The WindsorStar.com has published an article detailing ICP’s crossing into the Great White North (that’s Canada) to play a Windsor show but shit, they’re playing all of Canada!
They speak a bit on the performance in Windsor but I look at it like they’re writing about the entire tour.
It’s actually a pretty dope lil’ article. They even speak to Shaggy 2 Dope which has been the norm for these Canadian articles.
They discuss Faygo, the Gathering, the fact that it has no corporate sponsors, the FBI, Violent J’s weight and more!
You can check that shit out by CLICKING HERE or check out the article below.
For tickets to that Windsor show CLICK HERE.
For a complete list of Canadian dates CLICK HERE.
Whether you’re down with them or not, Detroit rappers Insane Clown Posse are performing in downtown Windsor on Saturday night. It’s going to be the first Windsor show in 17 years for the long-running duo of Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope.
Some things to know about ICP culture, with commentary from Shaggy himself.
Michigan-made soft drink Faygo is so important to ICP’s stage show that the group has cancelled gigs rather than do without it. Anyone who attends an ICP performance can expect to be sprayed with multiple flavours of the fizzy beverage. Despite ICP’s loyalty to the brand, the Faygo company has disavowed any endorsement of the group.
Shaggy 2 Dope: “I guess the old guy that owns Faygo hates our guts … I mean, we buy it in bulk. We buy so f**king much of it, but we don’t have no special arrangement with them. The only arrangement is us giving them a lot of money for a lot of years.”
“Faygo is like the third member of ICP! That’s what we do. An ICP show is just not an ICP show without Faygo.”
The Gathering of the Juggalos — a massive annual multi-day concert party for ICP fans — is now in its 17th edition. Although the event regularly draws thousands of people (an estimated 20,000 in 2009), ICP loses money on it every time.
Shaggy 2 Dope: “The beautiful thing about it is there’s no corporate sponsors. The only sponsor is our label, Psychopathic Records. And we lose money every year. We lose our a**es every year! It’s a thing we do for Juggalos, our way of giving back.”
“I think last year, we came close to breaking even (laughs). People misconceive. They just think we make, like, millions of dollars from doing it. But that couldn’t be further from the truth … No corporations want to touch us. They never have.”
In 2011, the FBI put Juggalos on a watch list, describing them as a “loosely organized hybrid gang.” Outraged, ICP launched a lawsuit against the FBI, with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union. The legal battle continues to this day. Officially, Juggalos remain under watch for criminal activity.
Shaggy 2 Dope: “It’s still going on! It got threw out of court, we appealed, and we won a new hearing. Now they’re trying to sweep it under a rug. Instead of just saying Juggalos aren’t a gang, they just don’t come out with a gang list (laughs). We’re still fighting it. It’s a very long, very expensive process.”
Shaggy’s partner in crime, Violent J, used to be distinguishable as the rounder clown in the duo. But Shaggy says his longtime buddy has recently shed many pounds — so much so that crowd-surfing is now a possibility.
Shaggy 2 Dope: “He just lost A LOT of weight. I wouldn’t go as far as saying that he’s skinny, but he’s not fat, you know what I’m saying? He jumps out on the crowd, and I’m like ‘Whoa, what you doing, man?’ I probably would, too — but I got back issues.”
The reason ICP has not performed in Windsor since the late 1990s? Problems at the border.
Shaggy 2 Dope: “Legally, Canada wouldn’t let us in. Even before the FBI and whatever. Just because of felonies and stuff like that. But now our legal stuff has finally been worked out. We had to pay a lot, once again (laughs). More money out our pockets, to get the ministry papers or whatever they call it.”
Insane Clown Posse perform Saturday at 285 Ouellette Ave., a new live venue next door to the Boom Boom Room (315 Ouellette Ave.). Doors open 8 p.m. Opening acts include So Sick Social Club, J-Reno, Brad Shank, and more. Ticket prices start at $40, available online via www.eventbrite.ca. After-party happens at the Boom Boom Room for ticket holders only. 19 and older.
No comments yet
You must be logged in to post a comment.