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.
Echo Side
Insane Clown Posse Lyrics
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(1st Verse- Violent J, (Shaggy2Dope), [Monoxide Child], {Jamie Maddrox})
Imagine a place that exists beyond, a place that's seldom seen
[A place that even the wickedest souls that burned have never been]
{There was a soul named Damien, he was nothing heaven could save}
[Instead he was cast to the flames of Hell to serve an eternal grave]
(Even in the Afterlife, things don't always go as planned)
{Damien burned his spot in hell right until his dying day}
So the wagons took his sorry soul and taunted him all the way
[They finally reached that resting place, an endless pit of fire]
(But Damien had escaped through the back door of Satan's lair)
[Out the back entrance of hell but with nowhere else to hide]
His hell is just a tomb, resting in the Echo Side.
(Chanting x2)
Underneath the shadows of the other side of time
If there is a hell then there must be a behind
You can take me to the ghetto land move everything and back
Take me from the Echo Side and never bring me back
(2nd Verse- Violent J, (Shaggy2Dope), [Monoxide Child], {Jamie Maddrox})
Damien ran as far as he could before his legs began decaying
[There were many dead trees, a blood red sky, and headless children playing]
(A wicked man with a long black toungue saw Damien's legs were dead)
So he laid on top of Damien, and then licked the back of his neck and said...
"Fuck the Devil, fuck that shit.
We will leave this life legit.
If you're hearing what we say,
why youu throw your soul away?" - Save me from the darkest corner (4X)
(Chanting)
Underneath the shadows of the other side of time
If there is a hell then there must be a behind
You can take me to the ghetto land move everything and back
Take me from the Echo Side and never bring me back
(Backwards Dialect) Save me from the darkest corner (x4)
(3rd Verse- Violent J, (Shaggy2Dope), [Monoxide Child], {Jamie Maddrox})
{Damien called for many hours, in puddles of blood he lay}
Tortured by everything he saw, yet wishing along the way
[His arms decayed and fell off his body as he rolled along the floor]
{Still trying not to look back, as if something else was in store}
(The clouds above were dark and hot yet dripping with blood rain)
[The ground infested with rodents, that crawled throughout his veins]
{As Damien laid in Echo Side, Hell's screams could still be heard}
The blood red sky would flicker with the tourturing that occurred
(Thinking back, he had escaped; every scream he heard he laughed)
The headless children pointed and urinated in his wrath
[He finally saw some fortress gates, so he quickly rolled into it]
These red gates were the front doors of hell...he never knew it. heh heh
(Chanting)
Underneath the shadows of the other side of time
If there is a hell then there must be a behind
You can take me to the ghetto land move everything and back
Take me from the Echo Side and never bring me back (repeat till end)
The song "Echo Side" by Insane Clown Posse describes a place called the Echo Side that exists beyond the physical realm, where even the most evil souls who have burned in Hell have never been. The song narrates the story of a soul named Damien, who was cast into the flames of Hell and burned his spot in the fiery pit until his dying day. However, he managed to escape through the backdoor of Satan's lair, but found himself with nowhere else to hide. His escape led him to a place that was just a tomb, resting in the Echo Side.
Throughout the song, as Damien navigates through the Echo Side, he encounters headless children playing, wicked men with long black tongues, and blood-red skies dripping with rain. Despite the ominous surroundings, Damien keeps moving forward, as evidenced by his journey to the fortress gates that he thought would lead him to safety but actually led him back to Hell's front doors. The song ends with the repeating plea to take the listener away from the Echo Side and never bring them back.
Line by Line Meaning
Imagine a place that exists beyond, a place that's seldom seen
There's a place beyond our world that very few have ever seen
[A place that even the wickedest souls that burned have never been]
Not even the most evil souls have seen this place
{There was a soul named Damien, he was nothing heaven could save}
There was a guy named Damien who was too bad for Heaven to save
[Instead he was cast to the flames of Hell to serve an eternal grave]
So, he was sent to Hell and doomed to suffer eternally
(Even in the Afterlife, things don't always go as planned)
The afterlife isn't always what you expect it to be
[As Satan's throne sees ??, it's hectic and over jammed]
Satan's domain is crazy busy and crowded
{Damien burned his spot in hell right until his dying day}
Damien was in Hell and burnt for eternity until he died
So the wagons took his sorry soul and taunted him all the way
He was taken to the afterlife and mocked by those leading him there
[They finally reached that resting place, an endless pit of fire]
Eventually, they arrived at an endless pit of flames
(But Damien had escaped through the back door of Satan's lair)
Damien somehow escaped Hell through the backdoor
[Out the back entrance of hell but with nowhere else to hide]
He left Hell but had no safe haven to go to
His hell is just a tomb, resting in the Echo Side.
For Damien, his eternal torment is now merely resting in the Echo Side.
Underneath the shadows of the other side of time
There exists another side of time that's in the shadows
If there is a hell then there must be a behind
There must be something behind Hell
You can take me to the ghetto land move everything and back
Take me anywhere but don't leave me in this hellish place
Take me from the Echo Side and never bring me back
Get me away from the Echo Side and don't ever bring me back to Hell
{Damien called for many hours, in puddles of blood he lay}
Damien was in agony and called out for help while laying in his own blood
Tortured by everything he saw, yet wishing along the way
While he was tortured, he still hoped for some relief
[His arms decayed and fell off his body as he rolled along the floor]
Damien's arms decayed and fell off while he suffered on the floor
{Still trying not to look back, as if something else was in store}
Trying to move forward and escape, wondering what more is going to happen
(The clouds above were dark and hot yet dripping with blood rain)
Above him, dark and hot clouds were dripping with drops of blood
[The ground infested with rodents, that crawled throughout his veins]
The ground was infested with rodents that crawled over him and through his veins
{As Damien laid in Echo Side, Hell's screams could still be heard}
Even though Damien left Hell, he could still hear the screams of the suffering
The blood red sky would flicker with the torturing that occurred
The red sky would flicker with the visual of torturing that took place in Hell
(Thinking back, he had escaped; every scream he heard he laughed)
Mentally revisiting his escape from Hell, he even laughs at the screams he hears
The headless children pointed and urinated in his wrath
Headless children pointed at and urinated on him as he rolled by them
[He finally saw some fortress gates, so he quickly rolled into it]
Damien discovers some protective gate, so he rolled quickly towards it
These red gates were the front doors of hell...he never knew it. heh heh
He thought the gates were to safety, but he unknowingly entered another entrance to Hell.
(Backwards Dialect) Save me from the darkest corner (x4)
Repeating 'Save me from the darkest corner' in reverse dialect
Lyrics Ā© Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOSEPH BRUCE, MIKE E. CLARK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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