ICP FIND GOD IN A DARK CARNIVAL (WHAT?)
Posted by MC Lars on Mon, September 28, 2009 at 2:09 pm
Happy Yom Kippur.
I saw my Australian friend Jai Al-Attas yesterday. He used to run a labeled called Below Par, they put out my “Laptop EP” in Australia in 2005 and hooked me up with the Matches. He just made a movie about punk rock in the 90s that Tony Hawk narrates:
He’s also working on developing a cartoon series and he just made this hilarious series of podcasts about our friend Mark. As you will see, they are very inspired by the awkward humor of Ricky Gervas in the UK version of “the Office” (you can see the rest on Mark’s YouTube channel):
I went to see ICP last night with my friend DJ. My skin is still stained red from the Diet Faygo two liters they hurled into the crowd all evening. My friend Matt Maly is tour-managing their direct support act, (hed) p.e. (who are actually amazing), and says ICP throws 600 2 liters of Faygo into the audience a night.
Let’s do the math: That’s 1200 liters, which is about 317 gallons of soda. That’s over five bathtubs full of soda…. you could fill three kiddie pools with that much carbonated beverage. They don’t mess around. I can’t imagine what’s like for the maintenance staff at the clubs to clean up all of the sticky liquid from the walls and floors.
DJ and I were in the mosh pit helping throw kids up to crowd surf and ducking to avoid crazy, 300 pound Juggalos jumping on our necks. It took me back to being a teenager and it was really surreal to think that my first ICP show was over ten years ago. I could go on and on about why I love the technical aspect of the infamous Detroit duo’s set, but some people like them and some don’t – I’d never try to win people over for them. They’re doing fine in that department. You can’t really appreciate the group unless you got into them as an impressionable teen and they were your first rap concert (like one post-punk laptop rapper you may know). Otherwise, you understandably would hate them. Some of their fans can make the average person uncomfortable:
Tomorrow we’re going to see with our friends Carl and Mark at Oglio to talk about the rest of the marketing strategy for “This Gigantic Robot Kills” and figure out the rest of the game plan this year. I’ve been seeing my old friends down here and gearing up for the upcoming October adventure with Bowling for Soup. We’re figuring out the video projection stuff and talking to Failsafe (who will be our backup band) about the set. I’m also ordering merch. If you have old MC Lars shirt designs that you think I should bring back, hit me up.
I had a lot of spiritual epiphanies at the show last night. Basically, it’s amazing how close the ICP fan base is, they are all not the kind of people I’d normally meet in my circles, but they are sweet, dedicated, loving kids who feel like a family (and even chanted “family! family!” when a fight broke out between two drunken fans in the parking lot before the show, as a way to diffuse the madness).
ICP’s lyrical content is questionable, but there’s a mysticism to it all, a call for unity and love, and at the end of the day their story is that of the underdogs achieving success by sticking together and not putting up with societal hypocrisy or bigotry. Sure, they’re making millions, but at their core is this positive message (the Dark Carnival is God on Earth, what?).
There’s an underlining theme of Buddhism in their rhymes. They talk about howt the world is temporary and transient and our goal in this lifetime is to achieve good, not evil, because karma is real. Everything we do will be judged in the end, so get your life together and aim to achieve positive things in this lifetime. Maybe I’ll write my PhD thesis on Buddhist mysticism in Detroit underground hip-hop. Who knows.
Much love to everyone!! I’m just keeping creative, taking care of business, staying inspired, and helping to help my homies do the same.
MC Lars
Los Angeles, CA 9-28-09
P.S. Happy Birthday to my sister Sarah today!
Really great post – I too was a young ‘un when I found ICP. Their message, overall, is one of the most positive for other young people; if that means a lack of political correctness to reach them and then guide them along the right path, so be it.
Thanks for pointing this out, and for being a fellow fan.
From an ICP and MC Lars supporter.
wow HED pe support people, they are epic. and we miss them in the UK
Ive often been looked at funny for declaring a love for ICP in the circles I run in, then again alot of my music taste is questionable to most J Dilla loving Clash fans that Ive worked with but hey!
