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

2014 Year in Review

  This was a very productive and busy year in music for me personally.  With Faygoluvers I was able to do 23 album reviews, that is a little less than 1 every 2 weeks!  I was hoping for 2 a month so I missed that a little but I was so close.  I also did Interviews with Gangsta Boo, Madchild, Adlib, Ganxsta NIP, Slaine, Zug Izland, Cryptic Wisdom, Mr Grey, Raz Simone, DJ Clay, Prevail, and Sozay.  That is an average of 1 every month!  Once again I could not have done any of that without Scottie D hooking it all up on Faygoluvers.net.

  I also hosted another concert this year.  It was Mr Grey and his "Warpath to the Gathering of the Juggalos" tour.  It was a super small venue but the show was dope and all the artists threw down!  I attended a ton of concerts and wrote reviews for Faygoluvers and I once again owe all that to Scottie D, James Wright, and a few others for the hookups on that.

  In 2014 we saw Twiztid create Majik Ninja Entertainment and announce their first artists signed as Blaze and ROC.  They have also announced they will be releasing an album called The Darkness on Jan 27, 2015.  When their tour came through Tucson I had a chance to lead their street team and actually meet them for the first time since I was in the Homies video way back in the day.  This year the label released it's first album Blaze Ya Dead Homie "Gang Rags: Reborn".  In 2015 we have been told Twiztid will release "The Darkness" and "The moment You've All Been Waiting For" and re-releasing "W.I.C.K.E.D" and "Abominationz", R.O.C. "Digital Voodoo", and Blaze's next untitled album.  I can safely say I am super excited to see what is coming next from the dynamic duo and MNE.

  2014 saw Psychopathic Records release some bombs.  They released AMB "The Garcia Brothers", Boondox "Abaddon", ABK "The Perfection Collection", Dark Lotus "The Mud, Water, Air, and Blood", Killjoy Club "Reindeer Games", ICP "20th Anniversary Hallowicked" "The First Six" box set, and "House of Wax".  This was a much better year for Psychopathic than 2013 without a doubt.  We also saw the Gathering moved to a new location.  From all accounts it was a nice change and went off without a hitch.  Coming up for them in 2015 we have been told albums from DJ Clay, DJ Paul, ABK, AMB, ICP, Otis, Big Hoodoo, Boondox, The Hav Nots, Vanilla Ice, Zug Izland, Legz & the purple gang, Rydas, and more are coming.  But that is purely speculation.

  2014 was a big year for Strange Music as well.  They released Tech N9ne "Strtangeulation", Mayday and Murs "Mursday", Ces Cru "Codename: Ego Stripper", and Rittz "Next to Nothing".  They went on a massive nationwide tour.  Not much has been announced for 2015 yet except Tech N9ne "Special Effects" and K.A.B.O.S.H. "Amafrican Psycho".

All in all 2014 was a really good year for Underground Horrorcore and it's fans. 

As I look forward into 2015 I would like to accomplish the following things with Faygoluvers:

1. Write and post at least 4 album reviews a month (1 major label & 1 independent artist every 2 weeks)

2. Continue interviewing artists and try to broaden our reach into other genres our fans are interested in (Metal, Rock, and Hip hop)

3. Make it to Dallas and ride to the Gathering with the Faygoluvers crew.  Then make the Gathering as accessable to our fans as we can!

Personally I would love to do these things in music:

1. Host 2 concerts in Tucson.

2. Finish recording and release JV's album.

3. Work with artists I have worked with in the past to get production credits to add to my resume!

 I have a feeling 2015 will be a dynamic and highly evolving thing this year.  Faygoluvers is just starting and I project we will continue to dominate the internet coverage of all thing Underground.  I also hope Juggalos can truely embrace what I know as "Family" and stop the division in the fan base.  We are all in this together, artists and fans alike, and we need to have each others backs cause noone else will!

