Can we agree if Young Wicked was on Psychopathic still he would have been doing the hook and chorus of Queens? You know J would have put him on that part.

Noawareness said

This is probably an unpopular opinion but the progression he's made with his production over the years is ridiculous. Love or hate the songs themselves, his production is top tier. I don't know if his new style would necessarily suit ICP or not but personally, I'd rather hear them over his beats than shaggy the airheads.

Im fully aware I'm probably in the minority here but I'd take the production and quality of MML over anything on YYB anyday.  

I mean, he has the most punchable face and attitude this side of the globe... but his production skills are solid. Goddamn it he is such a fucking weirdo, though. Not in the way I consider poignant and fun. 

Gotta give credit where credit is due. 

I still haven't given it a good listen, but overall I like what I hear so far. More time to ingest this, then I will make my own decision. 

Noawareness said

This is probably an unpopular opinion but the progression he's made with his production over the years is ridiculous. Love or hate the songs themselves, his production is top tier. I don't know if his new style would necessarily suit ICP or not but personally, I'd rather hear them over his beats than shaggy the airheads.

Im fully aware I'm probably in the minority here but I'd take the production and quality of MML over anything on YYB anyday.  

im not a fan of his newer music. that last "james garcia" drop, satellite, was weak AF. but as a producer he does solid fucking work and I'm sure he's got enough skill that he could make beats that match ICP's sound more than the stuff he's making now. I'd at least hope a quality producer would try to match the artist they're working with rather than just stick to one sound their entire career.

twiztidicp420 said
Keep your negative opinions, to say that this isn’t a Joker’s Card is ridiculous. On my first listen it felt different as well, but I feel that way about every single ICP, Dark Lotus and Twiztid album. But after several listens you’ll find and hear so much more music and meanings. So don’t listen to anybody, take the time to listen to it a few times and judge for yourself. Artists are always progressing, always looking forward and creating new sounds. You can’t please everybody.  

Yeah thanks. I've listened to it about 5 times from start to finish and my opinion hasn't changed. Keep your positive opinion. It's all yours. Enjoy it.

7 out of 10 for me

Noawareness said

This is probably an unpopular opinion but the progression he's made with his production over the years is ridiculous. Love or hate the songs themselves, his production is top tier. I don't know if his new style would necessarily suit ICP or not but personally, I'd rather hear them over his beats than shaggy the airheads.

Im fully aware I'm probably in the minority here but I'd take the production and quality of MML over anything on YYB anyday.  

I can agree with you on one part of this but the other part I'll respectfully agree to disagree.

So Young Wicked putting aside the Violent J/Jumpsteady/Twiztid/Samantha drama. He's had so much growth in sound. He mentioned on his Instagram story he admitted doesn't listen to his early work anymore because it's so bad. Like Unforgiven Forest as example. He also said this James Garcia album isn't ditching his Young Wicked character but a alter ego and different side project. He's came a long way in rapping and his production is solid.

While I personally enjoyed bits and pieces of Marvelous Missing Link some of Lost production and sound just didn't suit ICP. Even if the goal was to ditch comedy, sex songs for a second. Certain tracks on both albums I feel forced finishing like Lost at the Carnival, and Flamethrower. I felt like they barely knew had to flow with the beat at points on Lost. That album did have strong points like Lost, Confederate Flag, Vomit, Falling Apart and I see the Devil

Tracks like apocalypse, Shock just felt odd hearing ICP on them and the album lost some momentum for me. However I believe those were Sevens beats if I recall.

Found sounded better for their style but the album is just overall weak for me. I consider Found ICPs weakest album. Granted I love Get Clowned, Juggalo Party, I fucked a Cop, I'm Sweet and Time.

Yum Yum Bedlam has a sound that travels all over the place. It's a step down from FFF but it wasn't a painful listen to listen to by any means for me. 

thatjuggal91 said

I can agree with you on one part of this but the other part I'll respectfully agree to disagree.

 

So Young Wicked putting aside the Violent J/Jumpsteady/Twiztid/Samantha drama. He's had so much growth in sound. He mentioned on his Instagram story he admitted doesn't listen to his early work anymore because it's so bad. Like Unforgiven Forest as example. He also said this James Garcia album isn't ditching his Young Wicked character but a alter ego and different side project. He's came a long way in rapping and his production is solid.

 

While I personally enjoyed bits and pieces of Marvelous Missing Link some of Lost production and sound just didn't suit ICP. Even if the goal was to ditch comedy, sex songs for a second. Certain tracks on both albums I feel forced finishing like Lost at the Carnival, and Flamethrower. I felt like they barely knew had to flow with the beat at points on Lost. That album did have strong points like Lost, Confederate Flag, Vomit, Falling Apart and I see the Devil

 

Tracks like apocalypse, Shock just felt odd hearing ICP on them and the album lost some momentum for me. However I believe those were Sevens beats if I recall.

