Insane Clown Posse – “The Naught” review

Detroit horrorcore duo, Juggalo Championship Wrestling founders & the longest reigning 2-time JCW World Juggalo Tag Team Champions Insane Clown Posse have officially unveiled their 17th studio LP & the final Joker’s Card of the 2nd Deck. Consisting of JCW Commissioner Violent J & the shortest reigning JCW World Juggalo Heavyweight Champion Shaggy 2 Dope, many don’t know that 3 other members came & went during the first 5 years of the group’s inception. Not only would The Duke of the Wicked & the Southside Strangla go on to create seminal wicked shit albums like The First 6, they also gained an extremely loyal fanbase in the process & their self-owned Psychopathic Records became an independent hip hop powerhouse as the label’s roster continued to grow until they wanted to focus more on their own legacy. Commemorating the 25th annual Gathering of the Juggalos or the Gathering of Legends kicking off tomorrow & The 2 Day War between JCW & Game Changer Wrestling (GCW) beginning later this weekend, The Naught will explore the afterlife in a concept differing from The Wraith’s exhibitions of Shangri-La & Hell’s Pit.

The title track produced by Shaggytheairhead after the intro opens with a trap song breaking down the titular character’s meaning whereas “Watch Me” reunites with longtime collaborator Mike E. Clark talking about the wicked shit splitting your shit up throwing it back to the Bang! Pow! Boom! & The Mighty Death Pop! days instrumentally. “Everybody Dies” moves forward with a 6-minute rap rock-influenced Violent J solo cut picking up where Everybody Rize” off my 3rd favorite Joker’s Card The Amazing Jeckel Brothers left off just before the semi-boom bap influenced “Happy Fun Day” uses wordplay for the Duke to ask what exactly others find wrong with him in having bloody fun referencing former ECW World Heavyweight Champion, ECW World Television Champion, IWGPタッグ王座, WCW Hardcore Champion & 2-time WCW World Tag Team Champion Bam Bam Bigelow.

“Only Wicked Shit” goes for an EDM trap direction thanks to Brian Kuma so both of the clowns can represent their style of music they’ve been making for over 3 decades & after the “Flashback” skit, “Dead Kelly” blends these bells & hi-hats together to tell the story of the titular character. Shaggy 2 Dope getting his own track with the carnivalesque “Here We Go” looking to tear the place down alongside the rest of his hatchet family while the playfully humorous “Cinnamon Pigtails” describes a tale of Violent J meeting a woman on Instagram who turned out to be a catfish.

Devereaux helps ICP dabble with trap metal on “I’m Still Breathin’” talking about their gratitude of being alive despite the chaos in the world while “Pop Out” continues the 2nd half of The Naught with another 2 Dope solo joint that DJ Clay makes more trap oriented than the last one angrily making the speakers jump while the disco rap-inspired “Throw ‘Em Up” after another “Flashback” skit talks about throwing your hatchets up. Violent J responds to 1 Man Kru’s disses these past couple years by calling him a “Softy Pillow Man” using a prominent tuba within the beat leading into the occult “I’m Fallin’” talking about them thinking no one should try to die.

Expressing some kind of resolution from the conflict inferred from the rest of The Naught, the iconic Toto single “Africa” gets heavily sampled throughout “While It Lasts” ending the 2nd Deck of Joker’s Cards structured similarly to “Low” off Fearless Fred Fury where the Duke’s singing during a good bulk of it & Shaggy drops off a brief rap verse. Wasn’t one of my favorite songs off FFF personally but “While It Lasts” is conceptually stronger than “Low”, basically talking about enjoying the time we all have on this planet.

Common complaints regarding Yum Yum Bedlam from what I’ve heard amongst juggalos is that it felt like a mixtape than a Joker’s Card or the producer tags, neither of which I had any issues with personally because I appreciated it being the first female character in the Dark Carnival mythology & it’s themes of loyalty. The Naught however has to be my 3rd favorite Card of the 2nd Deck, with #2 being Bang! Pow! Boom! & of course The Mighty Death Pop! at #1. The production feels like a throwback to the carnival sound even with Kuma & Mythic Mindz finishing the 71% that Mike E. Clark had yet to complete because of him moving & the clowns themselves answering the question of if one was ever alive at all if there’s no afterlife when we die.

