S. Samuel
Rap veteran crew the Insane Clown Posse are gearing up to take on the Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.) over getting classified as gang-related and are not backing down.
According to reports, the rap duo announced their legal plans entering the weekend.
Insane Clown Posse plans to file suit against the federal government for the FBI’s labeling of Juggalos — as fans of the group are known — as a gang, the group announced Friday at the annual Gathering of the Juggalos in rural Illinois. Last fall, fans of the Detroit-made horror-rap duo turned up on the FBI’s National Gang Threat Assessment. The government report also cited street gangs with ties to Mexican drug cartels and other gangs linked to homicides, drug trafficking and gun-running. “Many Juggalos subsets exhibit gang-like behavior and engage in criminal activity and violence,” the FBI report said. (Detroit Free Press)
ICP have also released a statement defending their decision to investigate the F.B.I.
In a statement released over the weekend, the Insane Clown Posse members, Joseph Bruce (who performs under the stage name Violent J) and Joseph Utsler (who goes by Shaggy 2 Dope), said they and their label, Psychopathic Records, had “retained legal counsel to investigate and pursue legal action including monetary compensation and/or other injunctive relief on behalf of their fan base.” Mr. Bruce added: “We’re not attacking the F.B.I., but they got this wrong. The Juggalos are not a gang, and that needs to be fixed.” (New York Times)
Violent J has already detailed what they hope to gain from the lawsuit.
“In a perfect world, I hope that organizations will stand up and say, “I hate ICP, I don’t give a f*ck about them or the Juggalos, but this is f*cked up.” I hope that enough pressure goes on the FBI and enough bigwigs take our side in this and actually say, “Look, [it doesn’t matter] who they are, it’s still f*cked up what’s happening to them.” And then we actually get taken off the list. Even if we lose, at least we said, “Hey man, f*ck you.” We can’t say that we’re just going to beat the FBI, but at least we’re trying–and we’re trying sincerely. We will spend everything we got. (Village Voice)
The Insane Clown Posse took part in the annual Juggalos Festival last week.
At the 13th Gathering of the Juggalos, which started Wednesday and wraps up today at a campground near this dot on the map by the Ohio River, they’ve arrived about 8,000 strong, seeking community and celebrating the world of Detroit rap group Insane Clown Posse. Since starting as an impromptu fan convention in Novi in 2000, the Gathering has evolved into a bucket-list event for ICP fans — part summer pilgrimage, part family reunion for thousands from across the country. (Detroit Free Press)