MMFWFL Family,

Juggalotus

My 20 min with interview series

For those of you who might not know, I do an interview series for Faygoluvers.net called 20 Min with.....  In this series I interview various artists for about 20 min.  Now the difference in my interviews is that I take a lot of pride in asking questions that other interviewers may not.  For instance I interviewed Potluck a while ago.  At one point I began asking about their song "My Dad" and in the interview I ask 1 Ton about his father who just passed and how much of an influence their fathers were on their career.  The question seemed to catch them off guard a little bit.  But that is what I do.  I actually research my interview subject and try my best not to ask the same thing they get asked all the time.

I also review albums on the website.  All of my reviews are 100% honesty as far as my opinion.  Now I have had artists ask me to remove my review once it was posted because they were not happy with my thoughts.  I will never remove a review once it is posted.  I also will never give a glowing review if the album does not deserve it.  I take pride in giving constructive criticism.  I also take pride in being genuine.  I don't get paid to do reviews or interviews.  I do it because I love music and the genre of Horror Core.  I would be lying if I said I didn't hope at some point in the future I could get paid for those things but for now it isn't happening.

If you want to check out my interview series head over to https://www.youtube.com/user/FaygoluversHeaven/videos and check out my latest and greatest with Mr. Grey, Sozay, Ganxsta NIP, Zug Izland, Cryptic Wisdom, Slaine, and many more.

To read my album reviews head over to http://www.faygoluvers.net/v5/category/reviews/albumreviews/ and look for reviews posted by Juggalotus0069.

I hope to keep this blog more current as I have been hella busy and slacking.  If you dig my blog here and want to help spread the word I would seriously appreciate it!  Please leave me some comments and let me know you checked it out and where you are from.  I am really interested in where my readers are at!

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

Underground to the mainstream

  There has been a transformation in the underground that many "fans" have shown immense hate for.  There seems to be this belief that once an artists gets underground fame they should never be allowed to do anything remotely similar or involved in the mainstream.  For instance, once Twiztid left Psychopathic and released New Nightmare they were skewered for working with "mainstream" artists such as Caskey.  The truth is I praise them for doing whatever they want and working with who ever they want.  Another example is Tech N9ne and Strange music.  In the Faygoluvers forum recently someone said "Strange music isn't an underground label anymore. All of the artists are mainstream except maybe."  Another person commented that Tech had "sold out" because he is finally getting recognition in the popular arena.  In the same breath those people praise ICP for their work on Fuse TV for finally "getting their dues."  This is the double standard I was speaking of.  Why is it that the number one group in the underground, the originators of the underground wicked shit are given a pass when others are not? 

  I personally feel that any artists that represent us, the Juggalos, should be praised for getting us recognized.  The fans should continue to support these artists even if we might not like the artists they collaborate with.  Each and every artist that comes from the depths and breaks through in pop culture brings us closer to being accepted and better understood.  Tech N9ne didn't sell out, he MADE IT!  Twiztid is not selling out, they are making music they want to make.  There is absolutely no reason for anyone to hate these guys for making these decisions.  I think a lot of the hate has to do with jealousy.  People don't like that these guys are making money doing the things they love.

I was working with a group for a while out of Amarillo.  From a business perspective I was trying to do what was best for the longevity of the group in the business world.  Shortly after we had a small dispute and parted ways they posted "We don't kiss ass to be accepted period. *********** will stay running local shows before we sell out just because its doing "good buisness" fuck you if you don't like it"  When they mention kissing ass it was in reference to my trying to keep a business relationship with a printer who supplied stickers, backdrops, and other printed items to us at a great discount because of my friendship with him.  Unfortunately this is the attitude that leads to people never getting ahead, never making it, and never, ever getting out of their cities.  Guys like this are proud to be local opener heroes for guys in the business that are making moves and getting ahead.  This group, while very talented lacked the most important traits: Commitment, ability to control their emotions, and common sense.  The biggest problem with guys like this is that they are the biggest haters towards people making moves.  I promise you that guys like this will not get anywhere in this business.  