Score: 4.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Lyte – “Full Force” review

This is the sophomore effort from Flint, Michigan emcee Lyte. Emerging a decade ago off his debut mixtape Follow the Lyte, he later signed to the Insane Clown Posse’s very own Psychopathic Records on New Year’s Day 2017 & put out his debut EP Psychopathic MonStar that summer following the 18th annual Gathering of the Juggalos in Oklahoma. He amicably departed couple years later in order to focus on building his own label MonStar Entertainment & becoming a father, returning over 2 & a half years ago for the debut album Metamorphosis demonstrating his personal & artistic growth. MonStar has since evolved into a roster of its own, coming off a showcase EP to return Full Force.

“Dying Breed” starts with this wavy trap instrumental from Str8jaket talking about his kind shrinking near to the point of extinction whereas “Feel the Way I Do” works in some pianos & strings asking if there’s anyone who feels the exact same way as he does. “Time Will Tell” featuring Ant G finds the 2 over a trap instrumental reassuring everyone that they’re nowhere near close to being done leading into “Made a Lot” talking about the money, sacrifices & mistakes he’s made.

Meanwhile on “Back in My Head”, we have Lyte showing off a speedier flow over another trap beat fighting back until they bury him just before “Full Deck” featuring Skitzo brings the pair together so they can talk about everyone fuckin’ with the wrong ones. “This Us” fuses electronic dance music & trap giving 0 fucks whatsoever, but then “Brand New” featuring Project Born aggressively talking about people acting that exact way.

“It’s Our Time” hooks up some pianos & hi-harts discussing that it’s MonStar Entertainment’s time to shine now while “OMG” featuring Str8jaket talks about needing God in their lives at the moment even if they’re not the praying type. The song “Disarray” featuring Stray grimly promises God certain things won’t happen again if He helps them & “Memories” featuring Str8jaket is a 6-minute closer breaking down the way he wants to be remembered.

Metamorphosis was a solid debut giving the underground a look at how much Lyte has changed on all fronts ever since signing to Psychopathic for a year & a half, which Full Force surpasses in terms of quality. The production almost entirely handled by Str8jaket elevates the trap sounds from 2 & a half years ago, the guests are reduced to MonStar’s current roster other than a couple outside collaborators & Lyte himself sounds hungrier.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Shaggy 2 Dope – “Professor Shaggs & the Quest for the Ultimate Groove” review

Shaggy 2 Dope is a 48 year old MC, producer, DJ, former professional wrestler, podcast host of The Shaggy Show, Juggalo Championship Wrestling co-founder & the shortest reigning JCW World Juggalo Heavyweight Champion from Detroit, Michigan who formed the Insane Clown Posse with his late older brother John Kickjazz alongside his best friend Violent J & the late Kid Villain. But for the past 3 decades, the Southwest Strangla & the Duke of the Wicked have spread the word of the Dark Carnival whether it be the first 6 Joker’s Cards or the label that runs beneath the streets Psychopathic Records. However, it is widely known that 2 Dope was the first of the Clowns to go solo with his 1994 debut EP Fuck Off! produced by Mike E. Clark as a prelude to the shelved full-length Shaggs the Clown. He eventually returned on his own in ‘06 with F.T.F.O. (Fuck the Fuck Off) & here we are on the 6 year anniversary of his DJ Clay-produced sophomore effort F.T.F.O.M.F. (Fuck the Fuck Off MuthaFucka) witnessing Stretch Nuts returning over 4 years after Gloomy Sunday by dropping his 3rd EP.

“Clown Boi” is a trap opener produced by Shaggytheairhead with Bazooka Joey talking about the only 2 words that he knows are seek & destroy whereas “Illuminati Don’t Want Me” works in some synthesizer patterns & hi-hats to make it known that he ain’t weak or snotty whatsoever which has been historically proven. “Defy” is an electro-trap hybrid talking about disobeying or resisting everything from love & hate to gravity with a fresh reference to both “Stomp” off my 2nd favorite sideshow EP Tunnel of Love during the first verse & WWE Hall of Famer Gorilla Monsoon on the other just before “Done Giving a Fuck” takes a cloudier route with the title saying it all that he’s doesn’t have any fucks to give anymore.

