"Miracles" | ||||
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Single by Insane Clown Posse | ||||
from the album Bang! Pow! Boom! | ||||
Released | 2010 | |||
Recorded | September 2008 –July 2009 [1] Fun House Studio [1] | |||
Genre | Rap rock | |||
Length | 5:13 | |||
Label | Psychopathic | |||
Songwriter(s) | Joseph Bruce, Joseph Utsler, Mike E. Clark | |||
Producer(s) | Mike E. Clark | |||
Insane Clown Possesingles chronology | ||||
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"Miracles" is a song written by the American hip hop duo Insane Clown Posse and record producer Mike E. Clark. It was released as a single from the duo's 2009 album Bang! Pow! Boom! . A music video was produced for the 2010 reissue of the album, dubbed the "Nuclear Edition". The song's lyrics focus on things experienced in everyday life, displaying an appreciation for them, and perceiving them as miraculous and outside of the laws of physics.
The song sparked a number of Internet memes, [2] and was parodied on Saturday Night Live and by Lonely Island in the song "Incredible Thoughts". [3]
Inspiration for the song's lyrics came via the Internet generation and group members Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope raising children. [4] In response to both modern jadedness and their children experiencing wonders of the world for the first time, the group wanted to write a song about natural phenomena humans experience in life which often go unacknowledged. [4] The closing lyrics encourage listeners to take time to look at the world and "appreciate the things that life has to offer". [5] [6] According to Violent J, "What's a shame is how people walk around blind to it all. They lost their spirit about everything. If you can't even see the miracle in animals, then you must have never truly loved a pet." [7] Despite verbally calling scientists "liars" in the song, he afterward stated that what he meant was that scientific explanations can sometimes kill the intriguing mysteries of the world, such as how ancient pyramids were made. [8] Violent J admits that the song's lyrics discuss "things [... that] may not be actual miracles. They may have scientific facts explaining them [...] But nonetheless, these things are still incredible [...] and they should be appreciated." [9] He added that the group's use of the word 'miracle' was intended to mean "something fuckin' amazing and incredible, [... a] special, awesome event, [...] a great, wonderful thing." [7]
The lyrics focus on introspective themes which critics considered to be uncommon in Insane Clown Posse's music; however, Violent J states that these themes are important in the duo's work, and reveal their depth. [5] In response to accusations that the group has changed its style and gone soft, [9] Violent J calls the song "classic ICP," noting that the group has always included one or two deep and meaningful songs on every album, and that this is just the first time that they've created a video for one of those songs. [7] [9] Several reviewers have suggested that the song contains an anti-science message, as the song literally states that scientists profess lies. [10] [11] [12] Violent J disputes the claim, asserting that "the [song's] concept is about appreciating everything in this world. It's not about God; [...] religion; [.. or] science." [4] [13] Joseph Laycock of Religion Dispatches suggests that rather than rejecting science, the song disapproves of disenchantment. [6]
The song's music is built around an ascending synthesizer melody, and climaxes with an electric guitar solo performed by Mike E. Clark, and beatboxing by Shaggy 2 Dope. [5] [14]
The music video for the song debuted on April 6, 2010, as part of the "Nuclear Edition" reissue of Bang! Pow! Boom!. [15] The video's green screen sequences were directed by Paul Andresen, with post-production being completed in Michigan. [16] The video has received over 19 million views on YouTube. [17]
On April 17, Saturday Night Live aired a sketch that parodied the "Miracles" music video. [18] In the sketch, fictional personalities DJ Supersoak (played by Jason Sudeikis) and Lil' Blaster (played by Nasim Pedrad) debuted a fictional music video by the Thrilla Killa Klownz called "Magical Mysteries" as part of the Under Underground Records' "Underground Rock Minute". [19] In the fictional video, Ryan Phillippe and Bobby Moynihan rap about things such as "where the sun hides at night" and how blankets work. [18] [19] Saturday Night Live had previously parodied Psychopathic Records in 2009. [16]
Insane Clown Posse called the "Miracles" parody "a huge honor". [19] Violent J called the parody "off the hook hilarious". [7] Shaggy noted that Coolio initially reacted unfavorably towards "Amish Paradise", "Weird Al" Yankovic's parody of the rapper's song "Gangsta's Paradise", and stated "If Weird Al wanted to do one of our songs, I'd be like, 'Hell yeah.' To me, it's the same thing with Saturday Night Live." [16]
