Founded in Detroit in 1989, Insane Clown Posse performs a style of hardcore hip hop known as horrorcore and is known for its elaborate live performances. Originally known as JJ Boyz and Inner City Posse, the group introduced supernatural- and horror-themed lyrics as a means of distinguishing itself stylistically. The duo founded the independent record label Psychopathic Records with Alex Abbiss as manager, and produced and starred in the feature films Big Money Hustlas and Big Money Rustlas. They formed their own professional wrestling promotion, Juggalo Championship Wrestling, and later collaborated with many hip hop and rock musicians.
The songs of Insane Clown Posse center thematically on the mythology of the Dark Carnival, a metaphoric limbo in which the lives of the dead are judged by one of several entities. The Dark Carnival is elaborated through a series of stories called Joker's Cards, each of which offers a specific lesson designed to change the "evil ways" of listeners before "the end consumes us all". The original lineup of Insane Clown Posse was John Utsler (John Kickjazz), Joe Bruce (Violent J) and Joey Utsler (Shaggy 2 Dope). John Utsler left before Carnival of Carnage was released in 1992.
Insane Clown Posse's performance style is often described as horrorcore hip hop, which "utilize shocking (and blatantly over-the-top) narratives to give an over-exaggerated, almost cartoon-like version of urban deprivation in Detroit", according to author Sara Cohen. Bruce and Utsler describe many of their lyrics as being tongue-in-cheek. The group's early work features a raw, minimalistic sound, which later evolved into a more rock-oriented style. The group's lyrics serve as morality tales, with songs focusing on subjects such as cannibalism, murder and necrophilia. Insane Clown Posse's debut album, Carnival of Carnage, features a politically-oriented focus, criticizing elitism and prejudice against those who live in the ghetto, while the album's liner notes criticize the Gulf War. The group's lyrics have opposed racism, bigotry, domestic violence, and child abuse.
Insane Clown Posse has covered songs by Geto Boys, Sly Fox, and Above the Law. Bruce and Utsler refer to Ice Cube, Awesome Dre, Geto Boys, and Esham as influences on their own music, while Bruce has expressed admiration for Gong, Pearl Jam, and Michael Jackson. Mike E. Clark's production for the group incorporates elements such as "carnival organ riffs, power chords and shotgun blasts...banjolike plucking and Van Halen-esque guitar squeals", while Bruce and Utsler sometimes alternate between rapping and screaming. Bruce has credited pop music as an influence on some of the group's material, even terming the music "Wicked Pop". Bruce has also stated "We do our own genre of music". In his review of The Tempest, Allmusic's David Jeffries writes that Bruce and Utsler "[rap] in a carnival barker fashion that fits with their circus motif, their Insane Clown disguises, and Mike E. Clark's big top-inspired production." Insane Clown Posse has influenced similar acts, such as Axe Murder Boyz, Blaze Ya Dead Homie and Boondox.
Basehead Attack
Insane Clown Posse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So there I was watchin' Sanford & Son, workin' the graveyard shift
At a party store, rollin' a spliff
I'm behind the glass I see crackheads all night
But tonight the moon is red and shit ain't feelin' so right
My first sight was a basehead tryin' to break into my car
In plain view, too I ran out with a crowbar
Hammered it across his cranium, he fell over dead
Here come another one jumpin' out of a tree
But I ain't even have to move, he missed by like 20 feet
He slammed down on the pavement, I quickly started kickin'
Beat him with the crowbar 'til he finally stopped twitchin'
Looked behind me, seen another zombie in the register
I'm used to shoo'in' 'em off from beggin' from the customers
But now I gotta reach up under the seat and grab the hand-ax
Whipped it from there and stuck it into his back
[Hook] - x2
THE ATTACK OF THE BASEHEADS! they on a mission
They always on the hunt for something they always missin'
THE ATTACK OF THE BASEHEADS! every city, every town
They always on the hunt for somethin' never to be found
[Verse - Shaggy 2 Dope]
Goddammit, it's two more in the cooler once I'm back in the sto'
Pull my hand-ax out that back and then attack him some mo'
I charged, but he busted me in the head with a Pepsi
No effect, I left him shakin' on the floor like epilepsy
With they necks severed, fuckin' zombies for rocks
Another jumped my back and we went through the glass into the parking lot
He tried to kill me, he told me "Gimme some change!"
All diggin' in my ear for it and shit, deranged!
I grabbed him by his head and tried to yank it to the left to break his neck
But his head spun all the way around and that was fuckin' it
I was outta there, I seen another comin' out the grave
Zombies, beggin' for change!!
I'm fuckin' swingin' at em, knock they chin off their face
But they still comin' at me, hands out, they want to base
They must think my white eyeballs are giant crack rocks
I gotta slap 'em out they funky ass socks..help me!
