Episode 1: G A T H E R !

What is a Juggalo? There's a lot of different answers to that question as it turns out, and most of them have the word "fuck" in them. The short answer is a hardcore fan of the Detroit Wicked Shit Rap duo the Insane Clown Posse, or as they are more colloquially known, ICP. The full answer, however, may surprise you. People have always assumed that Juggalos are mostly just a bunch of white trash losers who constantly act a fool and do tons of drugs at concerts and their annual festival, The Gathering of the Juggalos. Those people are correct. If you can get past the grit and grime though, you'll be made privy to a world you might have never though possible. Juggalo Culture is a very real and deeply hallowed thing to hundreds of thousands of American men, women and children, if not millions of people the world over. We're looked at as outcasts, and that might be true, but for all of our obsession with Axes, facepaint, and cheap soda pop there is a tangible and powerful energy at the core of this following. Join two long time adherents of Juggalo Culture, Madd Maxxx and Reverend Television, as they take you on a journey through the smoke and carnival rides of the Juggalo Worldwith a look at Juggalo Culture that very few others could give you. Maxxx, a self proclaimed Juggalo Rapper of nearly 20 years, got his start in 2004 when Violent J flew him to Detroit to see if he wanted to work with him after hearing one of his songs online. Spoiler alert, he didn't. With that said, he has lived, eaten, slept, and breathed Juggalo culture since many years before that moment and every single moment since. The same could be said of Reverend Television, a longtime Juggalo who has been making independent art, music, and movies since the early 2000's. His work is gritty and subversive, and he credits Juggalo Culture as one of his most influential inspirations. This isn't just a couple of dimwits getting stoned and talking about a bunch of stupid shit. Well, it is that, but it's much more than that. This is a much more educated, even academic look at the works of not only just the Insane Clown Posse, but the multitude of other artists and musicians who have at one time or another entered the sphere of Juggalo Culture. Artists like Ice T, Snoop Dog, Eminem, the Beastie Boys, and that's just the famous ones. That doesn't include the dozens if not hundreds of artists out there who work with ICP or have been directly influenced by their work. There is much, much more through the gates on The Carnival Grounds than you could have ever imagined, so step right up and buy your tickets. There'll be thrills, chills, and at least a few spills, though they wont be spills you want to be anywhere near. Unless it's some Faygo, of course. On this first introductory episode, Maxxx and the Reverend re-introduce themselves and have an in depth discussion about the one and only outlaw music festival The Gathering of the Juggalos. With this years Gathering parking lot party going down as we speak, we thought this would be the best way to kick off the podcast. This way hopefully some ninjas actually AT the gathering will check this out inbetween their ballon hits and the Juggalos who said they couldn't gather this year can get hit with some helly FOMO and hopefully speed across the country to catch the last few days. Yes, we recorded it way in advance, but we've both gathered enough times over the years to have a real boots on the ground of the Gathering, both what it once was during the days of its infancy and the cultural phenomenon it has become. Come reminisce or get schooled or both, newcomers and OG's alike, we don't discriminate around here.