Who are the Internet Psychos?

  I have seen a growing and stupiud trend in the underground, mostly Juggalo, fan base lately.  That is to post surveys like "If you were on a psycho killing spree what song would you be playing?" or "Do you prefer knife, hatchet, or gun?"  Here is my take on any and every single person who posts or answers these surveys, if confronted with the possibility of actually killing someone a vast majority (98+ %) would not have the guts to do it.  I am sick and tired of these people thinking you have to act or claim to be a psycho killer because you listen to our music!  If you listen to the music and dig it, that is great.  But if you honestly think any of the lyrics that ICP, Twiztid, etc have in a song is actually anything they have ever done you are a complete moron!  Their music is entertainment.  Nothing more and nothing less.

 For me the music is a way to release certain emotions that I have no other outlet for.  It helps me battle anger and depression.  It has helped me through so much and these kinds of displays do nothing but devalue the music and what it helps people through.  It also helps the outside world to say "See they are all degenerates."  That is why when we have shows and Gatherings the cops are always there and in some cases shut it down.  In life peoples first impression can make or break what they think of an entire group of people.  Why would we as a fringe group want to further push that negative image?

  ICP and Psychopathic have done a lot recently to help change that perception.  With toy drives and other charity events they are showing us what we need to do to help fix the FBI and gang label problem.  Why is it that they get mocked and made fun of for doing it?  People say they are getting soft or bitching out, I disagree.  They couldn't be any better an example for the fans to follow.  There is nothing wrong with being a socially responsible person in society.  People will never look at our fan base any differently unless we give them something different to look at. 

  Don't get me wrong there are a ton of groups in local communities that are doing good work and trying to make positive changes.  But if you go on Facebook and browse through Juggalo groups you will find a large population of these "Internet Psychos" and that is what some people see first.  I personally try very hard to change peoples ideas when I am in public.  I don't flip off cops and yell fuck the police.  I wear the hatchet proud while acting like a productive citizen.  You know how many times I have been harassed or arrested for wearing the clothes or chain?  Not once.  The cops have so many other things to be concerned with that what someone is wearing or listening to on their iPod makes no difference.  If you do the things I said then you more than likely will get hassled.  If you draw attention to yourself no matter what you have on you will be harassed, period.

  When it comes down to it the fact is we are the ones making us look bad.  We are the ones continuing to make people think negative of us.  We are the ones who can ultimately change these things.  As a united group we need to do the right things, act like productive citizens, and try our best to improve our communities.  Until we do those things all anyone will see is a bunch of "Internet Psychos."


MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

My response to the removal of the Gang label

So I was asked recently to post a blog regarding the FBI labeling us a gang.  Back in November of 2011 I did respond to the release of the list, http://juggalosupport.blogspot.com/2011/11/fbi-and-juggalos.html.  After reading the recent post by Dmize I feel as though I need to write and expansion to the first blog.

Dmize posted the following: https://www.facebook.com/dmize505/posts/508326315862145?notif_t=like

The who, what, where, and when are all self explanatory.  Then we come to the why.  This is where I feel the need to add onto this post.  He say “what makes a juggalo "gang affiliated"... there is that small bunch of apples that give us that bad name, but the question on everybodys mind is, why include the whole subculture???”  I agree completely that a few bad apples has spoiled an otherwise peaceful group of people.  He goes on further to state “when these bad apples go out, and commit their crimes, they scream and claim "juggalo" just as a west sider or latin king would represent his set while committing a crime. so as you can see. many bad apples scream juggalo while committing crimes... that got the entire "juggalo family" added to the list. now... do the math.. from one city. to other cities. to state. to nation.....
Juggalo will not be removed from that until it is able to be proven were not all sociopathic assholes that cause shit for people.”  This is where my opinion differs.  Just because someone commits a crime and claims a certain group of people does not give the government or anyone the right to classify that group of people as a gang.  Throughout history crimes have been committed in the name of things.  During the Crusades terrible things were done in the name of God, yet no religions are on the gang list.  Radical Islam commits crimes and horrific acts in the name of Allah, yet they are not on the gang list.  The Arian Brotherhood, Satanists groups, KKK, Black Panthers, etc all commit crimes while claiming their affiliations but yet none of them made the list.  These group actively advocate violence and disorder in our cities and towns.  When it comes to Juggalos, we are a group of people with a common interest in music.  For the most part we do not commit violent crimes similar to MS 13 or the Latin Kings yet we are being mentioned in the same breath with them because of a few “bad apples.”

He ends the post by asking “HOW DO WE FIX THE PROBLEM!???!!?”

