Did you hear that slamming noise?  That must have been the sound of your mind being closed.  I honestly don’t expect a positive reaction from this article, but this is a band that truly fascinates me.  I don’t think that I know of any other band that is so loved and hated at the same time.  I’m also unaware of any band that has fought more of an uphill battle to succeed.  I hope that if you choose to follow me in this discussion, that you will proceed with an open mind.  I’ve seen discussions about ICP get really heated really fast, so try to leave your emotions out of it.

Proceed Only With An Open Mind

As the self proclaimed “Most Hated Band In The World”, they seem to feed off of the hatred that comes their way.  After all, we’re talking about a band who purchased advertising time on MTV, just so that they could announce with pride about their notable absence from the music video rotation.  I’m not going to go too much into detail about Insane Clown Posse’s nearly two decade long career.  Quite frankly there’s just way too much information, and you, the reader, probably already know about it, or would get bored reading it, so I’m only going to touch on the key points here.

Subject Matter

The thing about ICP is that they are storytellers, more so than they are musicians, and they tap into the very basic emotions that make us human.  Anger, Fear, Lust, Faith, the acts of rebellion and anti-authority.

Anger: Songs about enacting violence against other people.  We’ve all wanted to hurt another person before.  By listening to the violence in music form, the listener is able to have a non violent release.

Fear: There’s also the other angle of violence.  A lot of their music puts the listener in the point of view of someone in a horror movie.  Subject matter ranging from homicidal boogiemen to horrible thunderstorms help to please those people who enjoy being scared.

Lust: Just about every single ICP album has at least one song that glorifies sex.  Say what you want, but sex sells, and it’s because it’s a subject that everyone has an emotional response to.

Faith: Arguably the strongest component of their music, ICP has made a career out of introducing the concept of faith to an entire generation of young people.  Faith is a very basic factor of the human mind, and they have plenty of themes and songs about it.

But Why Do People Hate Them?

ICP’s subject matter is among some of the most complex in the entire industry.  Sometimes it amazes me how many people hate them.  My theory is that the people who hate Insane Clown Posse tend to fall into one of two groups,

  • The first of which refuse to accept such simple concepts, and dismiss ICP as music for people of low intelligence.

  • The second group of haters is the one who are turned off by their musical skills, or lack thereof.  Even some of the most dedicated of juggalos (ICP fans) will admit that ICP’s strong points are not their musical talents.

The fact that two so called “talentless” dudes with marginal talent can go on to generate multiple gold and platinum albums and sell out venues coast to coast, may not sit well with some people who are stuck in a 9 to 5 job that they hate.  Not to mention that this hate is usually magnified when these people are, themselves, struggling artists.

You Can Learn From Their Success!

It’s this success that I want you to focus on.  ICP has always fought an uphill battle.  Starting out in 1990, before it was “okay” to be a white rapper, they were told that in order to be successful, they needed to lose the face paint and the violent lyrics.  After selling a million copies of their album “The Great Milenko” people told them that the only reason they got any success was because of the face paint and violent lyrics.  A lot of people simply refuse to believe that something like Insane Clown Posse can make money.

But it can.  The number one reason for ICP’s success was their determination to succeed.  They simply made failure out to NOT be an option.  Because no record label would sign them, they created their own label, Psychopathic Records.  They woke up every single day, and made their career the most important thing in the world.  They got out there, and handed out flyers and demo tapes left and right.  They went and personally earned each and every fan that they had, and sold out local theaters, eventually attracting the attention of a few record labels.

You Can Learn From Their Work Ethic Too!

Another thing to note is their work ethic.  Since 1992, they have put out, at the very least, one album a year.  This is in addition to countless side projects, movies, singles, collaborations, and launching the careers of Twiztid, Blaze Ya Dead Homie, Anybody Killa, Axe Murder Boyz, and Boondox.  Nobody else in the entertainment industry has worked as hard as ICP to keep their fans happy, and to provide value in the form of entertainment.  If you can’t think of any other reason to respect them, at least respect their work ethic.

Having been in the business for almost 20 years, ICP will not hesitate to tell you that being independent is the way to go.  Stop waiting for a handout, and go make your own success.  If you hate Insane Clown Posse, then this story should be even more inspirational for you than for others.  All it takes to be highly successful is an unwavering determination to make it happen, and the ability to network with people.  Put your product into the hands of your target audience, and let them spread the word.  Stop waiting for something to change in your life, and make the change yourself.