 

Found sounded better for their style but the album is just overall weak for me. I consider Found ICPs weakest album. Granted I love Get Clowned, Juggalo Party, I fucked a Cop, I'm Sweet and Time.

 

Yum Yum Bedlam has a sound that travels all over the place. It's a step down from FFF but it wasn't a painful listen to listen to by any means for me.   

I guess it's personal preference but I actually enjoyed the majority of the songs on Found. It suited their "positive" sound and overall felt more "Shangri-la" than anything they'd done in a while. I think this is where they are more comfortable these days. The positive shit feels natural and the darker stuff seems forced these days. Unfortunately its just not what most people want from icp.

A lot of people won't like this but I don't like what Ouija Macc has brought to the label. It's not his fault but J has seen him use his limited vocabulary, modern/basic flows, cheap producers, cheap videos etc. And he's seen him make a success of himself using these. 

I don't like Ouija but what he's doing, works for him and I respect that but I don't want to hear ICP over bedroom beat maker production. You might not NEED a studio to make a good beat these days but imo, some artists should.

All J ever talks about is how much music Ouija puts out and how he's got new videos out every week. He can do that because his beats are cheap. It's not a producer in the studio, making the music with the artist, whilst they write to it. It's not a collaborative effort. It's a guy who makes a beat on his laptop, sends it to a rapper, who writes to it. ICP need that organic process imo.

That's just me though. Maybe I'm Stubborn but that traditional approach feels different to me. This album feels cold and disconnected.

thatjuggal91 said
Was curious did you check out the 17 scrapped beats One Man Kru sent in for Yum Yum Bedlam?

If anyone wants to check them out:

Maybe I'm just biased because it's not the style I grew up with, but these modern trap-ish beats all sound so similar. Same with the guys Ouija brought in. It sounds like it's the same sounds but mixed and shuffled around.

Dude those beats are worse than my Fruity Loops demo mp3s that I used to make under the name Old Mr. Dangerous with my brother DJ Big Texas lol... at least we weren't terrified to experiment. I actually hear a bit of Fruity Loops in them. 

At least we didn't get that for the album.

...

I think Otis aka Young Wicked aka Thirty Dirty and Thriving got taken out to a nice restaurant with Joe Bruce one night, tried on his first real designer suit, decided he really liked how presentable he looked, and went that route. He looks sharp, the kind of addict you can take home to your mama. 

...

I agree that the tri-fecta of Mike E Clark, Mike P and Kuma would be ideal, but it probably won't happen. So I say get Kuma and Mike P. That would be dope. Seven is solid, too, but I think he is more attuned to the Strange Music style. 

Get Esham on there, a must.

"I was on the first Joker's Card, and the last... and, uh, the second last. The last after next, I think..."

Or... if it's a Heaven/Hell type theme double album again.... Mike P and Kuma for the Heaven/Shangri-La one and Mike E. Clark and Esham producing the Hell's Pit one. Tell me that wouldn't be dope?

Regarding the lore:

Reading this made me realize the thematic difference between the 1st and the 2nd deck. The first one is all about punishing the ones who do harm to others. Each card takes revenge or challenges or in some way judges the ones that are evil, from the first card all the way up to the last - will it be heaven or hell for you?
The cards of the second deck however seem to be focusing much more on the ones who do harm to themselves. Mighty Death Pop warns those who live recklessly of an early death; Missing Link is about those who feel lost or those who are found, depending on whether they have faith; Fred Fury addresses those who waste their lives away lethargically and wants them to take charge and fight back; and now Yum Yum is about not giving in to temptation and addiction.
Bang Pow Boom is the one exception, but when it was released the concept of a second deck didn't exist yet. It got declared the first card post factum, so it makes sense that it doesn't fit this theme. It mirrors Carnival of Carnage in that way.

If they were indeed going for this, I think it's pretty cool. Because it actually sets the second deck apart and adds something new to it, instead of merely being a repetition of the first set, which is how I used to look at it. It also goes along with ICP's shift in tone (like Noawareness also pointed out), shifting away from being angry and condemnatory of others, to being more caring and focusing on oneself.
If they stick to this concept, then the last card could differ from the 6th of the 1st in that it won't be heaven/hell as a reaction (reward or punishment) of your deeds, but rather it will be a heaven or hell of your own creation. A more intense continuation of your life or something. For example, if you've lived a lonely life, pushing away loved ones, your hell will just be total isolation for eternity.

Or maybe this theme is just a coincidence that arose out of J's obsessions at the time and there really is no connecting thread between them. Guess we'll see.