For Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope of Insane Clown Posse, the hustle by no means ceases. Whereas the horror-rappers are gearing up for the upcoming Gathering and hopping on acclaimed podcasts, they’re actively touring and selling their most up-to-date album, Woh the Weeping Weirdo. All this, and persevering with to uphold the intricate, and Juggalo-inhabited, eclectic ecosystem they’ve constructed over 33-plus years. Their world is one which, whereas favoring tongue-in-cheek references to homicide and knives, additionally identifies as a real household held collectively by a novel dialect fabricated from idioms and slang, a clowncore nü-metal aesthetic, and a cherished code of values — constructed on upholding group and subverting class hierarchy. However nevertheless perennial as their fanbase and presence has been over time, Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope have by no means escaped controversy.
Earlier this summer season, whereas touring and the lot, they added a brand new format to their grind — by releasing When Deadbug Met the Duke, a documentary that pulls again the curtain on their 33-year inventive journey — not withholding the great, the unhealthy, or the ugly. All of it started when Violet J, “The Duke,” stumbled upon the director Deadbug’s (sarcastically) true crime-themed movies on-line, inspiring the rapper to attach with, and invite, the intrigued videographer to cowl an ICP present throughout “Juggalo Weekend.”
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The results of mentioned weekend is way past a present recap — apparently in actual time, the hour-long movie unravels the actual story of the Juggalos, a bunch topped “most hated band on this planet” for 3 many years, who’ve needed to acclimatize to endless hostility and judgment from these on the skin. Fantastically, Deadbug’s undertaking avoids any blanket assertion. It leans away from upfront demonization of ICP as a crew of clowns making music that’s straightforward to look previous, but avoids swinging within the different course and portray a syrupy story that makes an attempt to persuade us to hitch the gang. The movie finds the center, trailing alongside Deadbug as he authentically lives by the expertise himself — coming into the miraculous ecosystem with transparency, filled with his personal doubts about ICP’s which means or caliber — and easily lets the solutions unfold.
With the Gathering forward, and a remaining tour in talks, we encourage you to research the duo, eat some content material, and peek behind the ICP curtain. We are able to’t promise you’ll prefer it, however we are able to promise there’s lots to see, hear, be taught, and be sprayed with that you simply definitely gained’t discover wherever else.
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How did the documentary come to be?
I actually like [Deadbug’s] stuff on YouTube. A few of it actually pushes the bounds, however man the man’s voice and his enhancing completely blew me away. For years, he was a thriller to me. I did not know if he was actually just like the character. He’s or not. Lastly, I reached out and contacted him to ask him to one in every of our exhibits we had developing in Texas. Then I had the thought of asking him to deliver a digital camera and do a 15-min doc about his journey, as a result of all I might ever seen from him was his true crime stuff. I at all times needed to see what one thing, anything from him could be like, particularly one thing about ICP! Properly, I lastly obtained to see one thing else from him, and truthfully, it was higher than something I might have imagined. He introduced his rattling digital camera on his journey all proper, and he fuckin’ killed it. Actually, he painted such an amazingly stunning image of me, man, that I simply want my mother might have seen it earlier than she handed. She died just about the week earlier than it got here out, but it surely don’t matter, although, as a result of I do know she’s ready up on the gates for me proper now, in all probability watching that unhealthy boy and different recent stuff Deadbug ain’t even thought of engaged on but. I’d think about that’s how Shangri-La works!
When did you first see Deadbug’s work?
I first found Deadbug’s channel l’d say possibly three years in the past? His channel is sort of a true crime factor, but it surely’s nothing in any respect like I’ve ever seen earlier than. Very brutal stuff. I imply, so brutal that I gotta be in the proper state of mind to even watch his stuff or it’ll put me in a funk. It’s very brutal and so descriptive but fascinating on the identical time should you obtained the abdomen for it. I do know he have to be in a relentless struggle with YouTube over censoring. There’s at all times stuff in his movies that you don’t have any concept the way it didn’t get flagged.
What do you suppose this movie says or exhibits about Juggalos and ICP that hasn’t been proven earlier than?
For me, I feel it exhibits what it is like not to be a Juggalo in any respect — only a common ninja simply chillin’ in London, dwelling his life. All of the sudden he is invited to an ICP present within the U.S., and from there he’s thrust into an all-access deep dive into the Juggalo world. In solely 45 minutes, the way in which he describes his journey on this DOC, I feel everybody on this planet might in all probability relate to. He discovers firsthand that the magic — that feeling of household amongst us — is completely actual. We have identified this all alongside. He discovers that we’re probably the most hated band on this planet, however the colder it’s on the skin, the hotter it’s on the within.
When you needed to sum up the message behind this doc, what wouldn’t it be?
That it is not sensible to diss, hate, or make enjoyable of people who find themselves having enjoyable doing one thing distinctive simply since you do not perceive it. Individuals see different folks having enjoyable, doing no matter — simply since you don’t love what they’re doing and it’s not your factor do not imply these folks suck and so they’re dumb. Simply have a look at furries, for instance. Individuals shit on furries, however I been to their world, and so they’re fuckin’ superb, candy, inventive folks. I feel we as folks usually concern what we do not perceive, and that is improper. I feel the message of this doc in a nutshell is likely to be “do not choose a e book by its cowl.”
What was it like working with Deadbug, and the way would you describe the method of constructing the documentary?