You’re right about the positive aspect of their work, and its great to read that from someone else with an “outside” perspective (i.e not a juggalo) as they usually just get classed as trash and a joke or novelty. Theyve been around a hell of a long time though and I dont think deserve the novelty tag any longer.
I too have found the ‘family’ theyve built to be a fantastic thing, giving kids who would usually be classed as outcasts, or those just looking for something different something to feel like they belong too. They look out for each other, Ive seen personal experience of this, and that can never be a bad thing.
I actually think the music stands up strong too, often hilarious lyrics with a message delivered over frankly excellently produced beats that are bouncy and fun, and very often technically very accomplished (their producer Mike E. Clark is probably THE most underrated producer in HipHop if we’re honest).
Their critics take them far too seriously I think. If you relax and just go with it theres much to like.
Props.
SA
Much respect guys – you know what you’re talking about!!
I got tricked into seeing ICP back in ’97 and even more tricked into being friends with them and some of their other labelmates for years after. Even now when that time is long past me (thank GOD), I enjoy the shows for the theatrics of it all, and the kids always amaze me. Yes, their avg fan even still scares me – and I’m pretty sure I’ve seen it all – but the atmosphere is pretty rad. For all the family and love the punk/hardcore whatever scene thinks they have, they could learn a thing or two. On a related note, I always tell Weerd Science that he/they remind me of Twiztid. Without the facepaint. Tho I’d pay to see Josh in facepaint, actually.
Ahhhh Memories……..
I was a juggalo at a young age, being from Detroit. I grew out of ICP quickly, at like 14, but still have never fallen out of love with Twiztid. When they squashed the beef with Proof, the last song Proof ever recorded, I fucking cried. I agree, its a beautiful thing what they did. Perhaps they are insane, perhaps there lyrics are ridiculous and should be laughed at…but who cares, thats the point. If you take ICP serious; you are not a juggalo, you are in jail. Juggalos are family, more so then about -any- other band has ever been able to assemble. You cant deny 20 years in the game, and you cannot deny millions of records sold.
On a side note, I agree, Mike E may be the most underated producer of all time. He makes so many Twiztid tracks absolute classics, when you add two of the more underated lyricist in the game.
Lars, I love you. Do more work with Joe from Punit, that was the best show I have ever seen.
I miss Hed Planet Earh so much… But not as much as i miss Lars (> *.*)> Can’t wait til oct in cambrige.
peace, and hope you get un-redded (look at me making up cool hip words)
Hey Lars,
Yeah, I figured out a long time ago that the mythos of ICP was basically all about being a good person, with Jay and Shaggy being the Reapers who punished the truly evil and bigoted people of the world. You explained it so intelligently, loved the pics of Buddha and Jay. They also make kick ass music, are hilarious, and are marketing geniuses. I look up to them a lot as an independent comedy musician with heavy hip-hop leanings.
Also, I eat Monopoly and shit out Connect Four.
- Luke Ski
Oh Hell no you didnt just call ICP Buddhists .
I been down for over ten years! Good and the bad, but ICP has opened my eyes and made me a better person than anyone could have imagined. ICP takes the people who normally wouldn’t seek God and the good things life has to offer, and shows it to them in a way that they can relate to at that time in their life! Also, MC Lars kicks ass… Nerdcore4Life!!!!
Lars you have too many ICP fan-friends
ok not that many but I dig it. As for Mike E – well, it depends. He never did much if you know what really went on in there. As for Jamie and the hedpe thing – they just aren’t the same. They went balls out crazy. Jay from ICP gave me my first hedpe cd in 97 and I loved them, and did tours with them for years – but I saw them a bit ago and its a hot mess. Compared to what they used to do. Brandon, thanks for the point on Twiztid. I’ll probably always be obsessed – since House of Krazees in 97 until now. MCL
Woop Woop! I’m a Juggalo that see’s forums that talk about ICP all the time and this was one of the most positive. This was great…Much Clown love to all the homies! woop woop!
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