Early this morning Mad Man Pondo shared a couple of articles that came out about he and Violent J‘s time in Japan.  These articles actually have some news sprinkled throughout them.  For instance, one of them says that ICP will record from January – March of this year, drop the album in the summer, and then go on their Farewell Tour after that!

He also dives deep into his love for wrestling, working with Billy Corgan, his early wrestling and music career, and so much more!

The articles were released in Japanese, so I used Google Translate to translate them.  Some of this shit is ROUGH, but you get the general idea of what is being said.  Check both articles out below.

From News.Yahoo.co.jp:

Hip-Hop’s “Crazy Clown” Violent J (I.C.P.) came to Japan for the first time. Participated in Dai Japan Pro Wrestling

In the new spring of 2024, “crazy clowns” will attack Japan!

Insane Clown Posse (I.C.P.) is a hip-hop duo from Detroit. Formed in 1989 by Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope, they got their big break with hardcore rap and horror-inspired paint. The album The Great Milenko (1997) was a mega hit in the United States, selling 1.7 million copies. His live performances, which include lyrics of everything from erotica to violence, zombies roaming around, and throwing a huge amount of soda drinks, have gained a reputation around the world. With guest appearances by big names in the hard rock/heavy metal world such as Alice Cooper and Slash (Guns N’ Roses), the album has gained enthusiastic support from a wide range of listeners across genres.

A seasoned fan who has been into professional wrestling since before the music

Violent J, one half of I.C.P., which boasts worldwide popularity and has been eagerly awaited by Japan music fans, will make its first landing in 2024. What’s more, instead of going on the live stage, he was going to go up to the ring of Dai Japan Pro Wrestling!

In fact, the two members of I.C.P. are long-time fans who have been into professional wrestling since before the music. He is a hardcore enthusiast who worships the “Great Giant” Andre the Giant and has been holding backyard wrestling events since he was a boy by placing his own ring in his yard and gathering his like-minded friends and friends.

Many of the musicians were fans of professional wrestling, including Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper, Cyndi Lauper, and Snoop Dogg, who came to the ring as guests and secondaries. While there are musicians who have actually gone to the match, such as Jerry Only (The Misfits) and Bad Bunny (and conversely, there have been cases where professional wrestlers have made their debut as musicians, such as Chris Jericho), I.C.P. is more deeply involved in professional wrestling. Not only has he competed in rings for major organizations such as ECW, WWF (now WWE), and WCW, but he also founded his own professional wrestling organization, Jaggalo Championship Wrestling (JCW). In addition to the wrestlers, the organization also includes The Great Muta, Ultimo Dragon, Nosawa Rongai, Scott Hall, and Sabu. Necro Butcher and Madman Pond, who will be in Japan with Violent J this time, are also regular wrestlers in JCW.

Was shocked by the original Tiger Mask vs. Dynamite Kid

The only musicians involved in professional wrestling on the same level as I.C.P. are Bob Mould, who worked as a scenario writer for the late WCW, and Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins), the current owner of the traditional NWA. Violent J resonated with Corgan and also participated in NWA’s 75th anniversary tournament in August 2023 (as a manager).

He said:

“The NWA is an organization that brings traditional wrestling to the modern age, and Billy is the coolest guy and we’re talking about doing something together in 2024. I also love the Smashing Pumpkins’ Bullet with Butterfly Wings.”

Violent’s long-cherished wish was to expand into the mat in Japan. There are many adherents of Japanese style professional wrestling around the world, and the term PURORESU has even been popularized to distinguish it from American professional wrestling. He has also been devoted to professional wrestling in Japan since he was a teenager.

“I had a hard time watching it because it wasn’t shown on TV in the U.S., and all of the Antonio Inoki vs. Andre fights were amazing, but the one that shocked me was the inaugural Tiger Mask vs. Dynamite Kid bout at Madison Square Garden in New York City on August 30, 1982. Then I started trading videotapes with Japan enthusiasts.”

And what made an even greater impact on him were extreme hardcore groups such as FMW and W★ING.

“I had heard about hardcore matches being held in Puerto Rico and other places, but what I was actually able to see on video was from Japan, so there is an image of ‘hardcore = Japan’. ECW and, of course, JCW have been influenced by it.”