Meanwhile, “How Ya Been” begins the final leg of the EP with a smooth trap ballad with Shaggs warmly declaring that everyone’s welcome here while the song “This Ain’t That Bitch” has an eerie vibe courtesy of his lil brother Tre Lb & a Carnival of Carnage title track sample during the hook calling out all the bitch boys. The penultimate track “The Quest for…” has some crazy beat switches throughout courtesy of DJ Clay & 2 Dope talking about looking for the ultimate groove of course, but then “The Ulimate Groove” ties things up with an EDM closer.

It breaks my heart to see people trying to slander the Duke’s name as a juggalo kid from Detroit & as much as I appreciated Bloody Sunday for being darker than J’s previous solo efforts, solo Shaggy never disappoints & he once again proves his point here. The production is eclectic in sound & he continues to expand on his lyrical elevation as shown on the Yum Yum Bedlam era output as phat as he’s always been. Fuck all the toxicity & drama, everything boils down to the music at the end of the day & that’s the only thing that matters to me until I’m dead in the ground.

Score: 4/5

@legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Violent J – “Bloody Sunday” review

Violent J is a 50 year old MC, producer, professional wrestler/manager, Juggalo Championship Wrestling (JCW) Commissioner & the longest reigning 2-time JCW World Juggalo Tag Team Champion from Detroit, Michigan notable for forming the Insane Clown Posse & co-founding the label that runs beneath the streets Psychopathic Records with Shaggy 2 Dope. He’s also released a few EPs & a full-length on his own within the last 3 decades, with my personal favorite of the handful being Wizard of the Hood. The last we heard from the Duke of the Wicked solo-wise was the Brother! EP on New Year’s Eve 2018, but J is making up for the 3-month delay of his sophomore solo album by giving it to the fans as a Juggalo Day treat.

The intro is an occult trap opener produced by Devereaux with J confessing he doesn’t want to be alive anymore whereas the title track gives me a more slower albeit still morbid approach to the beat thanks to Brian Kuma talking about a never ending cycle. “Clown Blood” returns to trap territory with J showing off some crazy flows as he describes the clown blood flowing through him leading into “In the Hole” blending some hi-hats & synths talking about where your soul will suffer.

Meanwhile on “Pitch Dark”, we have J over a more rugged instrumental describing total blackness just before “No Friends” is a decent guitar ballad about being friendless. “Scatterbrain 2” is a trap-flavored sequel to “Scatterbrain” which has always been one of the best songs off Eye of the Storm in my opinion & picks up where the predecessor left off wonderfully referencing both former 2-time SMW Heavyweight Champion & ECW World Tag Team Champion Tracy Smothers and WWE Hall of Famer, former WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE United States Champion, 3-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion & WCW World Tag Team Champion Rick Rude until Mike E. Clark returns to lace “The Stiff” with his uniquely quirky sound asking if he made a friend until the end or fucked up again.

“Horrendous Ways” jacks for beats as the Duke of the Wicked asks why great lives end in the titular fashion while “Something’s in My Room” takes a turn into boom bap describing the titular being in his room staring at him. The song “The Hurter” has a more carnivalesque flare to the instrumental courtesy of Shaggytheairhead describing the titular character while the penultimate track “A Harrowing Time” is a bassy trap cut about Satan calling him. “Some Good Pussy” though ends the album with a shitty country rock ballad about a man being unhealthily obsessed with a bitch.

Wizard of the Hood is such a classic EP & I know The Shining gets a bit of mixed reception with a lot of juggalos that I know personally, but it’s most certainly no question that Bloody Sunday stands as Violent J’s finest solo album to date. It’s a lot more darker than the previous efforts that he’s put out on his own, he sounds focused & the production is a healthy mix of both the old & new sounds throughout the 3 decades that he’s been in the game.

Score: 3.5/5

@legendswill_never_die on Instagram for the best music reviews weekly!

