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.
Halls of Illusions
Insane Clown Posse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
[Violent J]
Ticket please, thanks, walk through the door
Into the Halls Of Illusions, visit yours
And see what coulda and shoulda and woulda been real
But you had to fuck up tha whole deal
It's a long way it, it takes all day!"
And when you get to tha end, you'll find a chair
With straps and chains, we slap you in there
Lock you down tight so you can't move a thread
And pull your eyelids up over your head
'cause you're about to witness an illusionary dream
It's just to bad it ain't what it seems
[Shaggy 2 Dope]
You walk in and see two kids on the floor
They playin Nintendo and he's got tha high score
And sittin behind them chillin in a chair
Is your wife, when ya look, oh, you ain't there
It's some other man in the hand in hand
Now she looks so happy you don't understand
See this is an illusion, it never came true
All because of you!
[Violent J]
Back to reality and what you're about
Your wife can't smile 'cause ya knocked her teeth out
And she can't see straight from gettin hit
'cause you're a fat fuckin drunk piece of shit
But it's all good here, come have a beer
I'll break the top off it and shove it in ya ear
And you're death comes wicked painful and slow
At tha hands of MILENKO!
[Chorus (2x)]
Great Milenko, wave your wand
Don't look now, your life is gone
This is all because of you
What you got yourself into
[Violent J]
Look who's next it's Mr. Clark
The dirty old man from the trailer park
You got your ticket? Thanks take your coat off
And later on, why not, I'll rip your throat off
"Lets take a walk down the hallway
It's a long way it, it takes all day"
And when you get to the end you'll find a chair
You see all the blood, yeah your boy was just here
We get all different kind of people comin through
Richies, chickens and bitches just like you
In the Halls everybody gets a turn
To sit and witness your illusion before you burn
[Shaggy 2 Dope]
What do we have here, oh yeah, no way
It looks like your kids and they okay
Your daughter's chillin up in college top grade
And your son's a fuckin doctor, phat paid
They got families and kids and it's all good
They even coach little league in the neighborhood
Is this true have ya really seen tha holy ghost?
Nah, bitch, not even close!
[Violent J]
Back to reality your son's on crack
And your daughter's got nut stains on her back
And they both fuckin smell like shit
And live in the gutter and sell crack to each other
When they were kids you'd beat em and leave em home
And even whip em with the cord on the telephone
And that reminds me man hey ya gotta call
Watch your step to Hell...it's a long fall!
[Chorus (2x)]
[Violent J]
Ah, it's time to pack up and move to the next town
But we forgot Mr. Bigot, okay, dig it
We can't show you an illusion 'cause we're all packed
But I'll still cut ya neck out, how's that?
[Chorus (4x)]
The song "Halls of Illusions" by Insane Clown Posse is a haunting and macabre commentary on the consequences of one's actions. The lyrics follow the story of a person as they enter a haunted house filled with illusions that reveal the alternate realities that could have been if they had made different choices in life. However, these illusions quickly turn to nightmares as each one reveals a painful and horrifying outcome.
The first illusion portrays the main character's wife happy and content with another man while the person is nowhere to be seen. This illusion draws attention to the notion that our choices and actions have consequences that may not necessarily align with our desires. The second illusion highlights the children's achievements, which turn out to be lies. The harsh reality includes their crack addiction, unhealthy relationships, and criminal behavior.
The main idea of the song is to suggest that individuals should be mindful of their actions, as every choice has a consequence, and they may not make the decisions they were pinning their hopes on. The song's chorus, "Great Milenko, wave your wand, don't look now, your life is gone, this is all because of you, what you got into," reiterates that these consequences are the direct result of the choices made.
Line by Line Meaning
Ticket please, thanks, walk through the door Into the Halls Of Illusions, visit yours And see what coulda and shoulda and woulda been real But you had to fuck up tha whole deal
Welcome to the Halls of Illusions where you will confront your could-have-beens and should-have-beens in life, but it's all messed up now due to your mistakes.
"Lets take a walk down the hallway It's a long way it, it takes all day!"
Walk with us to witness the illusions that are about to unfold, but be warned, it's a long way and it will take all day.
And when you get to tha end, you'll find a chair With straps and chains, we slap you in there Lock you down tight so you can't move a thread And pull your eyelids up over your head 'cause you're about to witness an illusionary dream It's just to bad it ain't what it seems
At the end of the hallway, you will be restrained in a chair, your eyes will be held open and you will watch an illusory dream that plays visual tricks on you, but it is unfortunate that it is not reality.
You walk in and see two kids on the floor They playin Nintendo and he's got tha high score And sittin behind them chillin in a chair Is your wife, when ya look, oh, you ain't there It's some other man in the hand in hand Now she looks so happy you don't understand See this is an illusion, it never came true All because of you!
As you watch, an illusionary scene unfolds where your wife and children are replaced by someone else. You witness them happy and content, which isn't true since they aren't with you anymore, all thanks to you.
Back to reality and what you're about Your wife can't smile 'cause ya knocked her teeth out And she can't see straight from gettin hit 'cause you're a fat fuckin drunk piece of shit But it's all good here, come have a beer I'll break the top off it and shove it in ya ear And you're death comes wicked painful and slow At tha hands of MILENKO!
Return back to reality where your wife is a victim of domestic violence by you, and you are an alcoholic. Here, drink beer until death arrives slowly through the hands of Milenko.
[Chorus (2x)] Great Milenko, wave your wand Don't look now, your life is gone This is all because of you What you got yourself into
Chorus reminding you that Milenko, the master of illusions, is behind your suffering due to your own mistakes and bad decisions in life.