  So I guess I can sum up this article by saying as Juggalos we should back these artists even if they are working with people we may not like.  We should support these artists until they begin to make music we don't like.  It shouldn't matter if someone is on MTV or BET regularly.  Hell ICP was on MTV back in the day!  We all need to remember, even if you are an underground artist, that if you were offered a good chunk of money to be on Strange, Subnoize, or any other bigger named label you would be an idiot not to take it and run with it!  If you are not in this business to make money, you shouldn't be in this business.  As it is a majority of these artists in the underground will never make it.  Not because they are being shunned, held back, or kissing enough ass but simply because they don't have the talent, connections, or drive to make it.  For most of these guys they do music as a hobby nothing more.  They work from a studio in their basements, garages, or closets to save money.  In order to be successful in this business you need to invest in it.  That means investing time, money, and energy into everything you do.  Find the best studio you can afford, get your tracks mastered by professionals, and don't try to sell cd-dvr's with sharpie as "the hottest thing on the market"  When I get those I rarely listen to them.  A first impression can only be made once.  

I got nothing but love for every single artists struggling to make it in the business.  I got nothing but love for my Juggalo Family.  Let's stop hating on los and lettes for making it.  Let's celebrate their success.  Hate and jealousy will eat you alive and make you do and say things that will hurt you in the long run.

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

Juggalo Family?

So this is my first post of 2014.  The reason behind this is simple, I have been busy working music reviews over at Faygoluvers!  I have tried to post at least one per week and for the most part have done well with it.  Now lets get to the crux of this post and why now is the time for it to get posted, Juggalo family.

For those who don't know I was introduced to ICP back in 1997 shortly after Milenko was pulled from the shelves.  I knew from the first track I heard that I was a Juggalo.  It wasnt something I learned, became, took a test for, or any of that.  When I heard the songs I knew I had been a Juggalo all along.  I felt a sense of belonging.  I found a group of people just like me.  We don't fit in with other people.  We are outcasts.  We don't apologize for who we are.  When I would go to shows I would feel like I was home.  Everyone treated everyone else with respect.  Regardless of our social class or background, if you had any merch on, or anything.  We didn't need a list of rules.  We didn't call ourselves gang bangers.  We didn't cause havoc, tag shit, or destroy property.  We managed to go to shows and have a blast without cops harassing us.  We could hold a Gathering every year without worry of people dying, FBI showing up, or someone getting robbed.  Well things have changed greatly in the past 17 years.

I am a member of quite a few groups on Facebook that contain "old school" and "Kid" Juggalos.  More and more I am seeing a division in our group.  Things are popping up like the 13 Juggalo Commandments, Juggalo code, etc.  A lot of people think unless you know these by heart and follow them religiously you are not a Juggalo and thus not Family.  This is complete crap.  There is also a group of people that believe we are in a gang because of songs like Gang Related and groups like Psychopathic Rydas.  These people also miss the point.  The music we listen to is ENTERTAINMENT!  Nothing more, nothing less.  The Psychopathic Rydas are a group that rips off other rappers beats and puts their own lyrics on them.  Once again, entertainment. 

For the longest time I was not willing to call out these new school family.  I was hoping they would fade away when the novelty of being a "Juggalo" wore off.  Unfortunately that is not happening.  There are people out there that think old school los and lettes have a mandatory requirement to train the new school on how to be a Juggalo.  This also is crap.  No one ever told me how to be a Juggalo.  I never had to learn rules and follow trends.  When I heard the music I knew I had been a Juggalo all along.  For anyone who has called someone a Juggahoe for not knowing all the lyrics to every song, not wearing all the merch, or not paining up for the shows let me clarify something.  You are the one who is wrong.  Being a Juggalo isn't about all of that.  It is about knowing no matter where you go there will be people looking out for you.  When you go to a show you don't have to worry about being robbed, beaten, or killed.  We have a sense of right and wrong and we always look out for each other. 

Family is Family, period.  No matter how "down" someone is or isn't if they support the movement they are family in my book. 

We need to stop the in fighting.  The world hates us enough without us making it worse.  When we go to the Gathering we should not destroy everything we touch.  We should take care of the site, each other, and the towns that welcome us (Because they are getting fewer every year).  We saw this years Gathering have to be moved after it was announced because the community didn't want "Gang members" in their town.  The same town that welcomes Hells Angels every year didn't want Juggalos.  Let that sink in.  The Hells Angels.  A murderous biker gang.  Notorious for murder, rape, and many other things is more welcome than us.  Why is that?  Simple, they respect other people and try to make positive changes in communities that welcome them in.  Why can't we be the same way?  One reason, the new school has embraced the gang tag, cause problems, and make no effort to improve anything. 

