The Most Hated Band In The World

I remember first seeing the letters "ICP" spray-painted on walls in Detroit and it's suburbs. I remember thinking, "what the hell is ICP and why do I keep seeing those letters everywhere?". It was the early 90's.

I found out they were a couple of local white guys named Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope who painted their faces like clowns and rapped. Back then, white guys from the suburbs of Detroit weren't supposed to be rappers. All the rappers I listened to at the time were black gangsters from South Central or New York City. White guys from Detroit dressing up like clowns? My first reaction was to think they suck. Without hearing a single second of their music, I hated ICP.

Then one day at school, I decided to trade a cassette tape of NWA's 100 Hundred Miles And Runnin' to a kid for ICP's Carnival Of Carnage. The only reason I made the trade was because I had doubles of the NWA tape. I took the ICP tape home and finally listened to this group that I had hated for no reason other than I thought they were stupid. I loved what I heard.

I remember feeling dumb about hating something even though I had no idea what it was. That's the definition of ignorance. 20 years later, ICP is the world's most hated band. I've also noticed over the years that most people who hate them are just like I was in 9th grade. They hate ICP even though they've never listened to any of their music! They just hate the idea of ICP. I've converted a lot of friends over the years to being fans simply by playing some of their music for them. Bottom line, ICP's music is hilarious.

I think it's time they finally get their due respect from the mainstream media, that's one reason why I'm writing this blog. ICP has sold over 11 million albums with the help of absolutely NO radio or video airplay. How can people not respect that?

On August 14th, ICP will release their new album The Mighty Death Pop. The album will be available in 3 versions, Red Pop, Black Pop and White Pop. Red Pop comes with an additional album of covers performed by ICP. They cover songs like "Jump Around" by House Of Pain, "Mind Playing Tricks On Me" by Geto Boys, "Beautiful" by Christina Aguilera, "Shout" by Tears For Fears and many others. Again, how can people hate these guys?

The Black Pop version features an additional album that contains just one song...a 64 minute song called Freaky Tales that is a tribute to Too Short's Freaky Tales. One 64 minute sex rhyme ho track. Awesome! The White Pop version contains an additional album of outtakes and collabos. ICP teams up for songs with Fred Durst, Kottonmouth Kings, Three 6 Mafia and others.

The first single from The Mighty Death Pop is a song called "Chris Benoit", yeah the wrestler who freaked out and killed his wife and kid and then himself. Violent J told freep.com that the song is about the "loss of sanity".

Many will continue to hate ICP and that's fine, but from the annual Gathering Of The Juggalos to their own wrestling promotion to the fact that they seem to provide more for their fans than anybody else in music, I'll continue being a fan...or Juggalo.

Oh yeah, because I am entertained by ICP's unique music, the FBI considers me to be a member of one of the nation's most dangerous street gangs. Hahahaha.

Shaffee