First appearance in a tag team deathmatch with Japan weapon

And finally, Violent J’s first visit to Japan took place in Japan Pro Wrestling. The main event of the final event of 2023 on December 30 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Yuki Ishikawa vs. Madman Pondo, a BJW Certified Deathmatch Heavyweight Championship, will take place in the form of a “Light Tube & Illinois Street Deathmatch” format. It was a bloody battle with a deadly weapon attack such as a block.

Violent J was with Madman Pondo as a second on this day and was not involved in the game, but was there a lot of blood? At the Korakuen Hall tournament “The First of the 2024 New Year Battle” on Tuesday, January 2, 2024, Kazumi Kikuta & Kankuro Hoshino vs. Madman Pond & Violent J will have a “Deadly Weapon Tag Team Death Match”. There is also the possibility of a big bloodshed in the first match in Japan.

In addition, although there is no official announcement at Shin-Kiba 1stRING “Baka Gaijin Counterattack ~The BAKA GAIJIN Strikes Back~” on January 3 (Tuesday) and “DEATHMATCH KING-DEATH” at the same venue on January 4 (Wednesday), there is a great possibility that they will intervene in some way. In a sense, you can see professional wrestling that is like New Year’s, with bright red fresh blood gushing out.

By the way, he has a chronic heart condition and has said that he will be doing his last tour as I.C.P. in 2024 (he will continue to do one-off shows in the future), so will he be okay with deathmatches? However, he said, “The doctor told me that I was 100% in good physical condition. I’m going to fight for Juggalos (I.C.P. fans) in Japan.”

This time, it is not a music event, but a professional wrestling event, but hip-hop fans will surely feel his rhyme and beat.

Even after Violent J’s return to Japan, the crossover with music will continue, with the big event “Noon no Pro Wrestling Dai Japan Pro Wrestling in Hibiya Open Air Music Hall” held on Saturday, January 14 at the Hibiya Park Grand Music Hall in Tokyo, where many legendary concerts have been held. There is no time to stop the bloodshed, and I would like to pay attention to the 2024 year of Dai Japan Pro Wrestling.

A long interview with Violent J about hip-hop, professional wrestling, and his thoughts on Japan will be released soon. Stay tuned!

https://youtu.be/Si1lx0PDrHM

And here’s the 2nd one…

From News.yahoo.co.jp:

First visit to Japan for Japan Pro Wrestling! Crazy Clown, Violent J (I.C.P.) Speaks

Insane Clown Posse (I.C.P.), a hip-hop duo that is enthusiastically popular in the United States. Violent J made his long-awaited first landing in Japan. Moreover, it is not a live stage, but a participation in the ring of Dai Japan Pro Wrestling.

He has been attacking from the end of 2023 to the new year of 2024, and on the first day, he only appeared as a second for his ally Madman Pondo, but at the beginning of the year, on Tuesday, January 2, 2024 at Korakuen Hall, “The Beginning of the 2024 New Year Battle”, Kazumi Kikuta & Kankuro Hoshino vs. Madman Pondo & Violent J will have a “Deadly Weapon Tag Team Death Match”. Chairs and bats were flying around, and an off-field brawl ensued, and while Violent J didn’t bleed, he performed a dangerous brain-skewering moonsalt press that skewered his neck. With this finish, which left everyone momentarily chilled, he made a vivid impact on Japan wrestling fans.

The “crazy clown” who has been overrunning the United States with both hip-hop and professional wrestling has finally arrived in Japan. We asked him to tell us about his journey.

First of all, let’s read the summary article on January 1, 2024 and then proceed to the interview!

Hip-Hop’s “Crazy Clown” Violent J (I.C.P.) came to Japan for the first time. Participated in Dai Japan Pro Wrestling

All of the fights between Antonio Inoki and Andre the Giant were amazing

――I.C.P. became supported on a global scale from the album “The Great Milenko” (1997). Alice Cooper and Slash (Guns N’ Roses) participated as guests, and I remember that it was a great success, involving rock listeners in addition to hip-hop.

Yes, The Great Milenko was a major turning point. The video for “Hokus Pokus” was played on MTV, touring the United States and Europe… So I used the money I got to start my own wrestling organization, Juggalo Championship Wrestling (JCW).

――I saw I.C.P. live at a festival in the Netherlands in 1998, but it was a chaotic stage with many zombies walking around the stage and a huge amount of carbonated drinks thrown at the audience.