Instead of us against the world and us against us we should embrace positivity.  Make positive changes.  Make an effort to change our community and help them understand we are just fans of a certain type of music.  Nothing more.  We need to stop destroying shit.  Stop saying Fuck the police every time you see a cop roll by.  Stop trying to make a statement.  Once we embrace the positive we will see positive in return.  In the most recent interview on Faygoluvers with ICP Joe Bruce said "When Twiztid left that was the end of the family era."  I couldn't agree more. 

I do expect a ton of hate for this post and I welcome any discussion you want to throw at me.  I love the Juggalo Family.  I want my kids and grand kids to bump the wicked shit if they choose.  I want to see Gatherings happening when I am an old man.  I do think without change we will become a dying breed.

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

Turmoil and changes

  Many long term established groups and record labels in the music business have begun to break apart this year.  We have seen Twiztid and Blaze leave Psychopathic Records, we are seeing the downfall of Psychopathic Records due to horrible business decisions, Daddy X and the Kottonmouth Kings leave Subnoize Records, and Johnny Richter leave the Kottonmouth Kings and release an album on Subnoize.  So why is this in my mind right now?  Well I got an email today and will be adding another interview to my 20 Min with.. series on Youtube with none other than Johnny Richter himself when he rolls through Tempe on Dec 15.  He did give an interview to Faygoluvers where he answered questions fans had submitted online and that cleared up a lot of his side of the story.  By doing my interview I can ask expanding questions to hopefully clarify more about that situation. 

  It is sad to me that all of these situations have to do with two things, power and money.  Let me make my points here before you guys hang me.

1. While Twiztid has been unable to say anything about why they left Psychopathic these themes seem to be universal in people that left the label.  Violent J is too controlling with production and all things involved with recording and performing, they wont pay any other act on the label what they are worth, and the only group getting 100% production and promotion time is ICP.  Violent J and Billy should have done everything to make Twiztid stay.  They should have promoted them better, gave them a bigger cut of the money off their albums, and made them bigger decision makers in the label.  But the money and power that those 2 guys couldn't let go helped make that decision easy for Jaime and Paul.  I think all of these things contributed to Twiztid deciding it was better to walk away.

2. Psychopathic's business decisions are killing the label.  We have seen them allow Twiztid leave when Twiztid was in my opinion the #1 group on the label.  They have stripped everything they built away from the "Family"  Violent J and Billy have made Psychopathic into a money machine that uses it's fans.  Sure we have seen in the past 3 different covers of albums (Melinko and Riddlebox), but those were made in small numbers and made to be a collectable for the fans.  Now we get 5 different versions of albums mass produced and each one has 1 or 2 new tracks to entice people to buy them.  Then about a year or so later they re-release the same 3-4 albums in a huge box set with another "version" to get people to buy another copy of all the albums.  In the past we saw them give away things to the fans, show love without buying the VIP pass for the shows, and basically present themselves as Juggalos themselves.  Now we see that was just a ruse to gain a huge ravenous fan base to use for profit.  They have become the big record label tycoons they told all of us they never would become.  Last year's Gathering saw them cut checks to vendors, police departments, and Hogrock that all haven't cleared.  I think this is why this year's Gathering is being moved to another place.  I predict in the next 5-7 years we will see the end of the label.

3. KMK split from Subnoize Records with Daddy X claiming that they were the first of many groups we would see leave Kevin Zinger due to his "Shady business tactics."  Since the split was released we have seen no other groups leaving the label.  On top of that we now have Johnny Richter leaving KMK and making another album with Zinger on Subnoize.  The more we hear Daddy X whine and complain the more their fans turn on the group.  We still don't have all the facts but it is becoming very clear that Daddy X is falling on the losing side of the debate.  I hope to be able to get some more clarification in the next week when I get a chance to talk with Richter and review his solo tour.

