Shaggy 2 Dope of the Insane Clown Posse had a wicked fresh show at the Catch One last summer & this spring, the Southwest Strangla is making his way around the 1720 Warehouse on May 16 for his upcoming Psychopathic Soldier solo tour. He also added HEXXX to open the upcoming Los Angeles show. You can get tickets here
Source: UndergroundHipHopBlog.com
The Insane Clown Posse are a horrorcore duo from Detroit, Michigan consisting of Violent J & Shaggy 2 Dope. However, very few know that 3 other members came & went during the first 5 years of the group’s inception. Not only would The Duke of the Wicked & the Southside Strangla go on to create seminal wicked shit albums like The First 6, but they gained an extremely loyal fanbase in the process & their self-owned Psychopathic Records became an independent hip hop powerhouse as the label’s roster continued to grow. I was a bit worried about their latest album Yum Yum Bedlam given that the prelude EP Yum Yum’s Lure was panned by fans when it came out a couple Juggalo Days back but when Halloween came around, they proved me wrong with what I believe to be my 3rd favorite card in the 2nd deck. They then began a trilogy EPs last year called the Seeds of Yum Yum by letting Wicked Vic the Weed blossom during the first quarter of the year & Pug Ugly the Stink Bud at the Gathering of Dreams, but took a break to J can put out his sophomore full-length solo album Bloody Sunday on this year’s Juggalo Day & even 2 Dope’s 3rd EP The Quest for the Ultimate Groove on the 6th year anniversary of F.T.F.O.M.F. (Fuck The Fuck Off MuthaFucka). But ahead of the 6th Joker’s Card in the 2nd Deck, they’re closing out the trilogy on their 19th EP.
After the intro, the first song “Out the Sky” is a ruggedly futuristic opener produced by Chapter 17 Records/PSY in-house producer Shaggytheairhead with Violent J talking about sounding the alarm whereas “Elly May” has that old school carnival sound courtesy of none other than Mike E. Clark so both of the wicked clowns can toss the mic back & forth with one another telling the story of the titular character. “Keep on Choppin’” dives into rap rock turf as the Duke dismembers bodies while the track “Banshee” gives off a more thunderous approach instrumentally so both of them can talk about piledriving motherfuckers through a table. And until the Mike P. remix of “Something to See”, the final song “Average Joey” is a Shaggy 2 Dope solo cut with a somber boom bap beat knowing he can’t be fixed that’s on par with if not better than the material on Quest for the Ultimate Groove.
It’s been almost 3 years since the Yum Yum era began & not only would I consider WOH the Weepin’ Weirdo to be a solid closer to the Seeds of Yum Yum trilogy, but it has me anticipating the 6th & final Joker’s Card of the 2nd Deck even more. Much like Pug Ugly the Stink Bud, the production is a mix of ICP’s past & present sounds as both of the Clowns play to their strengths in the midst of reminding everyone how strong their chemistry is over 3 decades deep in the game for those who thought they were disbanding. The Yum Yum Bedlam era will always hold a special place in this reviewer’s heart because the first time I went to a Gathering was in 2021 only 2 months before the album came out on Hallowicked even though I’ve been down with Psychopathic since they were a roster full of artists in 2011 as a 14 year old outcast starting high school.
Score: 7/10
Source: UndergroundHipHopBlog.com
The Insane Clown Posse reunite from their brief solo career ventures to surprise release the brand new single “Out the Sky” produced by Chapter 17 Records & Psychopathic Records in-house producer Shaggytheairhead, who’s fresh off his most personal album Blood Sweat Tears that came out over the weekend. We hear at UndergroundHipHopBlog.Com hope our readers that will be attending the 2023 Gathering of the Juggalos have a fun time & stay safe. Make sure to also catch Shaggy 2 Dope at Catch 1 on July 28.
Source: UndergroundHipHopBlog.com
Shaggy 2 Dope is a 48 year old MC, producer, DJ, former professional wrestler & podcast host of The Shaggy Show from Detroit, Michigan who formed the Insane Clown Posse with his late older brother John Kickjazz alongside his best friend Violent J & the late Kid Villain. But for the past 3 decades, the Southwest Strangla & the Duke of the Wicked have spread the word of the Dark Carnival whether it be the first 6 Joker’s Cards or the label that runs beneath the streets Psychopathic Records. However, it is widely known that 2 Dope was the first of the Clowns to go solo with his 1994 debut EP Fuck Off! produced by Mike E. Clark as a prelude to the shelved full-length Shaggs the Clown. He eventually returned on his own in ‘06 with F.T.F.O. (Fuck the Fuck Off) & here we are on the 6 year anniversary of his DJ Clay-produced sophomore effort F.T.F.O.M.F. (Fuck the Fuck Off MuthaFucka) witnessing Stretch Nuts returning over 4 years after Gloomy Sunday by dropping his 3rd EP.
