Shaggy 2 Dope’s History in Insane Clown Posse Videos

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. Resource Box 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.

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

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? Resource Box 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.

Two Underground Rap Stars' Unlikely Background in Pro Wrestling

Pro wrestling's visibility has gone in and out of the mainstream over the years, but its popularity has rarely waned. In fact these days, besides the juggernaut that is WWE, there seem to be more promotions than ever. Besides groups like TNA and Ring of Honor, there's even an Insane Clown Posse wrestling promotion. Yes, Insane Clown Posse wrestling meaning a promotion sponsored by the infamous underground rap group made up of Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J. While such a link between wrestling and underground rap is unusual, it's not weird if you consider the entertainment career history of Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J. The Insane Clown Posse wrestling connection goes way back to the '80s, before Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J were even very involved in underground rap. As teens, in fact, Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J were more interested in wresting than underground rap, and met in the northern Detroit backyard wrestling circuit. The earliest incarnation of Insane Clown Posse wrestling was their early made-up promotions, which they called Tag Team Wrestling and National All-Star Wrestling. Eventually, Violent J started a bona fide career in indie pro wrestling, bringing Shaggy 2 Dope along with him. Not long after, though, both Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope became disillusioned with the backstage politics of indie pro wrestling. They then quit to pursue their other passion, underground rap. (In fact, this is when they definitively settled on the stage names Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J.) In the ensuing years Insane Clown Posse underground rap music would take precedence over Insane Clown Posse wrestling. But Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J never forgot that early passion. After Insane Clown Posse found success in underground rap, the Insane Clown Posse wrestling connection again resurfaced. A pro wrestling tag team asked ICP to record its theme song. Eventually Insane Clown Posse wrestling came closer to the mainstream when Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J appeared as a tag team act in the late '90s for then-major promotions like WCW. Eventually, they decided to start their own Insane Clown Posse wrestling promotion in 1999, naming it Juggalo Championshit Wrestling. At the beginning, this Insane Clown Posse wrestling project was largely made up of parody matches, with ICP themselves and other underground rap stars and entertainers performing under pseudonyms. Eventually, though, the Insane Clown Posse wrestling promotion got much more serious. JCW started signing a number of established stars from the hardcore and indie pro circuits, and even changed its name in 2006 to the more printable Juggalo Championship Wrestling. Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J rarely actually wrestle themselves now, but they work on JCW almost as much as they do their various underground rap projects. Juggalo Championship Wrestling now puts on live shows around the country, and offers pay-per-view events and DVDs. In fact, Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J have dedicated a big chunk of the entertainment at their annual Gathering of the Juggalos summer festival to the JCW and indie pro wrestling. That makes it probably the only summer festival to showcase both music and wrestling almost equally. But it's just another way these underground rap stars continue to pay homage to their unusual roots. Resource Box To learn more about Insane Clown Posse wrestling or just the music by these underground rap stars, visit the official Insane Clown Posse web site at http://www.insaneclownposse.com.

How to Do ICP Face Paint Like Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J

The Detroit rap duo Insane Clown Posse has one of the most memorable images in rap. Like the name indicates, the group, made up of Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J, take on the musical persona of wicked clowns. Yes, this means full, clown-style ICP face paint, which has become the visual calling card of both the group and its fans. Look out on the crowd of an ICP show, and you'll see a sea of wicked clowns in ICP face paint. If you're a new fan of ICP, you might want to show your allegiance by also wearing ICP face paint to a concert by the group or a gathering of its fans. Appearing like wicked clowns is a popular choice for gatherings of these fans, called juggalos. Some make up their own ICP face paint designs to represent their own personalities. Others, meanwhile, pay homage by copying the ICP face paint designs of the original wicked clowns, Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J. If you choose to go this route, have no fear -- doing your own ICP face paint in the style of Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J is easy. You'll just need a few basic supplies to copy the ICP face paint style of these wicked clowns. First, make sure you have a good mirror in a brightly lit area so you can watch your work. You'll also need special grease paint -- regular drugstore cosmetics won't work for ICP face paint. Go to a costume store and get regular opaque clown makeup in white, silver, and black. A special sponge for blending your ICP face paint might also help to fill in large solid-colored areas. You might also consider getting a special greasepaint make-up remover to make cleanup easier. Finally, and most importantly, you need to research Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J's own face designs to appear as wicked clowns. Decide first if you want to copy either Shaggy 2 Dope or Violent J. You can use Google to look up images of these wicked clowns, or go straight to the source and look up photos on the official Insane Clown Posse web site. Let's say you pick Shaggy 2 Dope out of these two wicked clowns. Over most of the years he's favored largely the same ICP face paint design, with huge, exaggerated eyebrows, a filled-in nose, and a large, sinister mouth. There are a couple of different options to color in this Shaggy 2 Dope design. You can either fill in the large areas with silver, and outline them in black, or fill them in totally in black. If you're going to use silver, first lightly trace the outline of the Shaggy 2 Dope eyebrow and mouth shapes. If you make a mistake, use the make-up remover to fix the shape now and start over. If you're satisfied, fill everything in with the silver, maybe using the sponge. If you want this area to just be black, do the same thing but in black. Now, carefully take your white grease paint and trace the outside of the solid shapes, then trace the outline of your face from your forehead to your jawline. Don't extend the white area past your chin. When you have the white areas blocked out, take your white grease paint and carefully fill it all in. If you chose to fill in the large shapes with black, you're basically done. If you used silver, take your black grease paint and now carefully outline the edges of the silver shapes. When you're done with either of those sets, be careful to let the makeup dry before you do anything else. Eventually the grease paint will set and you'll be ready to head out and meet up with the other wicked clowns. Resource Box For the ultimate source of official ICP wicked clowns photos, visit the official Insane Clown Posse web site at http://www.insaneclownposse.com. You can also find a bunch of official ICP merchandise there, too, to complete your look.