The music video also appeared in the webcomic Homestuck . [20]
Adah Graham of The Detroit News disliked the song, writing that "hearing this song makes you wish ICP would stick to serial killing". [21] Slate writer Jonah Weiner praised the song's music, but panned its lyrics. [14] The A.V. Club writer Nathan Rabin described the song as "fucking insane". [22] A Chicago Tribune critic mocked the song's lyrics saying, "I'm glad that when my kids get strep throat, their doctor doesn't say, '(Bleeping) antibiotics, how do they work?'" [10] James Montgomery described the music video as "a psychedelic special effects extravaganza that is sometimes really literal... and sometimes just confusing." [23] Pitchfork included "Miracles" on their list of The Top Music Videos of 2010. [24] [16]
The song's lyric "Fucking magnets, how do they work?" became an Internet meme. The following line, "and I don't want to talk to a scientist, y'all motherfuckers lyin', and gettin' me pissed" also drew ire from scientifically-minded Internet users. Scientists created blog entries [25] to teach Insane Clown Posse fans and even did so in person. [26]
A juggalo is a fan of the hip hop group Insane Clown Posse or any other hip hop group signed to Psychopathic Records. Juggalos have developed their own idioms, slang, and characteristics. The Gathering of the Juggalos, alternatively known as just "The Gathering", is a notable annual festival held by juggalos and the artists that they support, which have included rap stars such as Busta Rhymes, Ice Cube, and MC Hammer; over its first eleven events (2000–2010), the festival drew a total attendance of about 107,500 fans, averaging nearly 9,800 per year, with a peak of 20,000 in 2010.
Riddle Box is the third studio album by the American hip hop duo Insane Clown Posse, released in 1995 on Battery Records and Island Records in association with Psychopathic Records. It is the third Joker's Card in the group's Dark Carnival mythology. It was released a second time by Battery Records and Jive Records. In 2008 it was re-released on a Riddle Box vinyl record. The album was the first Insane Clown Posse album in which the group worked with studio vocalist and guitarist Rich Murrell, who would work with the group throughout much of their career under the name Legz Diamond. It was released in four different versions, and earned a gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In 2008, Riddle Box was re-released on vinyl double LP format. In 2015, Psychopathic Records reissued the album in a 20th anniversary edition, featuring bonus tracks.
Hell's Pit is the ninth studio album by American hip hop duo Insane Clown Posse. It was released on August 31, 2004 via Psychopathic Records as a follow-up to 2002 The Wraith: Shangri-La and second half of the sixth and final Joker Card in the first Deck of the Dark Carnival mythology. Recording sessions took place at the Lotus Pod in Detroit. Production was handled by ICP themselves.
Ringmaster is the second studio album by American hip hop duo Insane Clown Posse, and their second Joker Card in the first Deck of the Dark Carnival mythology. It was originally released on January 28, 1994 via Psychopathic Records and was reissued in 1998 through Island Records. Recording sessions took place at 313 Studio in Detroit. Production was handled by Mike E. Clark and ICP themselves. It features guest appearances from Capitol E and Jumpsteady. The album's lyrics describe the leader of the Carnival, who serves as one of the judges of one's soul in the afterlife, as being created from the listener's own evils.
Dark Lotus was an American hip hop group based in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Formed in 1998 as a side project of Insane Clown Posse and Twiztid, Dark Lotus was a representative of the horrorcore subgenre. From 1998 to 2017, Dark Lotus' lineup changed multiple times, with the most consistent members of the group being Violent J, Shaggy 2 Dope, Jamie Madrox, Monoxide and Blaze Ya Dead Homie.
Psychopathic Records is an American independent record label headquartered in Farmington Hills, Michigan. The label is most associated with the hip-hop music subgenres horrorcore and rap rock. The label was founded in 1991 by Alex Abbiss and hip hop group Insane Clown Posse. The iconography of a man with a meat cleaver has been used for years as a symbol of the group, its fanbase, and its associates.
Joseph Frank Bruce, known by his stage name Violent J, is an American rapper, record producer, professional wrestler, and part of the hip hop duo Insane Clown Posse (ICP). He is a co-founder of the record label Psychopathic Records, with fellow ICP rapper Shaggy 2 Dope and their former manager, Alex Abbiss. Also along with Utsler, Bruce is the co-founder of the professional wrestling promotion Juggalo Championship Wrestling.
