Yesterday, we were approached by a journalist named Ryan Lewis who wanted to share an article that he wrote about the Gathering of the Juggalos.  In it, he references highlights of Gatherings’ past, makes mention of artists performing this year, and showcases some of the reasons you should come out to party with the family!

We really hope you enjoy this recap of some of Ryan’s favorite acts. Take a minute to check out the survey in the second paragraph if you want to learn more about how people use music to set the mood and how you compare with the rest of the respondents. So now, give this a quick read and tell us what you think

The Gathering gets Buck Wild with something for Everyone!

Some folks swear by the holy trinity of sex, drugs, and rock and roll, and if that’s your thing, you may find yourself at the crossroads of all three in Legend Valley, Ohio at the annual Gathering of the Juggalos. This year marks the sixteenth annual iteration of the now legendary festival spearheaded by everyone’s favorite psychopathic sideshow freaks, Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope, better known as the Insane Clown Posse.

This sweet 16 is the second year away from its old home at Cave-in-Rock, Ill., but the move has done nothing to discourage fans from finding their way to the Gathering and partaking in the all-you-can eat buffet of music, comedians, video games, wrestling and much more. In looking at how people combine sex, drugs, and rock and roll in their own lives, a survey by AdamEve.com found that only 48 percent of those polled drink or take drugs prior to getting down but even weirder is that only 39 percent of those polled enjoyed putting on some tunes between the sheets and if there’s one thing for sure, the fans at the Gathering are all about music. Ultimately though, the festival is about fun, family and Faygo so even straight edge fans can find themselves accepted and comfortable with people of all kinds at one of the world’s biggest “family” reunions.

While the line-up for 2015’s Gathering isn’t out yet, the last few bills clearly show that all us ninjas are definitely in for a treat at “The Year of the Juggalo.” Here are a few of our favorite acts to pop the Faygo and grace the stage at the dark carnival of souls.

Andrew W.K
If there’s one thing Juggalos are known for, it’s being down to party—and there are few performers out there more about a party than Andrew W.K. The all-white-wearing wild man is loud and fun enough to fit right in with the Faygo fanatics at the Gathering. He also brings a little humor, positivity, and variety to a line-up that can get a bit heavy after a long day.

Ice Cube
Ice Cube may not be for the pop charts but he’s definitely down with the clown. Sure, he’s more focused on his movie career these days and got a little soft in his old age, but that doesn’t change the fact that his first three albums are all stone-cold classics. It’s so rare that Cube gets on the stage at all anymore that any chance to see the man actually rap is worth the time.

Method Man & Redman
Method Man and Redman, stars of “How High” and former sponsors of Right Guard deodorant, are easily one of the best hip-hop duos in the game. Anytime the two get together on stage is sure to be a blast. The two have a chemistry that few other MCs can match, and both have such deep catalogs that it’s guaranteed you’re going to hear nothing but hits. To quote Redman, this crew gets “more love than Wimbledon” and there’s a good reason for that.

Geto Boys
There are few rap trios as revered and reviled as the Geto Boys. The unholy trinity of Scarface, Bushwick Bill, and Willie D are the most terrifying trio in the game and spit some of the hardest rhymes ever heard. They practically invented many of the styles of horrorcore hip-hop and even did collaborations with ICP themselves. They’re also still going hard today. “[They are] our favorite, most-inspiring group ever,” said Violent J to Fuse TV. It must feel good to be a gangsta.

Ol’ Dirty Bastard
Rest in peace, Dirty. Old school ninjas that have been at the Gathering long enough were blessed to see one of Dirt McGirt’s final performance at the 2004 festival before his death in November of that year. ODB was one of the greatest the world had ever seen and no one can touch his ridiculous rhymes or radical style. Often imitated but never recreated, Big Baby Jesus easily takes the top spot in a list filled with legends. ODB is for the children.

We know that there are really just too many amazing acts at the Gathering every year to try and nail down our absolute favorites. With 15 years under their (heavyweight wrestling championship) belts, ICP has consistently brought together some of the hottest names in hip-hop and the super psycho sweet 16 is sure to be no exception having already confirmed the likes of Tech N9ne, Hopsin, Flosstradamus and more. This is particularly good news for Hopsin as according to Noisey the rapper recently racked up a more than $6,000 phone bill by giving out his number on social media so he could definitely use the extra cash. Atlanta trap-star Waka Flaka Flame has also been recently announced and will be going hard in the paint this July so you can only imagine what other surprises those psycho clowns have cooked up. Keep an eye on Juggalogathering.com for more breaking news and line-up additions.

Contributors:

• Ryan Lewis