To me the answer is simple.  If you are a true Juggalo/Juggalette and the idea that you are included on the gang list pisses you off, stop doing and committing crimes!   And if you do get caught or arrested for something remember it is not cool or fashionable to scream Juggalo at the top of your lungs to cover up your bad decisions.  If you fall into the category I am in being an old school Juggalo or Lette, act right and show the new generations what the movement is all about.  Don’t tag “Fuck the FBI” “Wicked Clowns” or “Juggalo” on things, tagging is a crime.  Don’t sell drugs, use drugs, or give the authorities any reason to arrest you.  That is why so many of us have a bad name.  Am I saying don’t do those things because I oppose them, no I do not.  But if you are driving in your car with ounces of weed and paraphernalia don’t be mad at the cops when you get searched and arrested!  It is not the cops fault you made a bad choice.  They have a job to do as well.  With the exception of a few “mall cops” I have had police pose questions about my hatchet jerseys.  My answer is always the same “It represents a record label out of Detroit” I have not been arrested or labeled a gang banger because of my music or clothes I choose to wear.  If you respect the authorities they will respect you back.

We will never be removed from the gang list if we continue to perpetuate the image the rest of the world wants to see.  As we approach the holidays I suggest Juggalos and Juggalettes everywhere contact local charities and see if you can volunteer to help.  When you go to help wear a jersey or charm.  Don’t hide the fact you are a juggalo!  Once we start to get positive publicity things will change.  Psychopathic records has for the past few years done these things.  From the toy drive to the free performance at the shelter they are setting the example.  Follow their example and things will change.

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

Kung Fu Vampire Interview

Ok so the Bay Area Vampire himself Kung Fu Vampire took time to sit downand answer a few questions for the family.  Without further delay here is what he had to say:

Juggalotus:  For the new fan of your music, can you give us a quick breakdown of your career and where it all started?
KFV:  7th grade I was watching two kids rappin’ on the school yard, 1 white 1 black and they had a huge crowd around them flocking and jocking.  Me being a total music fan Hip Hop and metal I would watch. Bu the 2nd time I crowded around that circle I was thinking to myself “these guys suck, I could rap better than them and I don’t rap” So i started rapping and making beats. But prior to that my hip hop 101 began at 5 years old when I use to break-dance, I was damn good and won a contest at 7 years old at the Weinershnitzel across from the ghetto ass apartments we lived in.

Juggs:  What musical influences made Kung Fu Vampire who he is today?
KFV:  The Doors, Metallica, Kurtis Blow, Talking Heads, Ice Cube, Ice-T, Scarface

Juggs:  What music would we be surprised to find on your Ipod?
KFV:  One of my all time favorites, Steely Dan, but my whole theme in life is to expect the unexpected with me, so there is a bunch of stuff on my ipod that would leave your face sideways.

Juggs:  Do you think your music has a positive influence on your fan base?
KFV:  YES: as an outlet for anger and releasing toxins at a concert by sweating in the mosh pit. No: for the fact that I’m no Positive Influence musically. That being said i think it is obvious that we are classy and take pride in family and friends. People are wonderful, i am a humanitarian and a conversation with me after a performance should leave you in good spirits.

Juggs:  Of all the artists in the underground scene who do you think would best translate into a more mainstream fan base?
KFV:  I don’t know if anybody has really come from the underground and made it to mainstream, I know its talked about often but i never see it. Some people get known faster cuz they sound like something familiar that they have heard before. When your sound is cutting edge people don’t identify with you as an artist as quickly so the rise to popularity takes longer, making someone truly underground.

Juggs:  Can we expect to see you hitting the stage at the Gathering in the future?
KFV:  I played the Gathering the last two years and it was better the 2nd time. If they ask me to do it for a third, i will be there.

Juggs:  It is common knowledge that Twiztid loves comic books, are there any favorite comics or guilty pleasures we should know about you?
KFV:  Not a comic reading fan but i like writing graphic novels and short stories. I have had a Kung Fu Vampire comic book on the back-burner for years now.

Juggs:  What artists either main stream or not would you like to work with in the future?
KFV:  I really don’t care anymore about doing songs with people. If anything I wanna work with some of the Funk Legends that are still alive. I’d like to work with Prince as well as maybe Metallica and of course the remaining members of the Doors.

Juggs:  A lot of rappers started in battles. Did you participate in any rap battles growing up?
KFV:  Never Battle rapped, back when I was coming up in the rap scene it was about Freestyle contests, basically showing your skills but now directed at a rapper but just really good lyrics and getting the crowd to love you. I use to kill those left and right for a short period of time but I am mainly an artist who likes to make music to vibe out to for decades to come.

Juggs:  Do you have any superstitions?KFV:  I feel like the world will treat you how you treat the world.  That’s about it. Treat people with respect and fairness.

Juggs:  What advice would you give someone trying to break into the horror core/underground rap genre?
KFV:  The obvious advice would be to not try to break into that scene, just do you and if it’s wicked enough the fans will come to you. Stop trying to imitate ICP, it’s pathetic.  Make up your own shit.