Insane Clown Posse – “Pug Ugly the Stink Bud” review

This is the 18th EP from Detroit horrorcore duo, Juggalo Championship Wrestling founders & the longest reigning JCW World Juggalo Tag Team Champions the Insane Clown Posse. Consisting of Violent J & Shaggy 2 Dope, but very few know that 3 other members came & went during the first 5 years of the group’s inception. Not only would The Duke of the Wicked & the Southside Strangla go on to create seminal wicked shit albums like The First 6, but they gained an extremely loyal fanbase in the process & their self-owned Psychopathic Records became an independent hip hop powerhouse as the label’s roster continued to grow. I was a bit worried about their latest album Yum Yum Bedlam given that the prelude EP Yum Yum’s Lure was panned by fans when it came out last Juggalo Day but when Halloween came around, they proved me wrong with what I believe to be my 3rd favorite card in the 2nd deck. Last we heard from them was Wicked Vic the Weed during the first quarter of the year & are now continuing the Seeds of Yum Yum trilogy in the form of Pug Ugly the Stink Bud.

“I’m Ugly” kicks off the EP with a horn-laced instrumental from Mike E. Clark & Violent J describing how unattractive Pug Ugly the Stink Bud truly is whereas “Abbracadabbra” has a more carnivalesque sound to it as 2 Dope joins the Duke talking about making hoes disappear. “Pug Ugly” takes a funkier route so the Wicked Clowns can vividly describe how gross the world is just before “Scrub Gang” is a piano/hi-hat infused ballad out to all the scrubs out there. The spooky atmosphere of “I’m Afraid” is pretty cool with J & Shaggs confess their fears while the 80’s Rock Ballad” is a country rock jam that’s slightly better than their “After Murder Sunrise” loosie that came out back in March & the Mike P. remix of “Queens” is inferior to the O.G. with it’s more electronic-centered sound.

As decent of a beginning to the Seeds of Yum Yum trilogy that Wicked Vic the Weed was, I think I might like Pug Ugly the Stink Bud over here a tad bit more. The production is a refinement of the Carnival sound that the predecessor had brought back & the duo sound as focused as they did at the beginning of the year. Here’s to WOH the Weepin’ Weirdo being a potentially dark conclusion to the Yum Yum era this Halloween.

Score: 3.5/5

@legendswill_never_die on Instagram for the best music reviews weekly!

Ouija Macc – “Stalewind” review

Ouija Macc is a 36 year old MC from Las Vegas, Nevada who started to turn heads in the fall of 2017 after the Insane Clown Posse signed him to Psychopathic Records shortly after putting out his debut EP Trashfire independently. Ouija has since proven himself as one of the most consistent & hard working dudes in the underground by dropping 2 full-lengths, 2 greatest hits compilations, 6 mixtapes & 4 EPs all in the span of 5 years. He just dropped Fallen Angelic this past spring & is now commemorating the Gathering of Dreams this weekend by delivering his 3rd album.

After the “Portal” intro, the first song “Wake Up” is blaring trap opener produced by Devereaux talking about being baptized in the gutter whereas “6 Foot Hatchet” manically promises to put a nightmare on that movie screen. “Fill the Space” works in some bells to deliver a weed smoking anthem just before “9MM Suppository” shoots for a more morbid aesthetic talking about detailing his shooter-mentality with an excellent chopped & screwed hook.

Meanwhile on “Boiler Room”, we have Gizmo accompanying Ouija to talk about stomping out their competition over a sickly trap beat leading into “Return of the Murder Go Round”, which is a catchy yet wicked sequel to “Murder Go Round” off the Wicked Clowns’ sophomore album Ringmaster down to the sample during the hook. Chapter 17 Records’ very 1st signee HEXXX comes into the picture for “Beast in Dior” to display some great back & forth chemistry with 1 another calling out those who’ve never surrounded themselves with demons over some hi-hats & retro video game-like synths, but then “Killa Like” talks about what he woke up feeling like with a bass-heavy instrumental from Billy Martin of fucking Good Charlotte with some rock undertones to it.