[Hook] - x2
THE ATTACK OF THE BASEHEADS! they on a mission
They always on the hunt for something they always missin'
THE ATTACK OF THE BASEHEADS! every city, every town
They always on the hunt for somethin' never to be found
[Verse - Violent J]
They don't have a brain left behind they empty eyes
They want crack rocka coca and they buzzin' like flies
You might pull they arm off, you try to shake they hand
'cause their souls been gone, it's just a shell of a man
Walkin' around lookin' for rock anyway they can get it
Even if you got AIDS, them dirty bitches let you hit it
And you still gettin' something worse than you already got
I seen one catch one in the head, not even know he got shot
It was crack smoke blowing out the side of his head
He put a champagne cork in the hole and that was it
Basehead zombies, millions of 'em and more
With the steamroller, roll 'em over flat on the floor
Their like dead ass bodies walkin' around without the ghost
With no clue where they fuckin' headed but the rock roast
Opportunities were given, they let 'em all pass
Now they themselves ain't worth a shit out they ass
[Hook]
THE ATTACK OF THE BASEHEADS! they on a mission
They always on the hunt for somethin' they always missin'
THE ATTACK OF THE BASEHEADS! every city, every town
They always on the hunt for somethin' never to be found
THE ATTACK OF THE BASEHEADS! they comin' for your goods
Simultaneously in 50,000 neighborhoods
THE ATTACK OF THE BASEHEADS! they comin' out the dark
And they comin' for you, they want to pull out your heart and smoke it
THE ATTACK OF THE BASEHEADS! they on a mission
They always on the hunt for somethin' they always missin'
THE ATTACK OF THE BASEHEADS! every city, every town
They always on the hunt for somethin' never to be found
THE ATTACK OF THE BASEHEADS! they on a mission
They always on the hunt for somethin' they always missin'
THE ATTACK OF THE BASEHEADS! every city, every town
They always on the hunt for somethin' never to be found
The lyrics of "Basehead Attack" by Insane Clown Posse describe a night shift worker's encounter with a group of baseheads, or crack addicts, who have turned into zombies. As the worker watches Sanford & Son and rolls a joint, crackheads try to break into his car. One basehead jumps down from a tree and misses the worker by 20 feet, falling to the pavement. The worker beats him with a crowbar until he stops moving. Another basehead is at the store's register, and the worker stabs him with a hand-ax. Meanwhile, more zombies gather outside, asking for change and trying to attack the worker. Violent J explains that baseheads are so addicted to crack that they have no brain left and are like dead bodies walking around without ghosts. The chorus repeats the phrase, "the attack of the baseheads" while describing how they are always on the hunt for something they are missing.
Line by Line Meaning
So there I was watchin' Sanford & Son, workin' the graveyard shift
I was working the overnight shift at a party store, watching TV when everything went wrong.
At a party store, rollin' a spliff
I was rolling a marijuana cigarette behind the bullet-proof glass of the party store where I worked.
I'm behind the glass I see crackheads all night
I spent my shift looking out at a parade of drug addicts who would approach the store looking for a fix.
But tonight the moon is red and shit ain't feelin' so right
On this particular night, everything was strange and foreboding, and I had a sense that something terrible was going to happen.
My first sight was a basehead tryin' to break into my car
The first sign of trouble was a drug addict attempting to break into my vehicle.
In plain view, too I ran out with a crowbar
I immediately grabbed a crowbar and confronted the basehead in full view of anyone who might have been watching.
Hammered it across his cranium, he fell over dead
I struck the basehead in the head with the crowbar, killing him instantly.
But no blood, only dust, he's a fuckin' basehead
I realized that, due to his drug addiction, the basehead had likely wasted away to the point that his body was composed mostly of dust and dirt.
Here come another one jumpin' out of a tree
Another drug addict appeared suddenly, leaping down from a tree and attacking me.
But I ain't even have to move, he missed by like 20 feet
The drug addict was so incoherent that he missed me by a wide margin when he launched his attack.
He slammed down on the pavement, I quickly started kickin'
After the addict fell to the ground, I began kicking him in an effort to subdue him.
Beat him with the crowbar 'til he finally stopped twitchin'
I resorted to hitting the addict repeatedly with the crowbar until he stopped moving.
Looked behind me, seen another zombie in the register
When I turned around, I saw yet another drug addict who had somehow made it inside the store and was attempting to steal from the register.
I'm used to shoo'in' 'em off from beggin' from the customers
As an employee of the store, I was accustomed to drug addicts approaching customers for money and had developed a routine for handling them.
But now I gotta reach up under the seat and grab the hand-ax
This time, however, I needed to arm myself and so retrieved a hand-ax from under the store counter.
Whipped it from there and stuck it into his back
I attacked the drug addict with the hand-ax, striking him in the back.
They always on the hunt for somethin' never to be found
The drug addicts were driven by a constant search for the next high, a futile quest that would never truly end.
Goddammit, it's two more in the cooler once I'm back in the sto'
Upon returning to the store, I discovered two more drug addicts in the cooler, who were apparently trying to steal alcohol or other substances.
Pull my hand-ax out that back and then attack him some mo'
I used the hand-ax to attack the two new drug addicts.
I charged, but he busted me in the head with a Pepsi
One of the drug addicts broke my momentum by throwing a Pepsi can at my head, causing me to stagger.
No effect, I left him shakin' on the floor like epilepsy
Thankfully, the blow had little effect on me, and I was able to resume my attack on the drug addict, leaving him writhing on the ground.
They want crack rocka coca and they buzzin' like flies
The drug addicts were consumed by their addiction to crack cocaine and were acting like frenzied insects.
You might pull they arm off, you try to shake they hand
The drug addicts were so debilitated by their addiction that simple tasks like shaking hands were beyond their physical capabilities.
With the steamroller, roll 'em over flat on the floor
The drug addicts resembled lifeless machines, and I imagined using a powerful steamroller to flatten them out.
Their like dead ass bodies walkin' around without the ghost
The drug addicts were like zombies, deprived of their souls and simply shuffling around in a desperate search for their next fix.
Now they themselves ain't worth a shit out they ass
The drug addicts had ruined their bodies and minds to such an extent that they were essentially worthless as human beings.
They always on the hunt for somethin' they always missin'
The drug addicts were consumed by their craving for drugs, which would always be just out of reach.
THE ATTACK OF THE BASEHEADS! they comin' out the dark
The drug addicts were like a horde of zombies, emerging from the shadows to attack anyone in their path.
And they comin' for you, they want to pull out your heart and smoke it
The drug addicts were driven by their addiction to the point where they would kill someone just to obtain one more hit of crack cocaine.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
adrian
on Freaky Tales
bruh