This interview with ICP I am about to post is from a Rebel Ink Magazine issue that came out on 11-27-2012. This article has been covered by FLH once before, and you can view that article by clicking here. I happened to come across the full text version of the interview and more photos from this article online. I wasn’t sure how many of you actually had the chance to read the interview that Rebel Ink conducted with ICP. So I am going to post the interview and all the photos again. Remember this is an OLD interview, so don’t go running to the store looking for this issue as it will not be there.

Full Interview and Pictures from ICP in Rebel Ink’s November 2012 issue.

Insane Clown Posse – Juggalo Ink

Insane Clown Posse and their fans, affectionately known as “Juggalos,” have formed their own counterculture. When you are a make-up-wearing, rapping clown, you tend to be the voice of a disaffected generation.

As a result, ICP and the Juggalos have fostered their own way of life. That intense, reciprocal dedication undoubtedly inspires plenty of ICP tattoos. It’s also garnered the Juggalos an unfair gang classification by the FBI. But more on that in a second.

Shaggy 2 Dope, one half of ICP – who are a visual duo, thanks to their face paint and their own ink – is beyond appreciative of any and all tattoos related to his band, no matter how good or bad they are, or whether they are band logos, symbols, or images. “Even if they are a little janky-looking, just that they are there is incredible,” the rapper said. “Any ICP or Psychopathic Records tattoo is so flattering. It’s hard to express. How do you show your gratitude to someone who has you on their body for life?”

Shaggy admitted that he has seen award-winning ICP tats and ones that look like bad Polaroids, but regardless of quality, he said the bad tattoos “‘are just as flattering as a super-dope one.”

His cohort, Violent J, confirmed that, “I have ‘Detroit Juggalo’ on my forearm. Just like Juggalos, I am a Juggalo in my heart. It’s not just about being an ICP fan. Juggalos are way more involved than any fan-base in the history of rock ‘n’ roll.” That’s a big statement, but ICP have evidence of such.

About ICP-related tats, J said, “I feel not worthy at all. But musically, I get the same thing out of music that Juggalos do, so I understand it. Our Joker cards or the Hatchet Man symbol? Those images? I get that. But when it’s [tattoos of] me or Shaggy, I feel self-conscious and not worthy. The music is worthy of a tattoo. It’s the only thing I know is dope. When someone’s back is a huge mural of me and Shaggy, I don’t know what to say at that moment. I don’t have any words.”

Shaggy also said he often autographs fans’ skin, so they can turn it into a tattoo. “It happens all the time, especially at ‘in-stores,'” he revealed. “Sometimes, I’m like, ‘I can’t do that.’ It’s too fresh. I don’t want to f*ck it up with some sh*tty ass marker. Other times, you do it, since someone is insistent. I don’t feel I am worthy enough for them to get it tattooed on them. It is beyond flattering as a concept.”

Shaggy has a few ICP-related tattoos, just like his fans, boasting the duo’s aforementioned Hatchet Man symbol on his chest, “ICP” on his hands, a Dark Lotus on his hands, a Hatchet Man on his hands, and “ICP” on his sternum. He has been building his ink inventory for years, admitting, “I am not one of those guys who just got covered in the past two years. I have been getting them for the last 18 years.”

He has no regrets either, saying, “They hold value to me, and remind me of a different point in my life. I don’t know if I have a favorite. I would not get it in the first place if it was whack. I won’t get them covered. I got them and that’s that.” Well, not 100-percent. He confessed, “I do have the ever-dreaded ex-wife [name] that I am covering up.” We’ll give him a pass on that one.

Violent J’s tattoos are admittedly “prison-style.” “They are just words. I don’t have a lot of art.” He shared the story of his first piece of ink, which is touching and reveals his philosophy of life. “The first that I got, believe or not, was a butterfly,” he said with a laugh. “That sounds funny, but there is a story behind it. When we were young, me and my brother captured a butterfly in a jar. We said we’d let it out in the morning, but it died, even though we left fans on it. We made a vow that we’d make it to heaven so we could apologize to the butterfly. That sounds like something a kid would say. It’s pure and innocent. That’s why we dedicate all of our albums to the butterfly. I never want to forget it. I became a product of the world, so the idea becomes more ridiculous. I may have known more then than I know now.” Poignant, indeed.  J also sports his initials on one set of knuckles and his brother’s on the other set. He has his sister’s initials on his wrist.

He admitted he was irritated when watching a reality tattoo show where someone got a Hatchet Man covered up. “Even if you’ve moved on, why cover that up? If you had three or four years as a Juggalo, but went off to college and got into something else, it doesn’t mean ‘F*ck Juggalos.’ I don’t like when people cover up, unless it’s an ex-wife. That I can understand,” he said.

Tattoos and artists are part of the band’s annual Gathering of the Juggalos, a multi-tiered event that’s part-concert, part-circus, part-carnival, in a good way. Shaggy doesn’t get inked at the Gathering, simply because, “I am always busy. I am really busy, doing this and doing that. I would like to, though.” He and J don’t choose the artists who participate at the Gathering; they leave that up to their people who help organize the event, since it involves permits and such.

Shaggy addressed the previously mentioned notion of Juggalos being labeled a “gang,” saying, “It’s puzzling to us since that sh*t happened. It’s not about us. It’s not about culture. To get labeled that is just amazingly whack. See a group of kids rocking Hatchet Men and ICP shirts? They don’t know what to call it, so they call it gang. That is f*cked up. They target us. Retailers don’t buy some of our merch, so they are not seen as pedaling gang swag. That is crazy.”

Violent J concurred: “I think that is the biggest and most cold-blooded thing to happen to any band. That’s saying that our concerts are gang rallies? Merchandise is gang apparel? It says so much to so many people who are on probation or parole. If they have the Hatchet Man on them, it’s assumed to be gang affiliation? It’s utter bullsh*t. It’s an attempt to kill us.”

It’s ironic that the Juggalos are mis-termed a “gang,” since at the Gathering – held at Cave In Rock in the middle of absolutely nowhere, Illinois – where cell service is minimal, something spectacular and unexpected happens. The band chose this remote location not to engage in gang activities or virgin sacrifices, but because, as Shaggy says, “It is a privately owned campground. There are no police allowed. We hire security, not big, thick-necked f*ckers trying to be fake police. There are no serious fights. There are some scuffles, which you have to expect with that many people, but it’s never out of control.” The clowns are forced to ask: If they were promoting gang warfare and behavior, how could they stage a peaceful and successful annual event?

Cover of Issue #22

Websites:

• Celebrity Ink: Insane Clown Posse