By Lillian Liebke

There have been numerous controversial bands and artists throughout the years, but do some cross the line? Artists like Marilyn Manson, Lady Gaga, and even Elvis Presley all use shock value when they perform, but Insane Clown Posse really pushes it like no other band. Insane Clown Posse’s songs are some of the most controversial in the whole industry, but they are not as scary as they seem.

Insane Clown Posse consists of two members, Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope, who both wear black and white clown face paint as their image. The black and white face paint then transferred onto their fanbase called the “Juggalo’s.” A majority of Insane Clown Posse’s songs consist of vulgar language and details of disturbing events. 

The songs made by Insane Clown Posse are meant to make you feel either uncomfortable or angry. They are songs about murder and gruesome details of traumatic situations but they still maintain their clown image by the background beat usually being funny and upbeat like fair music. In a song named Cemetery Girl, the duo talks about how their lover has passed, and every night the corpse comes to his house to visit him. One night the neighbors see the corpse walking to the house, so Violent J left to murder the family. The entire song is filled with gruesome details about the things that he would do for his lover, and it is a horrific take on a love song.

Though Insane Clown Posse has these vulgar and uncomfortable songs, they also make songs to bring awareness to certain topics. They make songs like Your Rebel Flag and Terrible where they talk about the unfairness of the justice system, and the current problem that we are facing with our police forces. They speak out on slavery and how racism still exists today and is still very common. With the attention they get from their shock value songs, they are raising awareness for topics that need change and shed light on modern day issues. 

Not only does Insane Clown Posse use their attention to spread awareness, but the proceeds of a majority of the shows they do go to charities. So even though Insane Clown Posse uses vulgar language and is one of the most controversial rap duo’s in the industry, they use their platform to shed light on serious topics and to make a change in helping our social issues as a society.