“Massacre” has a more frightful sound to it with co-production from DJ Chunk warning that nobody’s walking out their bitch alive on Ouija’s watch while “Mo Murda” ghoulishly talks about pulling up to a murder scene to make a scene. “F.U.R.N. (Fucked Up Right Now)” is a sweet trap/rock fusion detailing being under the influence even though F.J. Outlaw’s verse is respectfully one of the weaker features on the album with “In the Ha” serving as a cloudy sequel to “In the Haughhh!” off my favorite EP that ICP has ever put out: Beverly Kills 50187.

Continuing from there: “Go Head On” encourages not to hold back on shit over an occult bet while “Christian Mingle” continues to mix trap & rock together to talk about walking up in that bitch with a glock & a hatchet. “You’re Dead” with the Duke of Wicked himself Violent J has a futuristic yet grimy flare to quench for blood while the song “Do It Like This” talks about how he gets it done over a somber Shaggytheairhead beat. The closer “Take Me Home” comes through confessing his suicidal thoughts which is fitting considering his story of the Stillwind/Stalewind shift along with how hard these past few months have been for this reviewer personally & the bonus cut “Juggalo Radio” ends the album with an electronic/trap infused banger promoting JUGG FM.

If you’ve been following Ouija for as long as I have, then you should know how important this final element is & this conclusion to a 5-year long saga happens to be the most important album of his career yet in my personal opinion. I’ve noted that some his more recents efforts have shown that quite the artistic evolution from Ouija’s pen-game to the projection but on Stalewind, it all comes full circle so excellently.

Score: 4.5/5

@legendswill_never_die on Instagram for the best music reviews weekly!

Ouija Macc – “Fallen Angelic” review

This is the 7th mixtape from from Las Vegas, Nevada rapper Ouija Macc. Originally breaking out in the fall of 2017 off his debut EP Trashfire, this would result in the Insane Clown Posse signed him to Psychopathic Records almost immediately & he has since proven himself as one of the most consistent & hard working dudes in the underground by dropping 2 full-length albums, 2 greatest hits compilations, 6 mixtapes & 4 EPs all in the span of 5 years. Last we heard from Ouija was back in November when he dropped PRETTY/UGLY 2 which is much superior to the predecessor but to kick off the 2nd quarter of the year, he’s preluding his upcoming 3rd album Stalewind with Fallen Angelic.

After the “Prophecy” intro, the first song “Rory Mercury” is an eerie trap opener comparing himself to the Gate character of the same name whereas “Playalo” will go down as one of the best Ouija songs ever made taking a symphonic trap route thanks to Devereaux coming through with an ode to the juggalos. “Hellcat” goes into cloudier territory talking about how we should be proud of him just before Whitney Peyton tags along for the bassy “Big Step” talking about not wanting shit.

Meanwhile on “17 Blunts”, we have Ouija on top of a hazy beat delivering theme music for the smokers leading into the pillowy trap cut “Get It Like” talking about being all in his zone. “Did It on Purpose” goes into darker territory calling out those who don’t wanna see him winning, but then “Ain’t No Fun” has a more entrancing vibe talking about how everyone wants to hate someone.

“Hatchet Up” of course comes through with yet another Psychopathic ode except this one’s more rowdier while “La Flama Blanca” returns to the cloud rap sound talking about how this is more than just two. Kid Bookie’s verse on “Moonlight” doesn’t do much for me even though I like Devereaux’s production & the whole idea of too much shit going on to be on their dicks while “Crawl” gets raunchy as fuck & will definitely get all the Lettes going wild at future shows.

Following that, “Replay” incorporates some synthesizers telling the DJ to run it back while “Brandishin’ That” with a fun ass-shaker’s dedication. The song “Swang 2” with Ricky Hil finds the 2 on some acoustic trap shit delivering a decent sequel to a joint on Waterdamage while the penultimate track “Hate Myself” keeps things in acoustic territory talking about his self-hatred being for nothing. “Roadmap” ends the tape on a grungier encouraging to follow him at your own risk.

Chapter 17 Records is definitely gonna have a big 2022 & I think Fallen Angelic is a stellar way to kick it all off. The features are a tad bit better than PRETTY/UGLY 2, Ouija’s songwriting continuously gets better at getting stuck in your head & I really hope he continues to dabble with new sounds going forward because he’s been doing it excellently as of late.

