End of the Year blog time

Yes we have reached the end of 2013!  With this being my last post of the year I wanted to take a minute to look back and reflect on the changes we have seen in music and then look to the future and give some predictions of what we might see in 2014.  So without further ado here we go:

In 2013 we saw turmoil and upheaval in the Underground music scene.  It has been one year since Twiztid left Psychopathic.  In that time we saw them release A New Nightmare, return to the Gathering as Guest performers, go on two tours in support of their last release on Psychopathic, Abominationz, and open a new web store.  While they have yet to release an official statement about their release the speculation behind A New Nightmare is that it tells their side without a statement being needed. 
  We also saw what many of us hope is not the future of Psychopathic Records.  In the past year the label has released the following albums: Legz Diamond 9 Pistolas, DJ Clay A World Upside Down, Big Hoodoo Crystal Skull, and Zug Izland Toxicology.  Those albums all fell way short of the expectations Juggalos had.  Legz and Hoodoo were both heavily co-written and influenced by Joe Bruce and that really hurt the albums.  Clay's album was good but nothing really outstanding.  And Zug's was not really promoted and I have yet to actually hear it.  We also saw them bounce every check they wrote for the Gathering and have yet to this day not paid those people.  I firmly believe that is why the Gathering is being moved, but I don't have any evidence of that so for now it is a theory.  We saw them let Blaze leave when his contract ended, send people on the road with limited funds and little to no promotion, and have lawsuits filed against them for sexual harassment and other charges.
  We saw the Kottonmouth Kings leave Suburban Noize Records and claim Kevin Zinger was ripping them off.  Since then we have seen hateful accusations in interviews on both sides.  We also watched Johnny Richter walk away from the Kottonmouth Kings after 18 years and go solo.  He released a solo EP called FreeKING Out on Suburban Noize Records and is preparing to release his next solo LP next year.
  The highlight of the Underground music scene this year was Strange Music.  In 2013 the label released ten albums.  Releases from Brotha Lynch Hung, Kutt Calhoun, CES Cru, Rittz, Wrekonize, Mayday, Tech N9ne, Stevie Stone, Krizz Kaliko, and Prozak.  All of those albums were expertly done and will not disappoint both mainstream and underground fans.  This label has shown themselves to be the cream of the crop.  They put out top notch music throughout the year and kept the fans eager to buy the next.  This is how it should be done.

Now lets leave the past behind us and look to the future.  I am going to break this section down per record label or group and then give you my thoughts on what I expect to happen.

  First lets look at Psychopathic Records.  The release of the Joker's Cards Box Set has been delayed from it's Dec 17, 2013 release date and there is no new date given.  The speculation is this was done due to immediate backlash when pics surfaced of the product itself.  We expect Anybody Killa "Shape Shifter", a new ICP EP, Mike E Clark, Vanilla Ice, and Axe Murder Boys "Garcia Brothers" to all be released in 2014 but no release dates have been given as of the date of this post.  We also will see the Gathering of the Juggalos change venues for the first time since 2007.  We still have no information on where it will be but there is plenty of speculation on the net. 
 Now here is what I think is going to happen with them this year:

1. The ABK, Vanilla Ice, and AMB releases will all be released and do horrible due to lack of promotion or they will not be released at all and delayed.
2.  ICP and Mike Clark will be released and hopefully live up to expectations although I am skeptical they will.
3. This will be on of the last years for the Gathering.  After the events that occurred last year I think they will have a difficult time finding groups to perform, sites for the event, and money to make it happen.
4. Finally I think we will see a large number of fans drop the hatchet.  I know I will get some hate for that prediction but we have already seen a lot of old school cats walk away.  Once Twiztid left there was a huge group of fans that lost all respect for Joe and Psychopathic Records.  I expect those trends to continue as long as mediocre albums are released and horrible business decisions are made.

Next lets see what Twiztid has in store for us.  They have announced that a new album is on the way.  It will be titled "The Moment You've All Been Waiting For." They have also announced that they would like to get more TV and movie opportunities.  So let me share what I think is going to happen with the demented Duo:

1. The new album will be released.  I think it will be the beginning of their rise in mainstream as well as cementing their legacy in the underground.
2. I think they will tour for a majority of the year again.  I also think they will make a trip out of the country if legal issues permit it (Canada and maybe Australia).
3. I think we will finally see the collab most Juggalos have been demanding, Eminem and Twiztid.  If it does happen you can count on this being the year of Twiztid.

Next lets look at KMK.  I think we will see KMK really disappear.  Once the "lawsuit" gets settled I think KMK will release a new album and possibly tour in support of the album but I do not see them climbing out of the hole that Daddy X has put them in.

