Now Signed to Hatchet House, Will Dayton Family ever Climb the Ranks to Psychopathic?

All underground rappers who become successful enough to be household names eventually have to partner up with a large record label to continue their growth. For instance, once small time underground rapper Eminem went from being signed to Detroit based independent label Web Entertainment to being signed to Interscope Records as part of a multi-million dollar deal. If he hadn’t, he wouldn’t be the global superstar he is today. Who else is in that boat? Flint, Michigan based rappers Dayton Family were just like Eminem was once upon a time: impoverished, unknown, and brilliant. In the mid 90s, Dayton Family (named after the street they lived on, Dayton St.) slowly started gaining notoriety in the clubs around their hometown. Before they could blink they had been signed to a label and created a record that was certified gold. However as is the case with many such underground rap groups, fame turned out to be more than Dayton Family could handle. After a series of imprisonments and other legal trouble, the Dayton Family had no choice but to take a three year hiatus in the beginning of the 00’s. But, as is also the case with many underground rap groups that have suffered the same fate, there’s often a third party interested in reviving said underground rap group’s faltering career. In the case of the Dayton Family, those angels were none other than once prominent underground rappers Insane Clown Posse, who own Psychopathic Records. (Described as once prominent here because they are now mainstream, and the underground label isn’t as applicable). Insane Clown Posse started their own record label at the beginning of their own career and called it Psychopathic Records. Today, Psychopathic Records not only continues to be the one outlet for Insane Clown Posse’s horror rap music, but also the one outlet for an all star roster of other horror rap artsits that are a little more underground than ICP is right now. Between those underground rap artists and ICP, Psychopathic Records is without question the authority on what is good in the world of the underground rap micro genre horror rap. That said, Psychopathic Records is the precedent. If you get signed to Psychopathic, it’s safe to say you’re on the brink of making it. Of course, not everyone can be signed to Psychopathic, otherwise the accomplishment of such would be worthless and the label wouldn’t be a trusted source of new music. That’s why Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope created Psychopathic Records subsidiary Hatchet House to sniff out the next big thing. And guess who’s signed to Hatchet House now… Dayton Family has only been signed to Psychopathic Records subsidiary Hatchet House since 2010, but if they are at all able to pick up the momentum where it was in the late 90s, these guys will be boosted from the underground rap game back into the main stream. You don’t sell 500,000 albums by accident. If that does turn out to be the case, Dayton Family will surely move up the ranks from Hatchet House to Psychopathic Records. Resource Box Dayton Family is an underground rap group that is signed to Psychopathic Records subsidiary, Hatchet House. To see the kinds of merchandise Dayton Family might offer if they’re ever signed to Psychopathic Records, please visit http://hatchetger.com.