Joseph William Utsler, known by his stage name Shaggy 2 Dope, is an American rapper, record producer, DJ, podcast host of Shaggy and The Creep Show, and professional wrestler. He is part of the hip hop duo Insane Clown Posse. He is the co-founder of the record label Psychopathic Records, with fellow Insane Clown Posse rapper Violent J and their former manager, Alex Abbiss. Along with Bruce, Utsler is the co-founder of the professional wrestling promotion Juggalo Championship Wrestling, where he currently acts as color commentator.
The Tempest is the tenth studio album by American hip hop duo Insane Clown Posse. Released in 2007, the album marks the return of producer Mike E. Clark, who had a falling-out with the duo in 2000. However, he did not collaborate directly with ICP, and would not do so until their 2009 album Bang! Pow! Boom!
The Gathering of the Juggalos is an annual music festival put on by Psychopathic Records, featuring performances by the entire label roster as well as numerous well-known musical groups and underground artists. It was founded by Jumpsteady, Insane Clown Posse, and their label in 2000. Described by Joseph Bruce as a "Juggalo Woodstock", the Gathering of the Juggalos spans five days and includes concerts, wrestling, games, contests, autograph sessions, karaoke, and seminars with artists. Over its first eleven events (2000–2010), the festival drew a total attendance upward of 100,000 fans.
"Homies" is a song written by Insane Clown Posse, Mike Puwal and Twiztid for ICP's 2002 album The Wraith: Shangri-La. After the 1992 single "Psychopathic", "Homies" is the second single released by the group to not be produced by Mike E. Clark, who had stopped working with Psychopathic Records due to a disagreement with ICP's Joseph Bruce and Joseph Utsler. Clark later produced a remix of the song, which appeared on Forgotten Freshness Volume 4, after Clark reconciled with ICP.
The discography of Insane Clown Posse, an American hip hop duo from Delray, Detroit, composed of Joseph Bruce and Joseph Utsler, who perform under the respective personas of the wicked clowns Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope, consists of sixteen studio albums, eighty-four singles, nineteen extended plays and nineteen compilations. Music videos and collaborations are also included, as are film and television appearances and home video releases.
The Dark Carnival is a series of concept albums described by hip hop duo Insane Clown Posse in much of their discography. The concept, similar to the "heaven and hell" language of monotheistic religions, is the primary source of inspiration for Insane Clown Posse's two series of albums called Joker's Cards, each containing six albums.
Bang! Pow! Boom! is the eleventh studio album by the American hip hop group Insane Clown Posse. Released on September 1, 2009 by Psychopathic Records, it was the group's second album with producer Mike E. Clark since his return to Psychopathic Records, and the first album to focus on the Dark Carnival since the conclusion of the group's original "Joker's Cards" series. The character is the first of a set of six new Joker's Cards.
Insane Clown Posse, often abbreviated as ICP, is an American hip hop duo. Formed in Detroit in 1989, ICP's best-known lineup consists of rappers Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. Insane Clown Posse performs a style of hardcore hip hop known as horrorcore and is known for its elaborate live performances. The duo has earned two platinum and five gold albums. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the entire catalog of the group had sold 6.5 million units in the United States and Canada as of April 2007. The group has established a dedicated following called Juggalos numbering in the "tens of thousands".
Insane Clown Posse is a professional wrestling tag team currently competing in Juggalo Championship Wrestling (JCW) that consists of Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. Both members began wrestling as single competitors in 1983 in their backyard wrestling promotion Tag Team Wrestling, later renamed National All-Star Wrestling.
A Family Underground is a 2009 American documentary film written and directed by Paul Andresen. Filmed at the 2008 Gathering of the Juggalos, the film focus on the event and the Juggalo fan base. Gathering of the Juggalos is a music festival hosted by Psychopathic Records every summer. Their fan base, known as Juggalos, have become an underground musical subculture.
The Mighty Death Pop! is the twelfth studio album by Underground American hip hop group Insane Clown Posse, released on August 14, 2012. It is their second album to focus on the Dark Carnival since the conclusion of the group's original "Joker's Cards" series. The title character is the second in a set of six new Joker's Cards. It is the group's 29th overall release, and is the last album to date to feature long-time producer Mike E. Clark.
Robert Bruce is an American retired rapper and professional wrestler who would go on to become a Don for Psychopathic Records.
F.T.F.O.M.F. is the second solo studio album by American rapper Shaggy 2 Dope. It was released in 2017 through Psychopathic Records. Production was handled by DJ Clay and Shaggy 2 Dope himself. It features the lone guest appearance from Violent J. The album debuted at No. 72 on the US Billboard 200, No. 39 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, No. 18 on the Top Album Sales and topped the Independent Albums chart.
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