The Sincerest Form of Flattery Builds Buzz in the Music Business

Anytime an artist finds him or herself underneath the mainstream media spotlight, he or she will soon learn just how harsh the public can be when judging talent for itself. When said act under the spotlight is a band as deliberately notorious and underground as Insane Clown Posse and Saturday Night Live does the parody, well, it’s a good thing they have tremendously thick skin and a massive following of Juggalos to back them up.

But when does the buzz garnered from parodies (like Saturday Night Live’s of Insane Clown Posse) and critics outweigh any negativity associated with those parodies or critics? Is it true that there’s no such thing as bad publicity? It’s been hypothesized that as long as music was being heard and/or getting into the hands of potential consumers, any cost associated with getting it there was considered worth it.

This question has been at the forefront of musicians and marketing teams in the music industry for quite some time. Insane Clown Posse’s Saturday Night Live parody, their shoddy relationship with mainstream media, and their Juggalo fan base provide the perfect case study for analysis on the topic.

The Saturday Night Live Insane Clown Posse Parody

Haters of ICP and Juggalos are one thing, but national comedians and other funny factories like college humor that reach an audience of millions are another. In spring 2010, another musical act fell victim to the famous Saturday Night Live parody: Insane Clown Posse. In the Insane Clown Posse Saturday Night Live parody, ICP is depicted as being dumbfounded by the most basic of things, i.e. why kids look like their parents, why some mountains look like presidents (Mt. Rushmore), and where the sun “hides” at night just to name a few. Juggalos were not amused.

But fortunate for the ICP team – and the crew involved in the Insane Clown Posse Saturday Night Live parody – Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope were cool, calm, and collected about the whole thing. They even thought the Saturday Night Live Insane Clown Posse parody was hilarious, and viewed it as a strategic move to gain a larger audience beyond any pre-existing Juggalos.

Insane Clown Posse member Violent J even went as far to defend the show against Juggalos outspoken against the event, saying “How can you be mad at Saturday Night Live? That’s what they do. They make parodies. They’re funny. That’s flattering, that you’re a large enough player in the game that Saturday Night Live even recognizes you.”

Considering there was no negative reaction from the band regarding the Saturday Night Live Insane Clown Posse parody and little to no physical reaction from the band’s Juggalo fan base, it’s strange to think that ICP’s members have such a bad reputation for violence and protest.

The same cannot be said for Insane Clown Posse’s Juggalo fan base, most of which took offense to Saturday Night Live’s Insane Clown Posse parody and aired their opinions on Juggalo channels of social media networks like YouTube and Facebook.

ICP Parody Affect Sales

Low and behold, if you look at a graph of ICP’s website traffic during the month the Saturday Night Insane Clown Posse parody aired and went near-viral on the Internet, there is indeed a spike. We’ll never know if there was also a spike in new Juggalo membership, but I’d say it’s a safe bet to assume so.

Of course, Insane Clown Posse is an anomaly of a case, because they (and their Juggalo followers) love to be hated. In fact, they may have even enjoyed the Insane Clown Posse Saturday Night Live parody more than others.

ICP has deemed themselves “the most hated band in America,” yet ironically they happen to also be one of the most successful. All press may not be good press for most bands, but that seems to be the case for ICP.

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The Insane Clown Posse is an American horrorcore duo that often finds itself as the punch line for comedians, TV shows, and flash mobs. A Saturday Night Live Insane Clown Posse parody recently debuted, but ICP’s two members are more than alright with their band being the brunt of jokes, saying they too find the material hilarious and use it to their advantage when growing their fan base past existing Juggalos.

To learn more about Insane Clown Posse or their Juggalo fan base visit ICP's website at http://insaneclownposse.com/

Horror Rap: The Underground of Underground Rap

In its 30+ year history, rap has come along way. It’s gone from being an insignificant micro genre to one that’s enjoyed heavily all around the world. It’s gotten so big that it has many sub genres of it’s own at this point, and is blanketing enough to exist in the mainstream and underground.

If underground rap is one of your favorite types of music, then there are other types of rap and hip hop out there that you’ll probably enjoy as well, one of which being horror rap. If you like horror rap, then you’re automatically a fan of horror rap duo Insane Clown Posse.

Insane Clown Posse’s Horror Rap Roots

If you know anything about the Insane Clown Posse, it’s that they don’t come anywhere close to mainstream sounds in any of their horror rap music. From the beginning, Detroit’s Insane Clown Posse (originally Inner City Posse) has been rooted in underground rap, choosing to rhyme about underground rap / horror rap themes revolving around violence, death, evil, Satan, suicide, and more.

Insane Clown Posse Dark Carnival Mythology

But there’s more to Insane Clown Posse than their brutal lyrics. For one, they have an entire mythology surrounding their work called the dark carnival. This concept of a limbo period before departed souls are dumped to hell is weaved throughout all of Insane Clown Posse’s albums.