Five Underground Rap Groups With Outrageous Lyrics

Practically since hip-hop was invented, its lyrical content has been the subject of much debate. But while mainstream hip-hop offers much about which to raise eyebrows, underground rap is really where the craziness begins.

Not that that's all bad. Where mainstream rap is constrained by certain radio-ready formulas, underground rap needs to worry about no such rules. In underground rap, artists can be as creative, clever, or just as crazy as they want.

In certain underground rap circles, shocking, outrageous content is prized -- no subject is too taboo. Here are five underground rap artists whose lyrics often aren't for the faint of heart.

Cage: The underground rap artist born Chris Palko was known at the beginning of his career for broaching uncomfortable subjects and often being "Crazy for the sake of being crazy," as he himself put it in interviews. Much of his early material told long, involved tales of drug use and included violent fantasies.

Cage has much matured as an underground rap artist, these days, and often draws from his own uncomfortable personal history for lyrics. He never shies away from taboo subjects when discussing them, though, and Cage songs still broach subjects like child abuse, mental illness, and addiction.

Necro: Necro often collaborated with Cage when the two rappers were younger. However, as Cafe's style of underground rap became more confessional, Necro's became more and more fantasy-driven. These days, Necro is considered largely to be a horrorcore artist whose music bears a metal influence and whose lyrical subjects touch on violence and the occult.

Twiztid: This underground rap group is signed to Insane Clown Posse's Psychopathic Records, and Twiztid lyrics live up to the precedent set by the label. Twiztid lyrics definitely fall under the category of horrorcore, and unabashedly so. With album titles like Heartbroken and Homicidal, it's clear that Twiztid lyrics are often uber-violent.

From the group's first album, Mostateless, Twiztid lyrics have included raps about murder, drug use, and even more out-there Twiztid lyrics subjects like the undead. That's not to say that Twiztid lyrics are meant to be taken literally, though.

The kind of horror and mayhem expressed in Twiztid lyrics are clearly flights of fantasy influenced by horror movies, comic books, and the like. The group has cited rock acts like KISS as an influence on Twiztid lyrics, for example.

Insane Clown Posse: Insane Clown Posse lyrics influenced Twiztid lyrics, and those of other similar acts. In fact, Insane Clown Posse lyrics were actually influenced by those of earlier Detroit acts like Esham and his group Natas. Those artists' "acid rap" style influenced certain aspects of Insane Clown Posse lyrics, like a particular psychedelic vibe and out-there imagery.

But Insane Clown Posse lyrics were also influenced by their beloved comic books and horror movies. That filtered into Insane Clown Posse lyrics that never shied away from outrageous tales of violence and gore.

Still, like Twiztid, Insane Clown Posse lyrics were never meant to be taken seriously. In fact, a close reading of Insane Clown Posse lyrics shows that the violence only befalls evil people who perhaps deserve an unhappy end.

The Insane Clown Posse lyrics from the band's Dark Carnival mythical cycle also served a didactic purpose. It turned out all of those crazy Insane Clown Posse lyrics were actually meant to serve as moral fables, instructing listeners on how not to act. Still, the pictures they painted were definitely shocking at the surface.

Resource Box

If anyone best represents the certain crazy, colorful, unique underground rap scene known as horrorcore in its current form, it's Insane Clown Posse. They've been going for more than two decades now, so to learn more about the group's influential history in underground rap, visit the official Insane Clown Posse web site at http://www.insaneclownposse.com.