Let now look at Suburban Noize Records.  I think we will see them bounce back from the lawsuit well.  Once the legal issues are cleared up we will see them sign at least 2-3 more acts.  I predict we will see Potluck release a successful album and tour in support of that album.  I think it will begin the rise of Subnoize back to a respectable label.  I do think Johnny Richter will release his next album on Subnoize and it will be a huge success.

Finally here is what I think we will see from Strange Music.  I think they will continue to put out solid releases from all of their artists.  I think they will once again hold the flame for the underground.  They will be the beacon for crossover fans.  Their label is going strong and I do not see that slowing down in 2014.

Now all of these things may or may not happen.  These are just my thoughts.  I can't tell you how much I appreciate you checking out my blog as often as you guys do.  I wish you all a a Happy New Year and want to thank you for your continued support!

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

2012 Hatchet Attacks in Farmington, NM

  So this weekend was the 4^th annual Hatchet Attacks show.  It came to Farmington, NM this year and I was lucky enough to not only be in attendance with my son for his first show but was able to take part in the setup of the show itself.  So for those that follow my blog here is everything that I saw happen at the show!

  We left our home in Clovis, NM and started our 8 hour drive across the state to Farmington, NM on Thursday.  We got in about 2 am and along the way we found plenty of Family headed to the show as well.  Friday morning we got up and went to the venue about 12 to start working with the road crew setting up everything in the venue.  When we got there the venue was completely empty.  Throughout the day we move a ton of equipment including the stage, sound and light equipment, wrestling ring, Faygo,  etc.  I worked about 13 hours that day and at the end of the day I was completely exhausted.  But the stage was setup, the lighting was done, and most of the cables were in place.  The next day we arrived at about 10 am and went to work putting the finishing touches on everything.  Throughout the day we encountered many of our favs from Psychopathic including Billy and DJ Clay.  I can say from that experience that DJ Clay is a cool dude.  He was down to earth and didn’t avoid talking to any of us.  We had a little break and then 3 pm rolled around and the doors officially opened.  There ended up being about 6800 Juggalos and Juggalettes in the crowd so the show was the largest I have ever been a part of.

  At 4 pm JCW took center stage.  There were 5 matches in total.  Here is how it broke down:

- Ryda Red, Ryda Blue and Zack Gowen defeated The Freak Squad (Dom, GQ & Joey) via pin
- The Weedman defeated Officer Colt Cabana via pin
- The Necro Butcher defeated Shawn Daivari via pin
- J.W.O. (Kevin Nash & Sean Waltman w/Scott Hall) defeated The Headbangers (Mosh & Thrasher) via pin
- 2 Tuff Tony defeated Kongo Kong via pin to become the new JCW Heavyweight Champion

All of the matches were hype and they put on a great show.  Congrats to 2 Tuff Tony for being the new JCW Champion!

  After that the ring was removed and the show was about to begin.  DJ Clay was on the tables and hosting the show.  First up was Cold 187.  This was my first time to see him or hear his flavor of music.  He put it down for West Coast Gansta rap.  Since I grew up listening to that genre of the music I had a ton of respect for that guy.  He had a section of his show which was a memorial to all of the fallen West Coast rappers in the game.  He started with a cover of Boyz in the Hood by Eazy-E and ended with a combination of Tupac and Nate Dogg.  It was completely West Coast and I absolutely loved it.  After his set DJ Clay gave him a shout out and asked the Juggalos to give him another round of applause to which they booed him, which I thought was pretty shitty considering it was something new and it seemed like most really didn’t give it a chance.

  Next up was Anybody Killa.  His set was hella long and covered everything from his catalog of music.  He killed it as usual and left Juggalos seething for more.  Then came Blaze Ya dead Homie.  He brought that Detroit Gansta shit to New Mexico like never before.  He did all the favorites from Crypt Keeper to Dub Sack.  Toward the end of his set he did a track I had never heard before and can only assume is a new track from him.  It was good and was all about what he would do for a forty.  Then it was time for one of the favorites, Twiztid!  When they came out Madrox was sporting a blond Mohawk and Mono had the many tiny braids.  This should come as no surprise to anyone but they killed it!  They performed most of the favorites we have all come to know and love.  They didn’t do any new material but the energy they had on stage was unmatched all night.

  Finally it was time for the clowns, ICP!  The stage was set and the family was ready to explode.  They hit the stage with Mike E. Clark and blew the roof off of the venue.  Faygo was flying and the dirt floor slowly became a nasty mix of dirt, cow shit, and faygo.  They performed everything from Assassins to the dating game.  Then we all got a taste of the forthcoming Mighty Death Pop.  The track was really hype and I am looking forward to the album which is going to be released on 8-14-2012 at the Gathering of the Juggalos.  In the end Faygo Armageddon hit Farmington and my son was finally indoctrinated into the family.  We were front and center and I can say we both left totally soaked and sticky, and of course I wouldn’t want it any other way. 

