It really is remarkable if you think about it. The story of the "Insane Clown Posse", perhaps the ultimate tale of triumph for the underdog. Detroit's Violent Jay (Joseph Bruce) & Shaggy 2 Dope (Joseph Ustler), known together as "ICP", have surpassed everyone's expectations and overcome incredible obstacles to get where they are today. Not only have they sold multiple platinum albums with virtually no radio play or MTV video, but they've created their own record label (Psychopathic records), a wrestling league (Juggalo Championship Wrestling) and a full length motion picture. But it's their fans that set the them apart from the rest. Loyal to the end, and more like a family than groupies. It's the "Juggalos" that prove that I.C.P - love 'em or hate 'em - are a clearcut example of success, and they built it all from the ground up. And as the group begins a new era in their rap legacy with the release of the '6th and final jokers card “The Wraith” “Shangri-La"', Publicity Whore sat down with Shaggy 2 Dope to set the record straight on Detroit's REAL players.


............... Those Publicity Whore Dudes are f'n Crazy!!!...........

 

P.W: OK Shaggy, we've been hearing a lot about the new album. As it's about to drop, what are your thoughts on it?

Shaggy2dope: This is the best we have to offer, we know our older fans are going to be really into it. Right now hopefully we can recruit some new fans to dig our shit - bring in some new Juggalos.

P.W: Where did the term Juggalo come from?

Shaggy2dope: Really the term came from around our second record. It’s not like Slipknot who calls their fans Maggots. We don’t degrade the people who listen to our shit. We're Juggalos man, we're outside freaks. Our fans are just scrubby mother fuckers like us.

"Shaggy, ya gotta especially love those freaky Juggalettes!"

P.W: How did you and Jay meet?

Shaggy2dope: Man we’ve know each other forever. I’ve known Jay since we were both shitting logs in our pants. Now for I.C.P, well, "Insane Clown Posse" came from the "Inner City Posse" - until 1991 when Joseph Bruce (a.k.a Violent Jay) had a dream about the “Dark Carnival". The rest is history. We’ve been around for ten fucking years and have grown an army of "ninjas", who are 'down with the clown'. We recently did a bunch of Haunted Houses and we didn’t get paid shit. Why’d we do it? To bring the Juggalos together. To us ICP is about bringing Juggalos together, it’s a beautiful thing.

P.W: How does ICP and your 'original family' of Juggalo’s respond to outsiders & new Juggalos?

Shaggy2dope: It doesn't matter at what point you join the “Dark Carnival”, just as long as your 'down with the clown'. Everyone comes along at some point. Some have been with us since the beginning, some came along at “The Great Milenko (our fourth album). People listen to our records and, ya, there is a lot of swearing, but that is the language that the Juggalos speak. There is way more to ICP than what’s on the surface.

P.W: Do you feel a sense of responsibility to your fans because they hold you in such high regard?

Shaggy2dope: No, because we're both on the same level. You wanna know brother why our fans relate to us so well? It's because we don’t wanna be put on a pedestal. We don’t wanna be celebrities, and the “Juggalos” know that. It's because we are performing not to be in the spotlight, but for the “Juggalos”.

 

P.W: Do any of your fanatical fans freak you out at times?

Shaggy2dope: No, because I would do anything for them as they’d do for me. I mean there are crazy fans out there, but just because they're crazy doesn’t mean I don’t have love for them.

Getting ready to spray some Faygo!

P.W: Is there ever violence between the Juggalos?

Shaggy2dope: We had 10,000 Juggalos at our last gathering and not one fight broke out between the Juggalos. Even if you're not a Juggalo, no one is going to fuck with you at one of our shows. To me the ability for some cool mo-fo who's not a Juggalo to show up and not get fucked with, brother, that is beauty in the purest form.

P.W: Who are the musical influences for ICP?

Shaggy2dope: What’s so cool about ICP is that our musical tastes are completely different. Jay’s a total rocker and I’m totally into rap. Our record is set up more as a rock record. There will be a verse- chorus-bridge-verse. It’s crazy, but it comes together so fucking good. I mean Jay may be bumping some Pearl Jam in the back of the bus while I’m bumping my Nas upfront. But when we get together in the studio and put the rap and rock together - it just clicks.

"Hey kids fuck Scooby tell moms to buy you the dope ICP shit."

P.W: Everyone wants to know about the Eminem feud, how did it start & do you guys really not get along? W hat do you think of him as an artist?

Shaggy2dope: To be honest I am sick of hearing about the Eminem feud. We had our beef, right now it’s not a big concern. I’m not going to knock him as an artist, he’s got mad skills. He’s just a bitch as a person. He straight up hit the lottery. He gave his demo to the right person and struck gold. This is how it all started. There were three groups in the Detroit scene: 'ICP', Kid Rock and Esham. There is a club in Detroit where we used to perform called St. Andrews Hall, and Eminem was chillin and showed us a flyer for his release party for the “Slim Shady EP”. On the bottom of the flyer our name was there with a question mark '?'. Jay and I were like, “why is our name on the flyer?” Eminem responded, “Well I wasn’t sure if you guys were going to show up or not.”

He never even asked us & just put it on there. We told him to get the fuck away & thought it was a pretty shitty thing to do. I mean, he could have asked us first ya know. Supposedly he used to even come to our shows. Then we heard him on the radio spouting, “fuck ICP buy my C.D.” So we fucked with him back by making a parody of “Slim Shady”, called “Slim Anus.” Well, it just snowballed from there.

P.W: What has the impact been for ICP from the media coverage you've gotten, especially from the Howard Stern appearances?

Shaggy2dope: We did Howard ten or fifteen times, so definitely mother-fuckers have heard of us. I mean everyone knows who 'ICP' is, but are they all fans? No. But we have gotten people calling us on the show and giving us love so that really has been the best part.

P.W: What’s your favorite city to perform in?

Shaggy2dope: Man cities become a blur on tour. I would say Dallas is off the hook, Phoenix is also cool. But I have to say after seeing all the Juggalo love, I have mad respect for L.A.

P.W: On track 17 'The Unveiling' of “Shangri-La” , you talk about God. Are you talking about organized religion, or God as every individual “Juggalo” defines it?

Shaggy2dope: God is in your heart man. In my definition it doesn’t matter what creed, religion or group you belong to. If you’re doing what’s right and are a good person - then you're right with god.

"Thy light from Shangri-La."

P.W: So what’s in the future for ICP?

Shaggy2dope: Well for one thing there is a “Backyard Wrestling” video game coming out where you can pick Jay and I as characters. I think we're about to really blow-up.

P.W: Any closing words Shaggy?

Shaggy2dope: I gotta say man, you have to step back and see what you’ve got instead of bitching about what you don’t. I mean, I’m about to meet Juggalos in Arizona and I’m from Detroit. Knowing that there are Juggalos all over the country - that’s really the greatest thing of all. I got everything I have ever wanted man. Right now brother - it's raining Diamonds.

Wanna learn more about ICP?

www.insaneclownposse.com

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