Juggs:  By embracing the Juggalo community your open yourself up for haters. Have you had any experience with that since working with Juggalos?
KFV:  More love than anything, I don’t like Haters but we need them to create balance, I don’t think constant praise is healthy for artists. I get occasional haters that don’t understand my style or unique presentation.

Juggs:  What are your feelings on Juggalos being added to the F.B.I.’s gang list?
KFV:  It’s seriously bad and the FBI is a joke for even doing this. They are really out to lunch on this one.

Juggs:  How did you get hooked up with Twiztid for the Slaughterhouse tour?
KFV:  Monoxide from Twiztid liked my video and music and asked someone to get a hold of me to bring me on the tour.

Juggs:  What can we expect from KFV in 2012?
KFV:  New album, possibly two albums. Huge tours and to expect the un-expected.

Juggs:  Any final thoughts for the Family?
KFV: Stick together, for most of us family and people like us is all you have. Support what I do if you feel it, i represent you and the struggle. I have been making and releasing music for 20 years and just now getting praise, it takes a life time. Stay true to your dreams and slow down on the Faygo, its bad for you, and as a Vampire, I wanna see you Live so we can be friends forever.

Respect,
Kung Fu Vampire


Once again much love going out to KFV for taking time out his busy schedule to hook us up.  It gave us a nice glimpse into his world. 


MMFWCL,
  Juggalotus

FBI and Juggalos

So a new story has been released that has taken me a week to process my feelings on.  The FBI has decided to label Juggalos as an official gang in their latest gang threat assessment.  Here is what they say about Juggalos:
 "The Juggalos, a loosely-organized hybrid gang, are rapidly expanding into many US communities. Although recognized as a gang in only four states, many Juggalos subsets exhibit gang-like behavior and engage in criminal activity and violence. Law enforcement officials in at least 21 states have identified criminal Juggalo sub-sets, according to NGIC reporting."

  They go on to describe the crimes committed by Juggalos as this:

 "Most crimes committed by Juggalos are sporadic, disorganized, individualistic, and often involve simple assault, personal drug use and possession, petty theft, and vandalism. However, open source reporting suggests that a small number of Juggalos are forming more organized subsets and engaging in more gang-like criminal activity, such as felony assaults, thefts, robberies, and drug sales. Social networking websites are a popular conveyance for Juggalo sub-culture to communicate and expand."

Then they further go on to say that:

 "Juggalos’ disorganization and lack of structure within their groups, coupled with their transient nature, makes it difficult to classify them and identify their members and migration patterns. Many criminal Juggalo sub-sets are comprised of transient or homeless individuals"

  So looking at their assessment it is safe to assume that all Juggalos are Transient, drug using, who engage in such horrific criminal activity that we cannot be trusted.  Now anyone who knows a Juggalo/Juggalette will be the first to tell you we are nothing like the FBI has made us out to be.  As a general population we are peaceful outcasts who want nothing more than to fit in.  That is what the "family" gives us.  A good example is the Gathering.  In 2010 Tila Tequila was invited to the Gathering and proceeded to get a lot of crap thrown at her, everything from rocks, to trash, to feces (supposedly).  So this year the media ascended on the Gathering in hopes of having a violent story to tell the world about how terrible we are.  The problem was that after 4 days they had nothing to report on.  No fights, arrests, deaths, fires, violence, etc.  They had nothing to talk about except how nice the event was.  How peaceful we were.  How they were welcomed even though for the most part Juggalos hate the way the media reports on us.  That speaks volumes in my opinion.


  I would ask the FBI or any law enforcement agency to gather thousands of actual gang members, aka Bloods, Crips, MS13, etc. in one location for 4 days and see how much violence and other things actually occur.  Then maybe they would have a better perspective of who we are.  Do I feel we are all innocent, hell no.  But there are bad apples in every bunch.  Every group has a few people that do not believe the same things or do the same things.  That is what makes every group unique.  Every subset in music has bad people.  Every genre of music has fans that do not do the right things.  This alone has never made the FBI classify them as gang members.  But for Juggalos the few bad seeds have tainted our image permanently.  Why is that?  Why must we be singled out? 


  I wrote a blog earlier this year about other bands with rabid fans that states my opinions about this topic.  Unfortunately this blog is only my opinions.  I am actively trying to make a difference and maybe change the perception of the family.  But until the entire family adopts this mentality I feel like we will never change the image.  That alone will not stop me from doing the right things while wearing the hatchet proudly.  Through actions we can change perceptions.  Through deeds we can change lives.  Just because we are outcasts does not mean we need to exclude others from the family.  Welcome everyone and love them as your brothers and sisters.  This is a positive movement and we can change the world. 


MMWCL,
  Juggalotus