Send in the Wikkid Clowns
Article by Bindi Lavelle

Ever had a dream that lingered? Joseph Bruce did, he dreamed of a carnival, this dream morphed his band not only into clowns, but the corner stone of the horror core genre: Insane Clown Posse.

Childhood friends Joseph Bruce and Joseph Utsler aka Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope, respectively formed the Inner City Posse in the late 80s. The pair hit the Detroit club scene and released an EP but they knew that they needed to change their musical direction order to stand out in their competitive local scene.

The concept for this new direction came from a dream Violent J had about a carnival and its performers; so the band kept the ICP initials, however changed their name to Insane Clown Posse and painted their faces like clowns.

The shift was defiantly not limited to cosmetic changes, the dream inspired a new mythology which features as the center point to all their work: the Dark Carnival.

The Dark Carnival has evolved into a quasi religious movement as the band has grown and developed, so to as the concept, which now encompasses all the members of ICP's record label Psychopathic as performers in the carnival. Each artist has a role in the carnival and a particular story to tell regarding the carnival and the entities that inhabit it.

The Insane Clown Posse have not only uses music to tell their constantly unfolding horror rock opera, they have build an empire for themselves with their own wrestling league, music festivals and of course juggalo (ICP fans) gatherings.

A simple dream has become a phenomenon