Score: 4/5

Lyte – “Metamorphosis” review

Lyte is a 32 year old MC from Flint, Michigan who broke out in 2014 off his debut mixtape Follow the Lyte. He then signed to the Insane Clown Posse’s very own Psychopathic Records on New Year’s Day 2017 & put out his debut EP Psychopathic MonStar that summer following the 18th annual Gathering of the Juggalos in Oklahoma, but amicably left a couple years later in order to focus on building his own label MonStar Entertainment & becoming a father. But now after returning from his sabbatical, he’s finally unleashing his full-length debut to the world.

“Bars XXX” kicks off the album on a victorious note with the help of MonStar in-house producer Lendo Smiley talking about how he used to pray for this moment whereas “You Might Know” works in a guitar to tell the story of his struggle & where he is today. Layzie Bone & Stevie Stone tag along for the piano-laced “Problem” advising that you don’t want any beef with either one of them just before “Sunshine” returns to rap rock turf talking about making it out of the storm.

Meanwhile on “Flame”, we have Lyte on top of an operatic vocal sample boasting his rapping prowess leading into “Take Control” mixing some keyboards & guitars talking about fueling the flame except the hook is like nails to a chalkboard. “Change You” however goes into a spacious direction admitting that he hasn’t been the same since he’s made some dough, but then “Lyte It Up” goes into mellow boom bap turf talking about smoking weed.

“Level” incorporates some synthesizers with the help of Hypnotic Sound’s very own Str8jaket prior to Skitzo coming into the picture for the eerie “Cut Like That” produced by Jim Job referencing former IWGPジュニアヘビー級王座, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion & 4-time WWE Tag Team Champion Owen Hart. “Outlaw” is a dope piano ballad comparing himself to such while “Mind Back Right” brings in P.R.E.A.C.H. & Twisted Insane to showcase their chopper flows over a solemn trap beat that Lyte happened to cook up himself.

The track “We Got That” goes full blown rap rock to talk about his ride or die bitch while the penultimate song “Stay in Yo Lane” with Ant G, Bam Beda, DJ Clay, Double Dragon, Frank Nitty & Tha Hav Knots is a lethal 7-minute posse cut going at their competition. The title track then finishes the album with an acoustic trap banger talking about being so much more than what the world thought he was.

I wasn’t sure if this day was actually gonna come like a lot of juggalos thought, but I’m actually happy it did because what a way for Lyte to return after that 5 year gap. The way he goes into detail as to how much he’s changed since then is very admirable & the production is as consistently stellar as it was on Psychopathic MonStar. Welcome back, dude!

Score: 3.5/5

Insane Clown Posse – “Wicked Vic the Seed” review

The Insane Clown Posse are a horrorcore duo, the founders of Juggalo Championship Wrestling & the longest reigning JCW World Juggalo Tag Team Champions from Detroit, Michigan consisting of Violent J & Shaggy 2 Dope. They originally started as a quartet alongside John Kickjazz & Kid Villain, but both of them left before their full-length debut Carnival of Carnage dropped 3 decades ago & Greez-E only stuck around their best EP in my personal opinion: Beverly Kills 50187. Not only would The Duke of the Wicked & the Southside Strangla go on to create seminal wicked shit albums like The First 6, but they gained an extremely loyal fanbase in the process & their self-owned Psychopathic Records became an independent hip hop powerhouse as the label’s roster continued to grow. I was a bit worried about their latest album Yum Yum Bedlam given that the prelude EP Yum Yum’s Lure was panned by fans when it came out last Juggalo Day but when Halloween came around, they proved me wrong with what I believe to be my 3rd favorite card in the 2nd deck. Here we are 365 days later & they’re actually kicking off The Seeds of Yum Yum trilogy by letting Wicked Vic the Weed be the first in season.

After the repetitive “Wicked Vic” intro, the first actual song “Send in the Clowns” starts off the EP pretty well with J & Shaggs talking about “When makin’ sense makes no sense at all is when you hold the grease paint stick & draw that smile” on top of a playful trap beat whereas “Clown Bounce” is a boom bap-flavored dance tune reminiscent to “Clown Walk” off Forgotten Freshness 4 or even the cringey “Cha Cha Slide” cover “Chop Chop Slide off my 2nd favorite card of the 2nd deck: Bang! Pow! Boom!.

