Committed For Life

It's taken over a decade, but now that everybody is off probation Insane Clown Posse are returning to Australia. Shaggy 2 Dope laughs almost sheepishly that the Detroit group's criminal past has kept them away for so long, but assures long-time fans and those new to the 'family' that their old partying ways haven't changed.

“The only difference in our show is going to be the shape and size of the soda we got, because bottles are geometrically different in different countries,” he says, referring to the soft drink spray that goes down at every ICP show, typically with 'ghetto pop' brand Faygo. “[The shows] are going to be full of mayhem and very wet – it's going to be awesome. And it's summer there right? So no one will have to worry about leaving the shows being all cold and shit, it'll be nice and warm out.”

In their 20-plus years as MCs, Shaggy 2 Dope and his partner in crime Violent J have managed to develop a following that borders on fanatical. How else would you describe a fanbase that paint their faces like clowns, all to be part of the juggalo family? In Shaggy's mind though, you can't really put your finger on exactly what a juggalo is; he simply summarises a member of the ICP clan as somebody who's a free thinker.

“[Someone] who doesn't conform to what mainstream media wants you to do [when] they manipulate you; someone who can think with their own free mind – they don't give a fuck about nobody else,” he explains in an atypical drawl. “They live their life the way they want to live it instead of having everybody tell them what to listen to, instead of having everybody tell them what they've got to watch and what they've got to do.”

From their songs and stage show to the much-publicised Gathering Of The Juggalos they hold annually, it's this idea of family that remains at the core of everything Insane Clown Posse do.

“A lot of juggalos don't have nowhere else to turn, so they rely on other juggalos,” reasons Shaggy. “A juggalo from the North Pole could be marinating in Israel or something, and a juggalo from the South Pole could be marinating in Israel; somehow they bump into each other and they're going to be down. So even if you don't know each other you're the same person – just like family. You might not be related but you're from the same mould, the same mindset.”

And with the band soon beginning work on a follow-up to last year's The Mighty Death Pop!, juggalos can expect more tales of the Dark Carnival – ICP's description of the afterlife – to be heard Down Under in the future.

“This is not going to be a one-time thing,” promises Shaggy. “This is just the tip of the iceberg, it's the beginning of a new worldwide domination, we'll be back again and again and again, and we ain't going to stop coming back. Nobody is going to be getting into trouble this time with the law so it's all good.”