We’ve toured Europe a few times, and the reaction is completely different from the US, but everyone is crazy. I wanted to go to Japan someday. It’s been a dream of mine since I was a kid. It’s not an I.C.P. tour, but Korakuen Hall is a martial arts hall of fame that wrestling fans around the world know, and it’s an honor to be able to put in a fight.

Q: Please tell us about your origins. I heard that you originally started wrestling before music, right?

yes, I’m a big fan of wrestling, and I used to build my own ring in my yard and do wrestling. It’s called backyard wrestling. I brought four steel poles from a disused railway station and wrapped plastic around the ropes. I would invite my friends to a wrestling tournament, and my neighbors would come to watch. I started listening to hip-hop when I was about 18 years old, and it became a big part of my life. I would rap on karaoke and record it on cassette tapes. At the same time, I was wrestling and touring the indie mats of the Midwest. Shaggy 2 Dope was my manager, and I hadn’t painted yet. I did it until I was 19 or 20 years old, but then my music fans started coming up to see me and taking pictures of my face, so I started distancing myself from wrestling for a while. After that, I focused on music for a while. It was in 1998 after I appeared as a music performer on ECW that the WWF (now WWE) contacted me. That’s how I got back to wrestling. This time I tried to paint and play the game.

Q: Necro Butcher and Madman Pond are affectionately and respectfully called BAKA GAIJIN because of their extreme style, but you also have quite a lot of BAKA elements such as hip-hop and professional wrestling, horror movies and heavy metal.

I’m a showman. When you like something, you can’t help but do it. I can’t stay a fan. Face painting was originally done in professional wrestling, but it was brought to hip-hop. Some fans think we’re fans of KISS when we paint and go on stage, but it all starts with professional wrestling. Also, there was a Bobro Island amusement park near the Detroit scene where we were doing a show, and we felt like we were part of it. So I naturally started painting clowns.

Q: Who was your favorite professional wrestler when you were a child?

I was more in awe of Andre the Giant than I liked him. The first time I went to see a wrestling match, I was sitting in the back seat and couldn’t see the wrestlers entering Europe very well. But Andre was the only one who stood out and looked good. I’ll never forget it. Other than that, I loved The Dynamite Kid and The Missing Link.

Q: Does I.C.P.’s face paint have an influence from the missing link?

(think for a moment)… No, I don’t think so.

Q: What about Japan’s professional wrestling, the so-called PURORESU?

I saw Tiger Mask on TV and was shocked. His fight with The Dynamite Kid at Madison Square Garden (August 30, 1982) was so great that I wanted to see more of his fights, so I started trading videotapes with Mania. I started trading with Japan enthusiasts and started watching FMW’s Ornita (Atsushi Onita) and W★ING’s deathmatches. It wasn’t on TV in the U.S. at the time, so I had a hard time watching it. I knew there was a deathmatch going on in Puerto Rico, but the one I was actually able to see on video was from Japan. That’s why there is an image of “hardcore = Japan”. ECW and, of course, JCW have been influenced.

Q: It has been more than a year since legendary professional wrestler Antonio Inoki passed away in October 2022, but Japan professional wrestling fans still remember him. Have you seen his matches?

Antonio Inoki’s death was a big deal for American fans as well. I’ve seen Inoki’s fight many times on video. Every series of battles between him and Andre the Giant was amazing. I’ve seen videos of them teaming up. I would have loved to see Inoki and Giant Baba fight in their heyday live. It’s a pity that this is no longer the case.

Q: Did you do any serious training before you stepped into the wrestling ring? Did you go to a wrestling school or anything?

Honestly, I can’t wrestle. I’ll admit that first. There was no amateur backbone, and wrestling schools dropped out. For a while, I learned the basics from Al Costello. He’s a wrestler who was one half of the Fabulous Kangaroos. Rob Van Damme was my classmate, and Sabu was about six years my senior. Rob and I debuted around the same time. We’ve been friends ever since, and I’ve learned a lot from him. But the school I learned the most from was the ring in my backyard. That’s true of my rap as well. I didn’t learn from a professional teacher, I practiced with my friends in Detroit and recorded them on cassette tapes on karaoke equipment for everyone to listen to. It was dubbed and spread.

