Mitch Gant from aaabackstage.com recently conducted an interview with Shaggy 2 dope. In this interview Shaggy discusses the new joker’s card, Insane Clown Posse Theater Season 2, the FBI lawsuit, and what he thinks about Jared from (hed) PE dancing in tights.

You can read the full interview below.

From aaabackstage.com :

Hey Shaggy, so originally I was meant to be calling Violent J. What happened there?

I have nooo idea. I have not bumped into him today. Ah we had a really bad storm last night and I guess where he was at power got knocked out or something like that. 

It’s been a longtime since last time, so how much of your stage show and merchandise are you guys bringing with you for the tour?

We are bringing the whole shebang man. We are bringing everything with us we would normally tour here with you know what I’m saying. Whatever we can fit onstage we are going to put it in there. Cause we believe on putting on the best show possible, you know what I’m saying, whether it’s 50 people there or 500, 000 people there we’re going to give the same show. We go until we almost pass out, sometimes we do pass out.

Do you guys have any days off and if so any plans for those days?

There are no days off. So I’ll go ahead and say no to that question. 

That’s unfortunate. How is the FBI case going right now?

Very slow man, suing the FBI doesn’t happen quickly. It’s a very slow expensive process. You know they’re going to try and stall it as long as possible. We ain’t gonna to stop man. If it takes us our lives we are gonna keep at it.

How did you feel when you first found out about them labeling Juggalos a gang?

Its crazy cause when we first found out about it we were like ahh that’s the shit, you know what I’m saying. That’s dope whatever, you know what I’m saying. But then we started seeing the repercussions of it, you know what I’m saying. Like you know kids in no way shape or form would ever think about being in a gang, getting pulled over and having a hatchet man tattoo on them and get put in the gang file. People getting probation violations and parole violations cause of wearing a t-shirt. And losing custody battles cause of a charm on their necklace, you know what I’m saying. Once we started seeing the real ramifications of the bullshit that was going on with it, that’s when we started saying this ain’t cool. We got to do something about it, cause I mean who else, if not us.

Exactly. How is the next season of your television show coming along?

We are in the middle of filming season two right now. It actually premieres on December 11^th. But we have already filmed like five episodes. So as it premieres we will still be actually doing new episodes, while the ones we have already done are airing. So this season will have like ten episodes. Actually as soon we come back from Australia, we’re heading straight to New York to hopefully wrap up on the second season of Insane Clown Posse Theatre.

The show is a perfect example of how ICP manage to always stay relevant.

Oh no doubt. We don’t stop, you know what I’m saying. Even if we are not making noise, publicly or whatever, we are still doing shit. We are constantly working, you know what I’m saying. Sometimes it will be more out in the open, you will see what’s going on, other times it’s behind the scenes stuff. There is never a dull day. There is always work man.

Even after being in the industry for as long as you have been now do you still get journalists twisting your words and painting a bad picture of ICP?

Oh brother that’s the story of our career, you know what I’m saying. From our first record to twenty years later and it’s still happening. But it fuels us, the more hate there is around us, it makes it all that more warmer and toasty on the inside, you know what I’m saying. Where would we actually be without hate, you know what I’m saying. We take pride in that, we take it as a compliment now, we are the world’s most hated band EVER! And it’s cool, you know what I’m saying.

Do you think you would be where you are today if you started out in this day and age?

You know what who knows, cause with the internet and all that stuff, when we came up it was so different to how people come up in the industry today, you know what I’m saying. With technology who knows, maybe we have been more lazy, it’s so hard to say. Maybe we would be first place on one of these The Voice shows, you know what I’m saying, who knows. We’d won a contract with Simon Cowell, who knows.

Have you got any plans for the next Joker’s Card?

It’s in the infancy stages right now, you know what I’m saying. Ideas are just coming and getting formulated and stuff so it’s not a full picture yet you know what I’m saying.  We do plan on starting to record very, very soon.

Anything you can give away?

NO. Can’t do that guys, all will be revealed in due time. Cause us ourselves we don’t even know the gist of it yet. Like I said it’s in its infancy right now. It’s like an ultrasound right now we don’t even know if it’s a boy or a girl yet, we just know it’s pregnant. 

That is an awesome analogy. How have you and J managed to stay together for so long?

We known each other since seriously since we were kids, I think I was like 9 or 10. That’s forever ago. Plus it’s just two of us, there is not like 6 people in our band, like everybody with conflicting tastes in music, someone wanting to branch out and do a mandolin solo record, you know what I’m saying. There is no conflict there, we’re more brothers than friends, you know what I’m saying. Even if there is any conflict it don’t even amount to anything, it’s just like shut the fuck up, you know what I’m saying.

Last time you toured Channel V was constantly playing some of your videos. Has it been harder this time round to promote the tour without that backing?

I didn’t even know that, that’s wonderful. That’s news to me, I had no idea. But no I don’t think so, especially with the Internet today. It’s not like we are a group you know that people are just gonna check them out. With YouTube and all that we get millions of hits with one video, so I don’t think that will play no part. 

I recently came across the videos of Jared from (hed) PE and his original band. What do you think about that?

I think that’s great. That’s our boy, you know what I’m saying. He is still going, that’s great. Roll ‘til the wheels fall off, you know what I’m saying.

I better let you go so you can do the rest of the interviews you have today, thanks for your time we really appreciate it.

I’m actually doing that from the comfort of my house today. I actually almost missed your call I was in the shower and I was like oh shit what time is it. Thank you too man, pleasure.

 

Websites:

• aaabackstage.com