A juggalo (feminine juggalette, or juggala in Spanish) [1] 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. [2] The Gathering of the Juggalos, [3] 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),[ needs update ] 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. [4]
The term juggalo originated during a 1994 live performance by Insane Clown Posse. During the song "The Juggla", Violent J addressed the audience as Juggalos, and the positive response resulted in Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope using the word thereafter to refer to themselves and their friends, family, and fans, including other Psychopathic Records artists. [5] The fanbase boomed following the release of their third album, Riddle Box , in 1995, leading Insane Clown Posse to write the songs "What Is a Juggalo?" and "Down With the Clown" for their 1997 album The Great Milenko . [6]
The roots music journal No Depression classified Juggalos as "goth clowns", as well as "a true community of music-lovers with a strange and warped view of today’s music scene and a strong connection to modern hillbilly culture." [7] According to Shaggy 2 Dope, "[Juggalos come] from all walks of life – from poverty, from rich, from all religions, all colors. ... It doesn't matter if you're born with a silver spoon in your mouth, or a crack rock in your mouth." [8] Juggalos have compared themselves to a family. [9] [10] However, the subculture is most predominant in rural North America. [7]
Common characteristics of identifying a member of the Juggalo subculture are as follows:
Juggalos view the lyrics of Psychopathic Records artists, which are often violent, as a catharsis for aggression. [13] [14]
Many characteristics of the Juggalo culture originated in the 1980s, when Joseph Bruce (Violent J) and his family were living in poverty. He and his brother Robert received all their clothes from rummage sales, and their food from canned food drives held at their school. [15] Due to their poverty, the Bruce Brothers were the butt of many jokes in school. However, the brothers were not ashamed of their living standards and instead embraced them. [15] Joe even made a name for themselves, Floobs. [15] According to Joe, a Floob was essentially a scrub, but not just an ordinary scrub. A Floob "wore the same old shoes and shitty clothes from rummage sales ... but ... didn't even have to be cool. [Floobs] turned [their] scrubbiness into something [they] could be proud of." [15] Though Joe only specifically names himself and his brother as Floobs, he alludes to other Floobs whom he had not met or known of, but were living in the same conditions as he and his brother; the respect that Floobs had for each other and their family-like embrace of likewise people influenced the philosophy held among Juggalos. [15]
Since 2008, Florida Juggalos organized The Juggalo Cleanup Crew to pick up trash for the Dead Stephanie Memorial Cleanup, in honor of Stephanie Harris, a high school student who died of diabetes in 2008. [16] [17]
In Buffalo, New York, a group of Juggalos formed the Juggalos outreach program and started cleaning up Buffalo's East Side. [18] In addition to the community cleanup they run Hatchet House which operates a 24/7 helpline referring community members in crises to services and serves as a base of operations for volunteer work and community service programs. [19]
Juggalos in Denver, Colorado, founded the charitable organization Juggalos Making A Difference. [20]
Although the Juggalo subculture stems from the horrorcore subgenre of the general hip hop music fandom, criminal and gang-related activity has been attributed to self-described 'Juggalos' in recent years,[ when? ] including assaults, [21] [22] [23] drug trafficking, [21] [22] vandalism, [21] burglary, [22] shootings, [22] theft, [21] [22] robbery, [22] and numerous murders. [21] [24] [25] [26]
According to a 2011 National Gang Intelligence Center report, the Juggalo subculture is split between violent and nonviolent factions. Some members of the Juggalos street gang even look down on non-criminal Juggalos, considering them to be weak, [21] and criminal Juggalo gangs have committed attacks on non-gang-related Juggalos. [27] Both Juggalo gang affiliates and nonviolent Juggalos believe in the Juggalo "family." However, some nonviolent Juggalos do not believe that any gang-related activity should be associated with the Juggalo lifestyle. [21]
The Insane Clown Posse filed a lawsuit against the FBI about the gang-listing. [28] In December 2012, ICP agreed to withdraw their involvement as plaintiffs. [29]
Psychopathic Records launched the website juggalosfightback.com for fans to submit stories about unfair treatment by law enforcement. ICP hopes to use these stories in their legal battle to declassify Juggalos as a gang. [30]
The classification of Juggalos as a criminal gang was ridiculed by the technology magazine Wired in a November 2011 article, with journalist Spencer Ackerman referring to previous scandals involving FBI harassment of Muslim-Americans. [31]
On January 8, 2014, Insane Clown Posse along with the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan filed suit again against the FBI. The suit aims to have Juggalos no longer considered to be a gang and to have any "criminal intelligence information" about Juggalos destroyed. [32]
The Gathering of the Juggalos (The Gathering or GOTJ) is an annual festival put on by Psychopathic Records, featuring performances by the entire label as well as numerous well-known musical groups and underground artists. It was founded by Robert Bruce, Insane Clown Posse, and its label in 2000. The Gathering has featured bands of a variety of genres within hip hop and rock, though the majority of the acts perform horrorcore and hardcore hip hop, similar to that of Psychopathic Records artists. [33] [34]
Described by Joseph Bruce as a "Juggalo Woodstock", [33] the Gathering of the Juggalos spans four days and includes concerts, wrestling, games, contests, autograph sessions, karaoke, and seminars with artists. According to the roots music journal No Depression, the event displays the Juggalo culture's connection to hillbilly culture, by featuring "backyard wrestling, Wild West imagery, county fair performers like Naughty by Nature and Gallagher [and] acres and acres of white guys [wearing wife beater shirts] getting high." [7] Over its first eleven events, the festival has drawn an attendance of about 107,500 fans. [4]
In July 2012, the media organization Vice released American Juggalo, a twenty-minute film documenting the festival, through their subsidiary music channel, Noisey. Sean Dunne directed the work. [35]
On August 9, 2013, 24-year-old Cory Collins died at the festival, following three more deaths at previous festivals. [36]
In 2012, Shaggy and Violent J created the annual Juggalo Day, a yearly event to thank and celebrate its fans. [37]
2013 started the album shows, playing a joker card album from front to back. 2013 was the "Riddle Box Show" in Detroit. [38]
2014 was the "Great Milenko Show" in Columbus, Ohio. [39]
2015 had the free concert called "Take Me Home" at the Detroit Masonic Temple. [40]
Psychopathic Records launched the professional wrestling company Juggalo Championship Wrestling in 1999.