Became best friends with Billy Corgan through professional wrestling

Q: What kind of fellow musicians are professional wrestling fans?

Kid Rock was a big fan of wrestling and used to come to see the backyard wrestling we did when we were kids. I haven’t had a chance to talk to him much lately. Jerry Only of the Misfits co-starred in the movie Big Money Hustlas (2000), but he was so obsessed with it that he fought Steve Williams in the major leagues WCW. But the only person who has really made wrestling an important part of his life, along with us, is Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins. He founded his own organization, Resistance Pros, and is now the owner of the traditional NWA.

Q: You appeared as a manager at the NWA’s 75th Anniversary Tournament in August 2023, what is your relationship with Billy?

Billy and I became best friends through wrestling. We send messages almost every day. The musicality is so different, and I never imagined we would become friends, but he’s a cool person. He always treats others with respect and loves wrestling as much as he loves music. If you watch NWA shows, you can feel his unbridled passion. It’s about as good as the Smashing Pumpkins show. Billy is great at mixing traditional wrestling with modern styles. I’m a fan of old-school wrestling, and I think there are good old-school wrestlers in the NWA right now. Billy and I are talking about doing something in 2024. I love the music of the Smashing Pumpkins, like “Bullet with Butterfly Wings” and “1979.”

Q: I heard that Bob Mould also participated in the late WCW in the 1990s as a story writer.

I didn’t know that. I don’t know him. If I get a chance to meet him someday, I’ll try to do some wrestling.

Q: Please tell us why you founded the professional wrestling organization Juggalo Championship Wrestling (JCW) in 1999.

I’ve always wanted my own wrestling organization. So in the 1990s, I was doing an event called “Hellfire Wrestling,” and when The Great Milenko came out and I made a lot of money, I bought my own ring. That’s why I started doing wrestling shows every month in a rented warehouse. At first, it was just acquaintances and family members of the contestants, but gradually word spread and about 500 people gathered. Twenty-five years later, we have become a longevity organization.

Is in a band with Dave Ellefson, formerly of Megadeth

Q: I.C.P.’s music is based on hip-hop, but often heavy and loud guitars are featured. Are there any influences from metal or hardcore?

yes, we take inspiration from all kinds of music and make it our own. It doesn’t matter if it’s hip-hop or metal. Whether it’s a love song or a pop song, I’ll do it if I have to. This attitude has been maintained since the first album, Carnival of Carnage (1992).

Q: Collaboration single with Steve-O “I Love My Girl… But” (2023) is your love song?

We try not to take anything too seriously. But you might even do a love song about your love for the other person.

Q: You guested on The Lucid’s EP with Dave Elefson, a former Megadeth player, are you close to him?

Dave and I have become close recently. Now I’m also a member of The Lucid. I asked, “Let me in,” and he said okay. It’s a lot to learn and enjoy playing different styles of music. Vinnie [Donbrosky] the sponge is a friend of mine, and she’s also the singer of The Lucid, so I was introduced to her. Dave was locked into one style and one musicality in Megadeth, but now he can do whatever he wants. As a result, I think that quitting will make my music career more fulfilling. Dave is a cool guy and we had a lot of fun working together. I’ve never talked to him about wrestling, so I don’t know if he’s a fan or not.

Q: The Lucid’s “Sweet Toof” is based on Faith No More’s “Epic”, do you have any interaction with them?

No, I haven’t met him yet. I don’t even know if Mike Patton is a wrestling fan (laughs). Of course, there are plenty of nice people who don’t have to watch professional wrestling.

Q: The cover of your solo album The Shining (2009) is a parody of the movie The Shining, but did Pennywise, the clown from the same Stephen King novel IT, influence the concept of I.C.P.?

No, it doesn’t matter. “The Shining” is an image of human talents and abilities, and from the title, I made it a parody of the movie “The Shining.” Clowns have nothing to do with “IT” in particular. The clown is supposed to be a fun and funny character, but he has an evil and creepy image because you can’t see his expression, right? John Wayne Gacy may have fostered that image.

Q: You mentioned earlier that you are a fan of traditional professional wrestling, but why are you often involved in hardcore routes such as deathmatch?

Because I like both. It’s a simple reason (laughs). I like classic wrestling and hardcore wrestling. That was the case with the late Terry Funk, right? He became the NWA Champion while also moving into the ECW hardcore ring. He was the greatest, greatest professional wrestler.

