Insane Clown Posse, also commonly known as ICP, and previously known as JJ Boyz and Inner City Posse, is a hip-hop duo from Detroit, Michigan made up of members Violent J (Joseph Bruce) and Shaggy 2 Dope (Joseph Utsler). Due to their songs depicting disturbing, violent, and severely explicit lyrics, ICP is considered horrorcore, a style of hardcore hip-hop. They’re also known for elaborate live shows and concerts.
ICP’s intense fanbase calls themselves “The Juggalos.” The nickname originated in 1994 when Violent J addressed the crowd as Juggalos during the song “The Juggla.” Since then, Juggalos, the group known to be goth-clowns with a hint of hillbilly and according to Shaggy 2 Dope, come in all economic classes, religions, and races, have made themselves easily recognizable by a variety of features.
Besides Insane Clown Posse, the Juggalo community immerses themselves with other horrorcore and rap artists including Busta Rhymes, MC Hammer, and Ice Cube. There are also a few eccentric and niche things Juggalos do to upkeep the persona; Juggalos are also known for their “whoop whoop!” signal that there are other Juggalos around. Starting when Violent J, responding to hecklers, sprayed the crowd with Faygo, Juggalos started to religiously drink the fruity soda. Juggalos are also known to display the “wicked clown” hand gesture, which is the “westside” sign with your left hand, the letter “C” in American Sign Language with your right, and your arms crossed over each other. Some would call this a “gang sign,” so it’s worth mentioning that Juggalos were classified as a gang in 2011 by the National Gang Intelligence Center. Assaults, drug trafficking, vandalism, burglary, shootings, thefts, robberies, and murders have been tied and affiliated with Juggalos, but there is a distinction between Juggalo gang affiliates and non-violent Juggalos. Due to the negative connotation surrounding Juggalos and gangs, ICP filed a lawsuit against the FBI in 2011 about the gang listing but dropped their involvement as plaintiffs in 2012. They filed suit against the FBI again in 2014 to break the classification of Juggalos as a gang and to destroy any “criminal intelligence information” about Juggalos.
Fashion and makeup are also an important way of identifying or becoming a Juggalo. Don’t forget Juggalos are the fanbase of Insane Clown Posse – of course they’re going to look arguably crazy. For hair, spider legs, locs, and braids are popular in the Juggalo community, also incorporating bright hair dye and hair accessories. Probably the most iconic and recognizable feature of a Juggalo is the face paint, which somewhat resembles corpse paint. While each Juggalo’s makeup is influenced by their own preferences, Juggalo face paint normally follows the guidelines of a white base all over the face, and then blocky shapes of bright colors around the eyes, mouth, and eyebrows like a clown. Juggalo fashion consists of large, baggy clothes sometimes depicting images of a hatchet, the hatchet man logo, or clothing from the brand Chapter 17.
Aside from the gang-related rift in the early 2010s, Juggalos are generally carefree, unique, focused on fun, and ultimately united as not only the fanbase of Insane Clown Posse but as a community, almost resembling a family.