So as you can see all of these situations were because of shady business practices, refusal to give up power, or greed.  I will always be a Juggalo.  I will always love music and be willing to listen and review anything people send me.  I will always speak my mind and give a 100% honest opinion on the albums, situations, and other things in the business.  No one will ever make me tone down my honesty.  I hate coming on here and talking about negative things.  In this case I am so tired of seeing these great movements and groups dismantle and disappear while nobody is willing to stand up for the fans and say enough is enough.  We deserve a little consideration and respect.

Respect is something that is earned in this community and these things make all of us wanna walk away.  Truth is I considered it myself.  But I feel like fighting for this because it means that much to me.  I have nothing but clown love for all my Juggalos and Juggalettes.  I have mad respect for Twiztid, Johnny Richter, and Subnoize Records.

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

Peeling off the masks in the Underground

I don't think this blog will come as a surprise to most that frequent here. But in recent months, ever since Twiztid left Psychopathic Records, there have been numerous reports, interviews, emails, and lawsuits that are exposing a side of the label I think most of us didn't want to ever see. The side of the label that is focused on money, lust, and mob style tactics.

A report was released last week of a lawsuit from a former "in-house" legal Counsel/publicist claiming that many employees within Psychopathic Records engaged in prolonged sexual harassment, intimidation, and creating a hostile work environment. Having read the lawsuit here are the highlights:

1. She was consistently called a bitch by everyone around her including Billy.

2. She was consistently subject to unwanted sexual advances from Dirty Dan and others.

3. Sugar Slam created a hostile work environment due to her jealousy toward the woman suing them.

4. Dirty Dan gave a glass dildo upon finding out she had recently separated from her boyfriend.

5. She was asked to cover up wage issues being investigated by the US Labor board.

6. She was asked to act unethically in a legal capacity to cover up many things within the organization.

Now those are the major issues in the lawsuit. It is 17 pages long and filled with a ton of fluff such as "I was always being flirted with" type comments. But looking at those six issues I can say if they are true there is a serious issue within the label. Yet another sign things are sliding downhill quicker than anyone in Psychopathic wants to admit. Then a few days later it came out that many vendors from this year’s Gathering either hadn’t been paid or the checks they were given would not clear the bank. The total of those debts is around $300,000. Are we really seeing that Psychopathic is broke? Maybe or maybe not but either way it doesn't look good at this point.

So I log in today and see yet another story about the business dealings in the label in the form of two anonymous emails sent to testdummy22 from someone he says is in the inner circle of the label and a very reliable source. Those 2 emails state:

ANONYMOUS MESSAGE SENT TO: TestDummy 22 from ?????, (A EMPLOYEE AT PSYCHOPATHIC RECORDS, AND A VERY RELIABLE SORCE) TESTDUMMY 22 *Some of this e-mail was cut out to protect the identity of sender* I gotta be honest man, I'm deeply disapp...ointed in this company. I had hooked up with Mike Clark down in Detroit at the fowling warehouse. We had a long conversation that night about Psychopathic and at one point Mike was almost in tears telling me about how he believed they were brothers (Him,Joe and Joey) and when it came down to it Joe tossed their friendship in the trash and chose to steal millions of dollars from him. The money he was referring to was from the first 5 cards and associated Eps that he was was tricked into signing away all his publishing on. Fucking devastating right? What if you made millions and someone stole it from you? How would you feel? I was fucking floored that they would do that to him but it doesn't surprise me because its the music business and he was naive to the workings of the music business. They fucked Mike HARD and it hurt him, he's still bitter today make no mistake. The only reason he does shit with them anymore is because he has to make money and he loves the juggalos. At the GOTJ last year and he was literally sobbing because the potential for what this movement could have been in the hands of people who cared could have been massive. Mikes just going through the motions now, his heart is not with ICP anymore. Mike isn't a problem, he's fine the way he is, its everyone else thats the problem. I mean, Joe doesn't exactly pick Mikes best stuff and at the end of the day EVERYTHING you hear out of Psychopathic is a product of Joe Bruce is some way shape or form. Mike still makes great shit, but Joe don't know how to pick it and in my opinion he actually picks some of the worst beats I have ever heard regardless of who the producer is.