Insane Clown Posse Tattoos: The Answer for Juggalos with too much ICP Wear

For many Juggalos (fans of underground rap group Insane Clown Posse), especially the lifelong Juggalos, there’s simply no more ICP wear to purchase. All the ICP wear that’s been released in the past 20 years by Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope was swallowed up by them the minute it was released! And while it’s cool to have the collectible ICP wear items like concert shirts and album specific shirts, shirts are, temporary in the end. No matter what ICP wear you buy, there’s nothing you can do to prevent it being lost or stolen at some point down the road. So what other ways are there to express your Insane Clown Posse devotion besides the usual ICP wear? Answer: Insane Clown Posse tattoos. There’s been a societal stigma against getting ink for as long as tattoos have been borderline popular. However, in the underground rap game, tattoos are not frowned upon in the least and are even highly respected as art. When you take a closer look, you can see that the few who still oppose tattoos in this world are mostly older folks who would never understand young culture or underground rap anyway. They certainly wouldn’t understand ICP wear or Insane Clown Posse tattoos. So what kinds of Insane Clown Posse tattoos are out there? The sky’s the limit, really. Most tattoo artists that appreciate underground rap will draw up anything your mind desires, and if you go to a good shop, you’ll end up leaving with some Insane Clown Posse tattoo artwork you’ll be able to cherish the rest of your life. Comparing Insane Clown Posse tattoos at Juggalo events like Gathering of the Juggalos is way more intriguing than comparing your collection of ICP wear. Underground rap artists often have tattoos of their favorite lyrics, poems, or dates that were symbolic to them. Underground rap artists that have heavy imagery in their lyrics sometimes get ink that visually represents their songs, and there’s no reason you can’t do the same for an Insane Clown Posse tattoo. An Insane Clown Posse tattoo that does that would be way cooler than any ICP wear item. The most obvious choices for any Insane Clown Posse tattoo are the hatchetman, any or all of the 6 ICP Joker’s cards, the Juggalo face paint, or any of the other underground rap symbols that represent the band. A Google search for Insane Clown Posse tattoos will reveal all of the above, and then some. Interestingly enough, many Insane Clown Posse tattoos are done on body parts that are normally covered by baggy (as is the underground rap style) ICP wear. Whether this means Juggalos are worried their Insane Clown Posse tattoos might cost them employment in the future is debatable, but at least getting an Insane Clown Posse tattoo on your back gives the largest canvas for them. Nowhere else on your body could you have the hatchetman, Joker’s cards, and face paint tattoos all in one place! Many underground rap tattoos aren’t this multifaceted or large, and they are more visible than Insane Clown Posse tattoos on your back. Maybe there’s a different taste in tattoos among mainstream underground rap fans and horror rap fans, but it probably doesn’t mean much. ICP wear and Insane Clown Posse tattoos will continue to grow in popularity as the band grows out of underground rap and into the mainstream, get yours before everyone in the world knows who Insane Clown Posse is! Resource Box Underground rap has long had a tradition with tattoos, and Insane Clown Posse tattoos are no different. To learn about other ICP wear that’s more temporary, please visit http://hatchetgear.com.

What to Expect from ICP’s Album The Mighty Death Pop

It’s been two years since an ICP album came out. From parodies and mainstream media hate to announcing their faith and booking Charlie Sheen as a Gathering of the Juggalos host, it’s safe to say that a lot has happened in those two years since the last ICP Joker’s Card, Bang! Pow! Boom!, was released.

Fortunately, Insane Clown Posse fans won’t have to wait much longer, with ICP’s album and Joker’s Card The Mighty Death Pop slated to launch in early 2012. The band’s remarks about their upcoming release have been few and far between, but they haven’t hesitated to say that The Mighty Death Pop will fire back against all the hate they’ve received in recent years from media outlets.

Why has The Mighty Death Pop Taken So Long?

The most straightforward answer Insane Clown Posse members Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope have given for this question is just that they didn’t want to rush it. By not announcing an official release date for The Mighty Death Pop, the guys have given themselves the freedom to take their time with this ICP album and Joker’s Card, and promise that because of that, it will be the best yet.

“We're doing what we do in the studio, coming out with the best record that we can do and, right now, it's gravy man" Violent J told MTV back in April.

Mighty Death Pop Production Personnel

Aside from the renewed sense of anger to be present on this newest ICP Album, there will also be an old friend in the studio who’s recorded plenty of ICP albums through the years: Mike E. Clark.

Best known for his work with Kid Rock, George Clinton, and eight of the previous Joker’s Cards, Mr. Clark’s production style has been labeled as one of the best parts of all Joker’s Cards. His ability to infuse various carnival sounds goes a long way in helping Insane Clown Posse achieve the mischievous sonic atmosphere present on ICP albums, and will most likely do the same on Mighty Death Pop.

The last time Clark worked on an ICP album was for Bizaar, during which he had a falling out with Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. Being unsure about the material he was recording, Clark decided it was time for a break. During that break, Clark formed the group Project: Deadman with rapper Prozak and became a full-time engineer for Michigan-bred superstar Kid Rock. He also endured a severe bout of pneumonia, a disease that almost took his life. After this near death experience, he reconnected with ICP with the intent of working on their next Joker’s Card. He’s now doing just that.

Joker’s Card Face(s)

The duo revealed at their annual Hallowicked concert in Detroit the character face of the Mighty Death Pop Joker’s Card. It’s a maniacal clown with purple, yellow, and white accents, but Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope say it’s only half of the Mighty Death Pop Joker’s Card. The second face will be revealed soon!

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Mighty Death Pop is the 12th ICP album and Joker’s Card, slated for release in early 2012. To learn more about Mighty Death Pop, please visit the Insane Clown Posse website at http://insaneclownposse.com/