- GENRE: Hip - Hop
- LABEL: Psychopathic records
Returns to suck the dignity from rap Is an easy, elusive read
Managing Editor
Chanting obscenities while ranting of violence and prejudice is no new practice for the Insane Clown Posse. The Detroit-based group’s legions of fans agree that ICP’s mean spirit is actually its biggest selling point.
Since ICP’s brand of minimalist, belligerent rap was introduced in the late ‘80s, the crew has, album after album, torn the social conscience and relevance from hip-hop with tragically immature arrangements and abrasively childish wordplay.
Now in 2012, the posse is back in its standard, expectedly grotesque, lyrical form. “The Mighty Death Pop!” released on the eve of the infamous Gathering of the Juggalos festival earlier this summer, does feature slicker production from the now-wealthy group.
It’s at least clear that ICP’s cash has come a long way.
But a crisper, more expensive sound can’t hide the perverse sociopaths behind the rhymes. Songs such as “Chris Benoit” and “Hate Her to Death” are insensitive and vile as they reference, jokingly, the recent double-murder suicide of a deceased professional wrestler’s family and merely beating up women who don’t want to date them, respectively.
Beats are simplistic to the point of amateurish and they are overwrought with heavy, guitar-laden samples. The cheesy rock influence is painfully reminiscent of hip-hop godfathers Run DMC. Any attempt by these infantile wannabes to take influence from such royalty is heresy. A heresy they force onto listeners akin to the oppressive words portrayed on the disc.
To make matters worse, this latest offering was repackaged twice. A “Red Pop,” Black Pop” and “White Pop” version are all available with exactly the same tracks, save their bonus discs.
“Red Pop” presents more blasphemy as the duo ruins many classic and historical hip-hop tunes. “White Pop” offers remixes of the album tracks and “Black Pop” takes listeners through an exhaustive, non-stop, hour-long freestyle.
Upon observing a young listener enjoying the sounds of “The Mighty Death Pop!” any mature adult would slap the phones from the child’s ears.
Admittedly, hip-hop does often contain language and references that are gritty and considered inappropriate for children. But the best artists are able to use these violent realities in crafting poetry and music that reaches the soul of humanity, expressing the darkest secrets and dishonesties of society.
ICP exploits the honestly of hip-hop, reaching into a naïve, impressionable fan base and sacrificing the beauty of their chosen genre along the way.
This latest release is more of the same with even more aggressive marketing. The posse must be stopped.
Genre: Hip-hop
Label: Psychopathic records
Length: 62:14
