 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Joseph Bruce (Violent J) and Joey Utsler (Shaggy 2 Dope), along with neighborhood homies, started a gang in Southwest Detriot called the Inner City Posse. Being fresh from the suburbs, the ICPquickly threw their name into the mix and started getting alot of heat from the other local notorious street gangs. They were the target of much gang violence, and after 2 years most members had quit and left town fearing for their lives. Inner City Posse did rap a little. Their first independent release was titled Dog Beats. It was looking like the end of ICP when Violent J took another tripto county jail, and was put away the winter of 1990. |
| It was in 1991 when the ICP took an entirely new direction. They claim to have been visited by spirits of a dark carnival. The spiritsordered them to deliver 6 messages to the world, in the form of Jokers Cards. The messages are for all to hear, but only a selectfew will listen, the juggalos (the now infamous name for their followers). The ICP changed their name to the Insane Clown Posse and started their own record label, Psychopathic Records. |
| The first full length album (Jokers Card 1) dropped in 1992, Carnival of Carnage. On it's release date it sold a whopping 17 copies in local Detriot. It was quickly followed by an EP release entitled Beverly Kills 50187. By this time, Insane Clown Posse was making a name for themselves, and in 1993, the Ringmaster (Jokers Card 2) dropped. It sold 60,000 copies. The Clowns got their first big break in 1995 when they dropped Jokers Card 3, the Riddlebox. Jive Records gave them a record deal and a $60,000 dollar advance on the album. They soon found out Jive was only putting the album back out to the same fanbase in Detriot, and it sold another 60,000 copies. ICP took their $60,000 dollars and drove to Dallas, TX with Riddlebox samplers promoting for 3 months to 3 highschools in the area. The cd sold the sold another 40,000 copies in Dallas. |
| ICP left Jive records and later got a call from Disney label, Hollywood Records. They released Jokers Card 4, The Great Milenko in 1997. However, on the release date it was pulled from record stores 6 hours later, and their tour was canceled. This wasthe beginning of a media phenomenon for the clowns. They were picked up by Island Records, and the cd was re-issued with a few new tracks. It was then that ICP started experimenting with new ways to entertain. Being long time wrestling fans, they joined the WWF, WCW, and even created their own wrestling federation, JCW (Juggalo Championshit Wrestling). A brand new 5th Jokers Card dropped in 1999, the Amazing Jeckel Brothers and the clonws were everyehre they had a MTV commerical, they were in Magazines all the time and the world was taking notice. It went all the way up to number 4 on the billboard music charts. Between their music, touring, wrestling, and promoting an expanding Psychopathic Records, they filmed their first full length movie, Big Money Hustlas. Icp also put out a 2 disc album entitled Bizzar Bizaar during this ime, but it wasn't a Joker Card it was just a normal album. ICP left Island Records and are now distributed thru d3 entertainment in the states, and Shock Records in Austrailia. They have put lots of hard work into creating and marketing this Juggalo counter-culture, including their very own line of clothing that ranges anywhere from Jerseys and Shirts, to boxers and sports bras, to even leather coats. It is now the era of the 6th Jokers Card, the Wraith. Who knows what will be in store for juggalos world-wide? The final chapter of the story is almost complete. After all 6 have dropped, the end will consume us all. Are YOU down? |