Look who's next it's Mr. Clark The dirty old man from the trailer park You got your ticket? Thanks take your coat off And later on, why not, I'll rip your throat off "Lets take a walk down the hallway It's a long way it, it takes all day"
Meet Mr. Clark, the next one to enter the Halls of Illusions, a dirty old man from the trailer park, who will face illusions that fill with fear for him while he walks with us down the hallway.
And when you get to the end you'll find a chair You see all the blood, yeah your boy was just here We get all different kind of people comin through Richies, chickens and bitches just like you In the Halls everybody gets a turn To sit and witness your illusion before you burn
At the end of the hallway, you'll find a chair soaked with blood after your son visited. Everyone should expect to have their turn in the Halls, whether you're rich, lowly or anything else, to witness each other's illusion before being punished.
What do we have here, oh yeah, no way It looks like your kids and they okay Your daughter's chillin up in college top grade And your son's a fuckin doctor, phat paid They got families and kids and it's all good They even coach little league in the neighborhood Is this true have ya really seen tha holy ghost? Nah, bitch, not even close!
In another illusion, you witness your kids in happy situations; one is in college with good grades and another is a successful doctor who coaches little league, but this is not true, and you're not as lucky as they're depicted.
Back to reality your son's on crack And your daughter's got nut stains on her back And they both fuckin smell like shit And live in the gutter and sell crack to each other When they were kids you'd beat em and leave em home And even whip em with the cord on the telephone And that reminds me man hey ya gotta call Watch your step to Hell...it's a long fall!
Welcome back to reality where your dreams for the kids are dead, and they're both drug addicts living in poverty and selling drug to each other in the gutter, because of your actions. They grew up being abused by you, including beatings with telephone cords. Watch your step, because you're heading to Hell.
Ah, it's time to pack up and move to the next town But we forgot Mr. Bigot, okay, dig it We can't show you an illusion 'cause we're all packed But I'll still cut ya neck out, how's that?
As we move on to the next town, we realize that we have forgotten Mr. Bigot. Although we have packed, we can still kill Mr. Bigot by cutting his neck off and not showing him any illusions.
[Chorus (4x)]
End the song with the chorus to remind you of the Great Milenko's illusions that have led to the downfall of your life.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOSEPH BRUCE, JOSEPH UTSLER, MIKE E. CLARK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@12Ger13
The lyrics for everyone
Halls Of Illusions
Ticket please, thanks, walk through the door
Into the Halls Of Illusions, visit yours
And see what coulda and shoulda and woulda been real
But you had to fuck up tha whole deal
"Lets take a walk down the hallway
It's a long way it, it takes all day!"
And when you get to tha end, you'll find a chair
With straps and chains, we slap you in there
Lock you down tight so you can't move a thread
And pull your eyelids up over your head
'cause you're about to witness an illusionary dream
It's just to bad it ain't what it seems
You walk in and see two kids on the floor
They playin Nintendo and he's got tha high score
And sittin behind them chillin in a chair
Is your wife, when ya look, oh, you ain't there
It's some other man in the hand in hand
Now she looks so happy you don't understand
See this is an illusion, it never came true
All because of you!
Back to reality and what you're about
Your wife can't smile 'cause ya knocked her teeth out
And she can't see straight from gettin hit
'cause you're a fat fuckin drunk piece of shit
But it's all good here, come have a beer
I'll break the top off it and shove it in ya ear
And you're death comes wicked painful and slow
At tha hands of MILENKO!
Great Milenko, wave your wand
Don't look now, your life is gone
This is all because of you
What you got yourself into
Look who's next it's Mr. Clark
The dirty old man from the trailer park
You got your ticket? Thanks take your coat off
And later on, why not, I'll rip your throat off
"Lets take a walk down the hallway
It's a long way it, it takes all day"
And when you get to the end you'll find a chair
You see all the blood, yeah your boy was just here
We get all different kind of people comin through
Richies, chickens and bitches just like you
In the Halls everybody gets a turn
To sit and witness your illusion before you burn
What do we have here, oh yeah, no way
It looks like your kids and they okay
Your daughter's chillin up in college top grade
And your son's a fuckin doctor, phat paid
They got families and kids and it's all good
They even coach little league in the neighborhood
Is this true have ya really seen tha holy ghost?
Nah, bitch, not even close!
Back to reality your son's on crack
And your daughter's got nut stains on her back
And they both fuckin smell like shit
And live in the gutter and sell crack to each other
When they were kids you'd beat em and leave em home
And even whip em with the cord on the telephone
And that reminds me man hey ya gotta call
Watch your step to Hell...it's a long fall!
Ah, it's time to pack up and move to the next town
But we forgot Mr. Bigot, okay, dig it
We can't show you an illusion 'cause we're all packed
But I'll still cut ya neck out, how's that?
@beastlyb93
Insane Clown Posse songs usually have such greater meaning and lessons behind their lyrics. Love them!
@dr.loomis4221
No...not really
@bastardjew3730
There older shit did like this . Not really a fan tho just appreciate good songs
@alyssa44life
They do make good songs but I wouldn’t say their songs have lessons or great meanings
@jamesw8698
@@alyssa44life depends on the listener, if the listener is a type that can learn through other peoples mistakes, then you could say there could be a message, otherwise you could say there isnt, in the end, its all in how the listener takes in what they are listening to
@HeatherHileman-bl5wj
ICP in the halls everybody gets a turn
@thisfilthofmine5790
This album has the perfect balance of hip-hop/rap and heavy metal.
@MetalJuggalo
As my username would suggest, I am a metalhead Juggalo so I guess that explains my love for this album
@fentanylfloyd2474
It's horror core - not metal
@MetalJuggalo
@@fentanylfloyd2474 it does have metal elements to it