Insane Clown Posse

The Insane Clown Posse (ICP) are a two-piece horrorcore rap group from suburban Detroit, consisting of Violent J (Joseph Bruce) and Shaggy 2 Dope (Joseph Utsler). The group almost always professionally display themselves in full black and white "evil clown" makeup that could be compared to the corpse paint of black metal musicians or the makeup of the rock group KISS. Violent J's makeup is usually drawn as a smiling face, while Shaggy's is an angry face. The group are also well known for antics such as dousing the audience with Faygo–brand soda at their shows.

The six Joker's Cards

In 1992, ICP released Carnival of Carnage, which they designated "The First Joker's Card". The group hinted at the next five major-release albums being numbered in this fashion. They also stated that "the end of time will consume us all" once the Sixth Joker's Card is revealed and that their fans would know all there is to know about The Dark Carnival (alternatively referred-to as "The Dead Carnival" on The Riddlebox)— something the band refers to on every album as a powerful force which has spoken to them and is directly opposed to the Devil. In ICP's songs, the Dark Carnival often takes the shape of a travelling carnival road-show, where instead of harmless entertainment, the clowns and rides serve up death and pain as punishment for the wicked.

Related Topics:
1992 - The Dark Carnival - The Riddlebox - The Devil

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The title and theme for each Joker's Card reveals a different "face" of the Dark Carnival, directing the listener to confront both the sins and mortality of themselves and the world, in the form of fables about the Jokers' purpose within the Carnival. For example, The Great Milenko, a magician, represents the illusions which people may present themselves in order to justify their actions. The Amazing Jeckel Brothers appear upon one's death and juggle fireballs, one for every sin committed in one's life. Jack represents one's evil spirit while Jake represents one's good spirit. If Jake drops any one ball thrown to him by Jack, then the newly-departed is banished to Hell. This concept of inner-duality is expanded-upon in the Sixth Joker's Card.

Related Topics:
The Great Milenko - The Amazing Jeckel Brothers

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The Sixth Joker's Card

As explained by Violent J: "There is one Sixth Joker's Card, but there are two versions." While the face of the Sixth Joker's Card is "The Wraith" (or simply Death), The Wraith has two "exhibits" to present to all who will listen, ' (Heaven) and '. Each of The Wraith's exhibits was given its own album. It is up to each listener, ICP claims, to decide which version of "The Wraith" is the correct one.

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In November 2002, ten years after the first Joker's Card was released, in the final track of , ICP revealed their big secret — that nearly all the songs they wrote were masked with subliminal messages that have been pointing to one thing: "Truth is, we follow God, we've always been behind Him. The Carnival is God, and may all Juggalos find Him! We're not sorry if we tricked you. We don't care what happens now."

Related Topics:
2002 - Subliminal message - God

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Alternatively, the very first words spoken by ICP in ', released in 2004, are "Welcome to Hell. Why did you choose this?"

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ICP's ultimate message to the world, it seems, is that we all have a choice as to where we will spend our afterlife, and that choice is made with every right and wrong deed one does in one's life. The choice of preference between The Wraith: Shangri-La and The Wraith: Hell's Pit appears to be a metaphor for that decision.

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