but not quite), yet for some bizarre reason, the Insane Clown Posse are still laughing stocks within the music industry that they have single-handedly re-written the rules of success for.

“Why is this?” you may ask, and to be honest, the answer is a puzzling one. Perhaps it is because of their hard-headed underground ethics that have led their careers to be completely void of any radio play, or MTV exposure (aside from coverage of their stunning Billboard chart achievement). It may also be due to the group’s target demographic of outcasts, social rejects, scrubs, and the financially struggling. Their music specifically caters to the unwashed underbelly of society, and their marketing has closely followed suit over the years, creating a safe-haven for the so-called freaks of the world. Because of this, it can not only be seen as alienating to many potential fans, but a complete chore for a more mainstream audience to become exposed to their ingenious products. Ask your peers about the Insane Clown Posse, and after they dismiss them, ask if they’ve ever actually heard any of the group’s music. Chances are, the only response you’ll hear is, “No.”

Perhaps this is a good thing, which gives Juggalos a rare feeling of exclusivity amongst themselves, as they truly believe they are part of something special – which they are. But it is also tragic that two high school dropouts, and former gang members, who have grinded the long haul, and beaten the odds, transgressing their underground roots into something near-corporate and internationally recognized, have earned such little respect, even in their hometown of Detroit, Michigan. Despite this, they are fully aware of their achievements, and continue to help other struggling artists through their record label, rebelliously proud of the disapproval that has surrounded them since the birth of their careers. Hopefully, history agrees, and I.C.P. will one day be recognized as the brilliant entrepreneurs that they truly are.