Insane Clown Posse Albums by Masters of Rap Horror

For a music group that has been around for more than two decades, it seems unfair to continually refer to Insane Clown Posse merch and albums as bizarre. That is however, unless the group itself openly declares its preference for the label. As the group’s name implies, they seem to love all the insanity attached to them.

ICP is presently made up of two Josephs, Bruce and Utsler. On stage, these two swap their real names for alter egos. They rap as two bad clowns Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J. The group enjoys an international reputation but they did not begin to rap under their popular personas until much later. The two formed their first group JJ Boys in the 80s together with some friends who shared an interest in wrestling.

Their initial group did not have any serious musical ambitions or dreams of selling albums in a band store but a preview of fame to come came when Bruce, Utsler and their friends formed the gang, Inner City Posse. After having had a run in with the law due to gang activities however, Bruce decided to reduce gang participation and began instead a career in wrestling. After having been disillusioned with wrestling politics though, Bruce turned to hip hop music.

In the 90s, the once Inner City Posse gang became a stage performing act. Bruce, Utsler and his brother John performed under their own Psychopathic Records. Ultimately though, they saw that they would never prosper with just gangsta rap. Too many rappers and acts were trying to get into it too.

It was after this realization that the makings of a characteristic Insane Clown Posse album started to materialize. They first settled on a new approach and genre, deciding to focus on the largely unexplored area of supernatural horror. The concept became even more defined when they decided to focus on the general dark carnival theme. This eventually led to the adoption of their current name.

The aptly named Carnival of Carnage was released in 1992. This wasn’t completely a happy event though because before the album took flight, John Utsler left the group. Nonetheless, the album was still well received. Their second release Ringmaster was even more acclaimed and got gold status for itself.

It was however, The Great Milenko, first released in 1996 under Hollywood Records that began to truly define international stardom for the group. Although the label recalled the release, it was released again under PolyGram Records and became certified platinum.

After meeting initial success, the duo went deeper into mainstream by collaborating with industry stars like Snoop Dogg and Ol’ Dirty Bastard for the album Amazing Jeckel Brothers. Their efforts paid off when the album reached the fourth spot in the Billboard chart. It now also enjoys platinum status.

From troubled beginnings, ICP is now at the top of its game boosted by a loyal fan base of Juggalos and Jugalettes. Of course, there are still those occasional problems with the law but Insane Clown Posse albums don’t seem to be losing their appeal. It all must be because of the unique direction the pair has taken.