“Mutilator” has a bit of a rock feel to it with the wicked clowns letting listeners in on what it is to be such while the song “Hyde Park Pedaler” goes back to quasi-boom bap turf as Violent J tells the story of the titular serial killer. The actual closer is a cover of the Duran Duran track “Hungry Like the Wolf” except it’s inferior to the rendition that Twiztid happened to do for their 13th album Mad Season a couple years back as for Brian Kuma’s remix of “Ain’t No Time”, it’s alright.

To start off the trilogy, it’s pretty decent. In comparison to the more personal subject matter that the album had to offer, this EP finds J & Shaggs mixing that old school carnival sound with the new sounds they’ve been dabbling in & there’s even some wicked shit laced in as well. Let’s just see how Pug Ugly the Stink Bud & WOH the Weepin’ Weirdo play out.

Score: 3/5

Insane Clown Posse – “Yum Yum Bedlam” review

This is the highly anticipated 16th full-length album from Detroit horrorcore duo, Juggalo Championship Wrestling founders & the longest reigning JCW World Juggalo Tag Team Champions the Insane Clown Posse. Consisting of Violent J & Shaggy 2 Dope, but very few know that 3 other members came & went during the first 5 years of the group’s inception. Not only would The Duke of the Wicked & the Southside Strangla go on to create seminal wicked shit albums like The First 6, but they gained an extremely loyal fanbase in the process & their self-owned Psychopathic Records became an independent hip hop powerhouse as the label’s roster continued to grow. They dropped a prelude EP earlier this year called Yum Yum’s Lure to widespread backlash amongst the juggalos, so J & Shaggs decided to redo the whole album from scratch & drop it in time for the 28th annual Hallowicked show.

After the intro, the first song “Here Comes the Carnival” kicks off the album celebrating the titular mythology that ICP is known for over a feel good rap rock instrumental from Brian Kuma whereas “Wretched” follows it up with a morbid trap banger produced by Devereaux about Violent J being fucked up in the head. The wicked clowns later go back & forth with each other for the highlight “Clown Drippin’” basically putting their own spin on swag referencing former IWGPヘビー級王座 as well as 10-time WWE world champion & former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar, but then “Gangsta Code” reuses the beat Mike P. made for “Movin’ On” off of Boondox’ 4th album Abaddon talking about living & dying by the streets.

Meanwhile on “Queens”, we have the clowns delivering an ode to all the juggalettes out there over a mystical trap beat from Mythic Mindz just before “Panic Attack!!!” works in a guitar for J to talk about going off the walls mentally for 7 minutes. “Fuck Regret” creepily declares remorse as the Devil’s work, but then “Insomnia” takes a more cloudier route detailing J’s struggles with such as announced at the Gathering a couple months back.

“Heart & Soul” is a wack cover of the T’Pau joint of the same name while “The Drunk & The Addict” goes back to the trap direction with the help of Shaggytheairhead telling the story of ICP themselves being dependent on booze & drugs. “Don’t Touch that Flower” sees Str8jaket bringing in an acoustic guitar advising to be cautioned by the Yum Yum Flower while “Slap Nuts” is a more heavier cut talking about cats falling for their jokes.

I love how J uses “Bitch I’m Fine” as a chilling way of responding to those worried about his heart failure diagnosis while the song “Carnival of Lights” is a warm look at the camaraderie of the juggalo family. The penultimate track “Ain’t No Time” vulnerably addresses an ex of his over a guitar while “Something to See” ends the album on a sweeter note looking back on their careers up to this point from their music to their wrestling career since they’ve previously appeared in ECW, WWE, WCW, ROH & TNA on top of their JCW accolades.

Despite all the ups & downs we’ve experienced to get here, Yum Yum Bedlam has to be my 3rd favorite Joker’s Card in the 2nd Deck right behind Bang! Pow! Boom! & The Mighty Death Pop!. Sonically, it’s really cool to hear them fuse the rock elements from The Great Milenko & mixed them together with some of the more trap-flavored cuts from Fearless Fred Fury. Conceptually, the themes of loyalty are displayed with an incredibly unique & profound perception.

Score: 3.5/5