Insane Clown Posse Loved but Hated by Millions
Perhaps no musical act today has created more of a furor than the Insane Clown Posse. Despite being slammed repeated by critics who have called their music “cartoonish”
and “excruciating,” they have sold more than 6.5 million records worldwide and earned a devoted following of “Juggalo” fans who have adopted a lifestyle around the band and its music. The Insane Clown Posse started as a group of friends who engaged in backyard wrestling matches in Oak Park, a working-class suburb of Detroit, Michigan. Joseph Bruce, aka Violent J, became involved in the professional wrestling scene in the Midwest, becoming close friends with wrestlers Rob Van Dam and Sabu. Violent J eventually began getting involved in hip-hop music with friends Joseph Utsler, aka Shaggy 2 Dope, and his brother John Utsler, aka John Kickjazz.
In 1991, Insane Clown Posse turned from gangsta rap to an acid rap style popular locally. The band also developed an entire mythology closely influenced by horror movies, including wear clown makeup resembling the main villain from “It.”
After recording three albums that received minimal interest, things changed for the Insane Clown Posse with their album “The Great Milenko.” Originally slated to be released by Disney-owned label Hollywood Records, it was pulled just before its 1996 release because of questions about its “objectionable” lyrics.
The album was later picked up by Island Records, and helped by the controversy it sold more than 1.5 million copies.
Since then, Insane Clown Posse have gained a devoted following with fan, who often refer to themselves as “clownz” or “Juggalos.” Their songs of alienation have touched a nerve with teenagers and young adults from poor backgrounds who feel as though they are outcasts. These fans wear Insane Clown Posse clothing and copy the band’s preferences, such as the Faygo soda.
One of the popular emblems of the Insane Clown Posse is the “Running with a Meat Cleaver” logo. This is a take off on one of the band’s most popular songs, “Meat Cleaver,” which imagines the band as horror villains chasing their victims with meat cleavers.
Songs such as “Hall of Illusions,“ “Hokus Pokus” and “The Joker’s Wild” helped bring the Insane Clown Posse recognition and a larger audience. However, their only song to chart in the Billboard Top 100 was their take on a Christmas song, called “Santa’s a Fat B*tch,” which peaked at No. 67 in 1999.
Along with music, the Insane Clown Posse have also remained active in wrestling, making appearances with major organizations such as World Championship Wrestling and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling along with promoting their own independent Juggalo Championship Wrestling. True to their backyard roots, their wrestling organization features extreme violence that is derided by some as “junk” wrestling.
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