  All in all the trip was worth the time and effort.  I got to take part in a ton of stuff most of us never get to see.  If you missed it this year I would suggest you don’t next year.  It was one of the best shows I have been to.  DJ Clay gets my respect for being the host and DJ for the entire 8 hours of music and mayhem.  To all of the fam that was in attendance it should stand as a testament to the family love.  I saw a lot of old school Juggalos there and the vibe made me remember why I love being a part of this family.  There were only 22 arrests mostly for being drunk and disorderly and fighting.  I saw juggalos picking up fallen los in the pit and making sure no one was injured there. 

  This blog is known as Juggalo support because we as a community need to support one another.  In a previous post I covered why I love being a Juggalo.  In some downer news one of our own was on his way home and got jumped by 14 young “juggalos”.  I think this kind of crap needs to stop.  The movement is about family love.  The longer I have been a part of it the more I see young Juggalos acting stupid.  Now not all of the new generation is like that but there has been a large number who have given new los and lettes a real bad name.  Let’s stop family in fighting and start showing the love again.  And for any young new gen Juggalos that were at the show remember that is what it is all about.

MMFWCL,

  Juggalotus

First ever CD review Twiztid Cryptic Collection Vol. 4

So here is something new from me an actual review of a newly released CD from Psychopathic Records.  I chose Twiztid's newest release Cryptic Collection Vol 4!  Here is how I am going to do this, I am going to go track by track giving my thoughts and then a short ending with my overall opinion with a score out of 10.  I plan to go back over all the releases this year and also include my review of the American Psycho tour cd.  So here we go:

Twiztid Cryptic Collection 4 Track List:

Lil Poot & Big Stank - Majik Majik Ninja- Nice way to open a cd.  Not to deep just Twiatid having fun in the studio.

Lil Poot & Big Stank - Big Money- Instant classic.  They made Big Money Hustlas and this track is no different.  Very humor filled.

My Addiction - with Mike E. Clark- Origionally on Psychopathics from outer space 3.  Great song.  A look inside the minds of the demented duo.  Add in Mike E Clark and what else could you need.

Need Some Help - with Mike E. Clark, Prozak, Tech N9ne, Krizz Kaliko- This is off the Fright Fest 05 CD.  Anything Twiztid does with Tech N9ne is devistating.  Love the track.

Speculationz - with E40- Track off the Green Book.  Not one of my favorites but still a good track

Gimme More - with ICP- First new track on this CD.  Nice track.  It is always good when the two groups team up.  Different styles of course but a nice addition.  I absolutely love the music and slow flow of this song.

Hell On Earth- Off the End of Days EP.  Great song.  A lot more Rock and metal than most Twiztid tracks but still not completely out of the scope of what they normally do.

Wild Out- Second new track this time with ROC.  Great combo.  HOK in the house on this one. 

Hold On To Me- Another End of Days tour CD pick here.  Nice song and with the Scarcrow on it it is nothing less than awesome.

Yuwannahoe- From Psychopathics from outer space part 2.  Interesting thing here is that even though Esham still does the intro he has been removed from the track.  I know they have had beef and I guess it is understandable.

Monster Inside - with Prozak- Prozak adds a nice touch here.  I like how Twiztid can rap on almost any beat.  Weird chorus but very eerie.

Wake Up - with ABK and The ROC-  From the Fright Fest 03 EP. Along the same lines as other Twiztid tracks.  Sounds like something cut from The Green Book.

If They Don't Come For Me- Slower beat.  Nice track that I have not ever heard before.

Hell Ride - with Violent J- Off the End of Days EP.  Awesome track.  Very dark sound.

Prey For Us- Fast tempo but still Twiztid.

Zombie- Ready for the Zombie Apocolypse?  This song is all about it.  Once again sounds like a song that belongs on The Green Book.

Moonlight- One of the more skitzo tracks on the album.  Great verses and very slow chorus.

  All in all this is one of the better compilation cd's they have put out.  There were enough new tracks to be worth the money.  I am a fan of actually buying the cd to support the artists so I don't download tracks.  Twiztid has made a very nice effort to give you a lot of music for the money.  If you love Twiztid you will love the cd.  If you have never heard them before check it out you wont be disappointed.

Album rating: 8.5 of 10

  I have more reviews coming so let me know if you like it or what you would like to see change.

MMFWCL,
  Juggalotus