While many underground rappers can claim insider themes for their die-hard fans, few if any have the same complexity and allure of horror rap duo Insane Clown Posse’s dark carnival and subsequent Joker’s Cards. No, these aren’t the same useless Joker’s Cards in your standard 52-card deck, they’re synonymous with the albums Insane Clown Posse releases and each contain insight into the band’s moral philosophies.

Insane Clown Posse Costumes

Another thing underground rap lacks in comparison to Insane Clown Posse’s brand of horror rap? The costumes. Horror rap acts can be spotted a mile away in their trademark evil clown face paint, a style that without doubt adds mystique to their performances. If traditional underground rapper garb isn’t hellacious enough for you, check out an Insane Clown Posse concert and see what you’re missing.

Gathering of the Juggalos and Juggalo Family

While some of the above mentioned comparisons, there is one aspect of Insane Clown Posse’s horror rap family that knows no comparison: the annual Gathering of the Juggalos horror rap music festival. Can any mainstream or underground rapper out there say they have their own music festival? Or beyond that, their own music festival created by its own record label? We think not.

And as any Juggalo will tell you, Juggalos far and wide share a family mentality and bond that’s competitive with that of any artist around.

So if you’re tired of the same old underground rap and are looking for something new and refreshing, try the Insane Clown Posse. With family ties, face paint, mythology and a huge annual festival, Insane Clown Posse and their horror rap brand of music is if nothing else at least guaranteed to bring a breath of fresh air.

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Insane Clown Posse is an underground rap duo consisting of Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. They are one of the most unique bands in America. To learn more horror rap, underground rap or Insane Clown Posse visit ICP's website at http://insaneclownposse.com/

Gangster Rap Doesn't Mean Gang Member

That question gets asked more than you might think, and probably bothers ICP members Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope on a daily basis. Simply put, the answer is an emphatic no. While some refer to the music of ICP as gangster rap (and sometimes new gangster rap, to be more specific), never has Insane Clown Posse been a gang.

Though it’s easy to see how a band originally going by the name of Inner City Posse and writing gangster rap could be construed as ICP gang, it’s just not the case. In fact, ICP founders Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope have little to no history with violence, unless you count their gangster rap lyrics.

Is Insane Clown Posse Christian?

That’s right. Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope, the very two artists who have at times been referred to as gangster rappers, announced through “The Unveiling” that Insane Clown Posse has been a Christian band -- or at least one that believes in God -- all along. Violent J even stated in an interview that announcing that after keeping it concealed for so long was “like heaven.”

Insane Clown Posse Christian Announcement Fallout

Of course, this revelation turned die hard Juggalos off completely, you know, the ones you took all of ICP’s lyrics and perceived gangster rap messages to heart. What these Juggalos didn’t know all along was that ICP was painting these vile depictions as examples of what not to do. Psych!

Though in all reality, Insane Clown Posse has thinly veiled their spiritual beliefs from the beginning, even back when people tagged ICP with the gangster rap tag. It’s hard to not think ICP is a spiritual band when you consider the entire concept of the dark carnival, also know as the limbo period where souls in transit wait to be sent to heaven or hell.

So many of the band’s lyrics are centered around judgment day and Christian morals that one would have to turn an extremely blind eye not to pick up on Insane Clown Posse’s Christian message before “The Unveiling” was released.

Insane Clown Posse Christianity Unveiling Also Cements Fan Bond

However, while some Satan-worshipping Juggalos may have cut all ties with ICP and went on to follow other gangster rap artists -- real gangster rap artists, if you will – those who were fans of Insane Clown Posse and Christian deep down inside were elated.

Insane Clown Posse Violence Non-Existent

So while most of the world is assuming that secretly Insane Clown Posse is a gang (because they perform “gangster rap,” right?), and a violent one at that, Insane Clown Posse’s two Christian founders were plotting their announcement of faith to the Juggalo fan base at large.

Rarely have so many been so wrong in their assumptions! Yes, a quick Google search will reveal that Juggalos themselves (not Violent J or Shaggy 2 Dope) have been involved in the occasional act of violence, but it would be unfair to let those actions speak for the artists in question.

The moral of the story is that the guys in ICP are spiritual Christians before they are the misogynists or bigots some accuse them of being. Finally, the accusations that Insane Clown Posse is a gang are false

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The band is gangster rap to some, horror rap to others, but Insane Clown Posse is Christian to all after founding member Violent J announced to fans that he and fellow co-founder Shaggy 2 Dope have always been spiritual, leading some to label Insane Clown Posse as Christians. To learn more about Insane Clown Posse and Christianity, visit the Insane Clown Posse website at http://insaneclownposse.com/