All I did was an hour-long interview. He was within the shadows simply filming principally. This factor is his creation. It was such a busy weekend — Juggalo Weekend at all times is. We obtained two wrestling exhibits that I produce, two live shows we do, two meet and greets and just about everybody I do know is there desirous to say hello. My Juggalo Weekend was prefer it at all times is — he was simply hiding out getting pictures. I appeared up at one level, and he was clinging to the roof like a ninja.
With the tour, the Gathering in August, and the documentary, there’s loads happening. When you needed to give a title to the “period” ICP is in proper now, what would you say?
Man, I might name this “the legendary period” ’trigger everybody calls us that nowadays. It’s in all probability only a nice-ass approach of claiming two issues: No. 1 we’re nonetheless right here, and No. 2 we’re previous as fuck. Man, truthfully I might say that is nearly the perfect period. That is the period of our arrival. There’s simply so many examples of this, too. I might title a thousand. We did Drink Champs, which is one in every of, if not the largest, hip-hop podcast as we speak. What the hell was ICP doing on Drink Champs? Who’d of thunk it proper? We’re additionally going to the MTV Music Awards and strolling the crimson carpet for our very first time ever. We been getting our flowers in every single place these days it appears, and we did all of it on our personal phrases. We did not have to vary a factor about ourselves to get right here. We by no means needed to promote out, and we nonetheless made it right here! And we come from the period when there was such a factor as promoting out and altering your music or movies. We’ve by no means completed that. It was a long-ass stroll, however we lastly arrived. We stayed the identical, but it surely feels just like the world caught up or modified in a approach the place folks and hip-hop usually are far more open-minded. I simply know we each get pleasure from this a part of our profession greater than another. In addition to the Shangri-La period, which is able to at all times be our No. 1 fav.
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What’s a day within the lifetime of The Duke?
Let’s simply say that I can’t even itch my face with out serious about it and double-checking to see if I’m sporting the face paint or not. Even once I’m mendacity on the sofa in the course of the evening, I nonetheless have to consider it earlier than I contact my face each time. A day within the lifetime of the Duke don’t finish when evening falls. Nope. As a result of once I sleep, I truly dream within the paint, too. Giving hugs can suck additionally. One time I went to hug Ice-T’s spouse, Coco, and I fuckin’ obtained clown paint all around the shoulder of her black fur coat. That proper there may be the lifetime of The Duke. Wishing I might carry my head outta mattress within the morning and increase! Be prepared for a photograph session like Tommy Lee.
The very last thing ICP launched was final yr. Have you ever gotten to see a response to the brand new music in particular person but?
Shaggy and myself have been touring our solo music for the final six or seven months. We like to change issues up with a solo album and tour each three or 4 years. So, we been doing that earlier than we truly start our remaining, worldwide farewell tour. We name it a “Farewell Tour” as a result of this can undoubtedly be the final time we crawl again right into a rattling tour bus and do 25 exhibits a month. We’ll at all times play six or seven occasions a yr, however we don’t wanna pound the pavement no extra. We did that shit for 30 years. That’s for these nerds tryna catch as much as us. We don’t must tour like that anymore as a result of we’re already 8,000 excursions forward of whoever’s No. 2 on this planet. It’s type of like after we was youngsters enjoying quarter video video games on the arcade. There was at all times that one man who was so good, thus far forward of everybody else, who had so many further free guys that he might simply cease enjoying and eat lunch whereas his further males died off. That’s us… We obtained 60,000 free guys, and we might by no means contact the joystick once more and nonetheless have sufficient free guys to final without end.
How do you suppose your final ICP album, Woh The Weeping Weirdo, differs from what you’d put out earlier than?
It’s higher. Every thing we drop is at all times higher than the final. I’m simply kidding — it’s in all probability no totally different. When you didn’t like ICP earlier than, you in all probability nonetheless gained’t. However our new shit undoubtedly provides to our legacy, although. Each piece of music we drop might be someone’s favourite someplace on this planet, proper? When you’ve got as many followers as we do on this planet, and also you drop some new shit and it’s not anyone’s favourite? Like out of your whole fanbase your new shit ain’t anybody’s favourite? Not even one particular person? Then yeah, face it, it’s in all probability time to give up rapping. You suck. In case your new shit is costing you followers as a substitute of constructing ’em? Then yeah you suck ass now. Simply cease.
As somebody who desires to attend the Gathering for the primary time, what’s your recommendation?
My recommendation is to simply fuckin’ go. Life is all about making reminiscences. When you go to the Gathering of the Juggalos, you’ll completely by no means ever neglect that have. That makes it priceless. The place there’s a will, there’s a approach. You would put your change out of your pocket in a jar daily for a yr, and also you’d manage to pay for to not solely get in, however you might in all probability take a Area X rocket there and every part. Materials gadgets come and go in life, however reminiscences and experiences final without end — until you smoke your reminiscences away. My recommendation is to go to the Gathering as a result of I am telling you proper now, I’ve by no means heard of anyone going to the Gathering and having an terrible time. I hear folks say, “Oh man, I’ve at all times needed to go my complete life.” My response to that’s, “What the fuck you ready for then?” It’s not held on Pluto. It’s in fuckin’ Ohio. The four-day move value as a lot as a one-day move at another massive pageant. Everybody who goes completely falls in love with it. Man, should you been desirous to go your complete life, then what the hell are you ready for? Nothing to it however to do it brah!
