"Shhh, it's a dead body in my trunk. Wanna see it? F**k around and you'll be it." That's right, Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope are back -- back and lamer than ever.
The shock-rock rap duo Insane Clown Posse just released its latest album, Bizzar, which fails artistically on a number of levels. Poor spelling is the least of ICP's woes.
Insane Clown posse
Bizzar
Universal Music
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Then again, that's something of a given -- it would be hard to say Insane Clown Posse has a lot going for it in terms of band concept. Granted, rock isn't known for a rich intellectual tradition. Still, the psycho ninja clown schtick -- it really can't get any more inane.
On Bizzar, the Faygo-guzzling juggalos shy away from the rage-fueled hardcore thrash rock found on their earlier albums. Instead, they opt for a more funky sound, with tracks like "Cherry Pie (I want a Freak)" even sounding like dance club songs, spliced as they are with snippets of movie dialogue.
The new direction is a mistake. Whether Vanilla Ice or Eminem, it holds true throughout the ages, like some Platonic verity -- white guys can't rap, they just can't.
Speaking of Eminem, Insane Clown Posse also suffers from the affluent Detroit suburb complex, which confuses platinum-selling music artists into thinking they're from the hood. No, Kid Rock, being 40 minutes away from the Motor City does not make you a brother. Another notable side-effect to this curious phenomenon is the delusion that their horribly contrived stage acts have some street cred.
"I don't use a chainsaw or a butcher knife -- that's so Nineties."
Such lyrics, off of "Mr. Happy," are the heart of the Insane Clown Posse's problem. Fundamentalist Christians have gotten their panties in a bunch over such content in the past, but one has to wonder why. When Ice Cube expressed his desire to shove a Glock into a cop's mouth, you knew he meant it. When the Insane Clown Posse waxes rhapsodic about slicing up random people with samurai swords, it doesn't carry much weight.
So mom forgot to pick up your Hi-C at the grocery store. Get over it.