In 2009, Psychopathic Video filmed a documentary about Juggalos entitled A Family Underground . [41] [42] [43]
Mainstream media has also made references to the Juggalo subculture. In 2009, television sketch comedy Saturday Night Live began a reoccurring series of sketches about the "Kickspit Underground Rock Festival" which parodies Juggalos and the Gathering of the Juggalos. [44] [45] The following year, the television show It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia featured a Juggalo character in the episode "Dee Reynolds: Shaping America’s Youth". [46] In 2011, the television show Workaholics aired an episode called "Straight Up Juggahos" that revolved around Juggalos and an Insane Clown Posse concert. [47] Later that year, an independent documentary entitled American Juggalo was released. [48] Gathering Prey, the 2015 crime novel in the Lucas Davenport series by John Sandford, features a villain named Pilate who, with his disciples, are Juggalos. Much of the book takes place at the Gathering of the Juggalos. [49] The 2018 Film Family includes characters that identify as Juggalos and a pivotal scene takes place at a Gathering of the Juggalos.
Several celebrities and other well-known figures have identified themselves as Juggalos. These include actors Kane Hodder [50] and Charlie Sheen; [51] professional wrestlers Kazushige Nosawa, [52] Vampiro, [53] Colt Cabana, [54] and Willie Mack; [55] and rappers Chuck D, [56] Coolio, [57] Kung Fu Vampire, [58] MURS, [59] MC Lars [60] and Vanilla Ice. [61]
The Wraith: Shangri-La is the eighth studio album by American hip hop group Insane Clown Posse, released on November 5, 2002, by Psychopathic Records. Recording sessions for the album took place in 2002 at multiple recording studios throughout the United States. The album is the first of two albums representing the sixth Joker's Card in the group's Dark Carnival mythology. The album's lyrics describe the titular Wraith's exhibition of heaven.
Carnival of Carnage is the debut studio album by American hip hop group Insane Clown Posse, released on October 18, 1992, by Psychopathic Records.
Riddle Box is the third studio album by the American hip hop duo Insane Clown Posse, released in 1996 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.
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.
Forgotten Freshness is a rarities album by American hip hop group Insane Clown Posse. Released in 1995, the album features unreleased and "lost" tracks that are harder to find elsewhere.
Jamie Michael Spaniolo, known professionally as Jamie Madrox, is an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan, and performs as a member of the hip hop groups Twiztid and House of Krazees. Spaniolo's stage name is a reference to Marvel Comics's character Multiple Man.
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.
Beverly Kills 50187 is the first EP by American hip hop group Insane Clown Posse, released in 1993 by Psychopathic Records. It is the first "sideshow" entry in the group's Dark Carnival saga. The group felt that they should release EPs in between their studio albums during the Dark Carnival saga, in order to build and satisfy their fanbase. It is the 2nd overall release by Insane Clown Posse.
Juggalo Championship Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion founded in 1999 by Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope, better known as the hip-hop duo Insane Clown Posse. JCW currently runs shows throughout the country. The video games Backyard Wrestling: Don't Try This at Home and Backyard Wrestling 2: There Goes the Neighborhood feature numerous independent wrestlers from the promotion.
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 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.
Tales from the Lotus Pod is the first album by American hip hop group Dark Lotus. Released on July 17, 2001, the album featured the only appearance of former member Marz, who was soon dismissed from the group. This was the first Insane Clown Posse/Twiztid related album to be released after their label Psychopathic Records left Island Records.
Paul Robert Methric is an American rapper and producer from Detroit, Michigan, also known as Monoxide Child of the rap group Twiztid.
"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.
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.
Robert Bruce is an American retired rapper and professional wrestler who would go on to become a Don for Psychopathic Records.
Juggalo gangs are a group using the name and associated imagery from Juggalo culture, dedicated fans of the hip hop group Insane Clown Posse or any other Psychopathic Records artist. As a result, Juggalos have been classified as a criminal street gang by government and law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National Gang Intelligence Center, and the states of Arizona, California, Pennsylvania, and Utah. Juggalo gang sets have been documented by law enforcement in at least 21 states, including those that do not recognize Juggalos as a gang at the state level.
I'm a Juggalo. I have been for a while.
Yeah I'm a Juggalo.