Q: Terry became the NWA World Champion in 1975, but in 1977, when he relinquished the belt, he was skewered with a fork by Abdullah the Butcher and bled heavily, so he has been combining traditional and hardcore since that time.

Exactly. Terry was a great wrestler and more than that, a close friend. I’m really sad that he’s gone. He was one of those people I looked up to. Terry, Vince McMahon, Diamond Dallas Page, Eddie Vedder… They may not collaborate with I.C.P., but they have big hearts.

Q: This time you came to Japan as “Team Two Wickid” with Madman Pondo, but how long have you known him?

Pondo competed in the JCW Banner Match (December 1998). We’ve been friends ever since. He’s the JCW World Heavyweight and Tag Team Champion and a regular in deathmatches. He’s a JCW Hall of Fame wrestler and we’re friends in his personal life.

Q: It was reported in 2021 that I.C.P. will be withdrawing from the tour due to your heart problems, is it okay to have a wrestling match?

Oh, no problem. I.C.P. will embark on a farewell tour from 2024 to 2025. I don’t have a problem at all with playing live. The doctor has also told me that there is no problem. It’s always great to be on stage, but that’s the rest of the equation. I’ve been driving from town to town for two months away from home, waiting for my turn… When you get older, it’s hard. So I’m going to do my last tour, and then I’m going to do a one-off show after that. I’ve had surgery and my heart is 100%. It’s okay to have a wrestling match or a deathmatch!

Q: I think there are a lot of difficulties in running an indie wrestling organization, especially a hardcore organization. It would be difficult to get insurance.

In the U.S., it varies from state to state. It’s easy to get insurance in Michigan, but in Oklahoma, the screening process is strict… Of course, I’ve hired a lawyer and I need to explain what the game is about.

Q: Do you explain that you hit your opponent with a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire or a fluorescent light, or fasten a dollar bill to your face with a stapler?

That’s part of it, but I need to explain that this event is entertainment, not competition. There’s a lot of hard work involved in running a wrestling organization, but when you see the fans happy, it feels rewarded. I think the players feel the same way.

Q: As for I.C.P., are your latest EPs “Woh The Weeping Weirdo” and “Pug Ugly”?

Let’s see. I just put out Woh The Weeping Weirdo about two months ago and I’m about to start working on a new album. We will record from January to March 2024 and start touring in time for the summer release.

Q: Please tell us about the future schedule of JCW.

We’re hosting Juggalo Weekend 2024 in San Antonio, Texas on February 23/24. It’s going to be a great weekend with I.C.P. live performances, wrestling matches, performances and merchandise sections.

Q: What are you involved in other than music and professional wrestling?

In December 2023, we did a talk and comedy event called “Tales of a Clown” in Waterford, a suburb of Detroit. Me and Colt Cabana talked a lot of stuff. Vampiro was supposed to be a guest, but it was a slap in the face (bitter smile). It was the first time I’d done an event like this, but I’ve been touring and wrestling for so many years and I’ve come across crazy things that have happened to me, so it was really exciting. There are professional wrestlers who not only fight in the ring, but also give talks at conventions and other venues around the United States. Jake “The Snake” Roberts is the same way. I plan to increase the number of opportunities for such talks in the future.

Q: I.C.P.’s partner Shaggy 2 Dope is not coming to Japan this time, how are you doing?

Shaggy is getting ready for the I.C.P. show in February. He hurt his neck in a wrestling match. “As a manager, I can go to Japan. I was like, ‘He’s going to want to break into the game, right? That’s why people around me tried so hard to convince me not to let him go near the ring. I was very frustrated, and next time I want to compete in Japan Pro Wrestling as an I.C.P. It would be even better if we could do a live show. He’s going to be on commentary at the JCW show in February, but I’m going to have to take him down if he’s about to get violent.

Q: By the way, how do you pronounce Shaggy’s real name, Joseph Utsler?

It’s Joseph Yusler. It’s often mistaken for “Atzler.” I’ve known him since I was a kid, so I’m sure he’s not wrong (laughs).

Damn!  Sounds like 2024 is gonna be a HUGE year for Juggalos starting with Juggalo Day next month!  We’ll bring you more info as soon as it’s available!