“Clown Boi” is a trap opener produced by Shaggytheairhead with Bazooka Joey talking about the only 2 words that he knows are seek & destroy whereas “Illuminati Don’t Want Me” works in some synthesizer patterns & hi-hats to make it known that he ain’t weak or snotty whatsoever which has been historically proven. “Defy” is an electro-trap hybrid talking about disobeying or resisting everything from love & hate to gravity with a fresh reference to “Stomp” off my 2nd favorite sideshow EP Tunnel of Love during the first verse just before “Done Giving a Fuck” takes a cloudier route with the title saying it all that he’s doesn’t have any fucks to give anymore.
Meanwhile, “How Ya Been” begins the final leg of the EP with a smooth trap ballad with Shaggs warmly declaring that everyone’s welcome here while the song “This Ain’t That Bitch” has an eerie vibe courtesy of his lil brother Tre Lb & a cool Carnival of Carnage title track sample during the hook calling out all the bitch boys. The penultimate track “The Quest for…” has some crazy beat switches throughout courtesy of DJ Clay & 2 Dope talking about looking for the ultimate groove of course, but then “The Ulimate Groove” ties things up with an EDM closer.
It breaks my heart to see people trying to slander the Duke’s name as a juggalo kid from Detroit & as much as I appreciated Bloody Sunday for being darker than J’s previous solo efforts, solo Shaggy never disappoints & he once again proves his point here. The production is eclectic in sound & he continues to expand on his lyrical elevation as shown on the Yum Yum Bedlam era output as phat as he’s always been. Fuck all the toxicity & drama, everything boils down to the music at the end of the day & that’s the only thing that matters to me until I’m dead in the ground.
Score: 8/10
Source: UndergroundHipHopBlog.com
The Detroit southwest strangla Shaggy 2 Dope of the Insane Clown Posse continues the roll out for his upcoming 3rd EP Professor Shaggs & the Quest for the Ultimate Groove dropping May 26 by following up last week’s lead single “Illuminati Don’t Want Me” with the 2nd teaser track “Done Giving a Fuck” produced by Shaggytheairhead once again.
Source: UndergroundHipHopBlog.com
The Detroit southwest strangla Shaggy 2 Dope of the Insane Clown Posse continues the roll out for his upcoming 3rd EP Professor Shaggs & the Quest for the Ultimate Groove dropping May 26 by following up last week’s lead single “Illuminati Don’t Want Me” with the 2nd teaser track “Done Giving a Fuck” produced by Shaggytheairhead once again.
Source: UndergroundHipHopBlog.com
Considering that the Duke of the Wicked Violent J of the Insane Clown Posse dropped his 2nd full-length solo effort Bloody Sunday on Juggalo Day a few months ago, it’s only right that the other half of the wicked clowns Shaggy 2 Dope gears up for his upcoming 3rd EP Professor Shaggs & the Quest for the Ultimate Groove dropping 3 weeks from today by unveiling the lead single “Illuminati Don’t Want Me” produced by Shaggytheairhead.
Source: UndergroundHipHopBlog.com
This is the 18th EP from Detroit horrorcore duo the Insane Clown Posse. Consisting of Violent J & Shaggy 2 Dope, but very few know that 3 other members came & went during the first 5 years of the group’s inception. Not only would The Duke of the Wicked & the Southside Strangla go on to create seminal wicked shit albums like The First 6, but they gained an extremely loyal fanbase in the process & their self-owned Psychopathic Records became an independent hip hop powerhouse as the label’s roster continued to grow. I was a bit worried about their latest album Yum Yum Bedlam given that the prelude EP Yum Yum’s Lure was panned by fans when it came out last Juggalo Day but when Halloween came around, they proved me wrong with what I believe to be my 3rd favorite card in the 2nd deck. Last we heard from them was Wicked Vic the Weed during the first quarter of the year & are now continuing the Seeds of Yum Yum trilogy in the form of Pug Ugly the Stink Bud.
“I’m Ugly” kicks off the EP with a horn-laced instrumental & Violent J describing how unattractive Pug Ugly the Stink Bud truly is whereas “Abbracadabbra” has a more carnivalesque sound to it as 2 Dope joins the Duke talking about making hoes disappear. “Pug Ugly” takes a funkier route so the Wicked Clowns can vividly describe how gross the world is just before “Scrub Gang” is a piano/hi-hat infused ballad out to all the scrubs out there. The spooky atmosphere of “I’m Afraid” is pretty cool with J & Shaggs confess their fears while the 80’s Rock Ballad” is a country rock jam that’s slightly better than their “After Murder Sunrise” loosie that came out back in March & the Mike P. remix of “Queens” is inferior to the O.G. with it’s more electronic-centered sound.
As decent of a beginning to the Seeds of Yum Yum trilogy that Wicked Vic the Weed was, I think I might like Pug Ugly the Stink Bud over here a tad bit more. The production is a refinement of the Carnival sound that the predecessor had brought back & the duo sound as focused as they did at the beginning of the year. Here’s to WOH the Weepin’ Weirdo being a potentially dark conclusion to the Yum Yum era this Halloween.
Score: 7/10
Source: UndergroundHipHopBlog.com