And:

ANONYMOUS MESSAGE SENT TO: TestDummy 22 from ?????, (A EMPLOYEE AT PSYCHOPATHIC RECORDS, AND A VERY RELIABLE SORCE) TESTDUMMY 22 Here's the reality of Psychopathic. It's not a business, its a hustle. ... I noticed Kuma is not really talked about in the juggalo community, First of all Kuma is Joe's bitch, I don't know if you know that or not? Kuma wears all hats at psychopathic and basically fails at all of them. When I first met Kuma I thought he was a super cool genuine dude and he had me believing that for the majority of my time at psychopathic,but as time went on and I started to question his abilities is when I started seeing a drastic change in his attitude towards me. Kuma is the source of all things generic at Psychopathic. He's the reason everything comes out like watered down cheap rip offs, he's the reason the informercials suck, he's responsible for the worst videos in ICP history and thats why Joe is using outside directors and producers now, i'm not just being a dick i'm being honest, Kuma is the source of suck but they refuse to fire him because he's loyal and he rides that dick HARD. Ok, so, Eric Heiden is the only special effects guy at psychopathic and he calls Kuma out on not being able to his job in front of Billy and Rob. Billy and Rob decide instead of firing Kuma they will remove him from the video department, fire me and stick him in the lotus pod. I honestly feel deep sorrow for the fans at this point because the future of this label is pretty much completely abandoned. It obvious they don't give a fuck and honestly Big Hoodoo is just a way for Joe to make himself feel better about Twiztid leaving the label, thats all. I wouldn't be surprised if he only lasted one or two records tops. You said it yourself, when were juggalos most happy? That was when ICP, Twiztid,Lotus,Blaze were rocking out. That will never happen again bro, it's over.

Now with that out there let me just say if the first email is true, which wouldn't surprise me, I am truly disappointed they would do Mike Clark like that. I do feel that Mike Clark supports the fans and has nothing but love for the movement. I also think that we are seeing that Violent J and Billy have a firm grip on everything and everyone under Psychopathic, they have given into greed and arrogance, and they have become everything they claim to despise in the business.

I think things like this point to more and more reasons why Twiztid walked away.  Although they are unable to say anything about their release publically I would not be surprised if once the timeframe of that silence is over we see the final pieces fall from the masks J and Billy have worn for so long.

I have long said that Alex leaving changed the entire dynamic of the label. It went from a movement that meant something to a gross exploitation of a dedicated and rabid fan base. I am going to get hate mail for this post and I expect it. Don't misunderstand me, I support ICP and all other artists on the label but I do not support the business tactics that Billy and Joe have instituted to make millions. I respect what they built, what they have done independently, and the movement they started. But having done business with certain members within the label I can attest that the mob tactics are used to get things out of people. Threats are made to ensure they make money even if they do nothing to earn or deserve that money. They will threaten not only the person they have the dispute with but also their wives, husbands, and children to get paid. The reason the FBI began to investigate them was extortion, wage payment issues, and illegal activities similar to street gangs. As long as they and their fans continue to act like thugs we will never shake this stigma.

I am saddened by the state of the record label. I am even more saddened by the fact Joe has become everything he hated. I sincerely hope He and Billy realize this is the wrong path to be on and can save what all of us have come to love. If not I know Twiztid, Strange, Mad Insanity and Subnoize are poised to take over the underground and make us proud.

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

2013 Gathering of the Juggalos thoughts

So the Gathering of the Juggalos went back “Underground” this year.  The event has been going on since Wed Aug 7 as people started lining up to get into the grounds.  Well on Monday Aug 5 there were several people who overdosed and had to be taken to the hospital; mind you this was before anyone was allowed to be there except the crew setting everything up!  Having gone to the event last year I saw more drugs available than anywhere else I have ever been.  This should have been a sign of things to come.  The apparent drug causing the problems is a designer drug called 25I.  The street name for the drug is N-Bomb, Smiles, and 25I.  It is similar to LSD in its effect on people. 

News breaks Friday that someone was found dead in their tent of apparent overdose.  The cause was initially reported as 25I but has also been reported as a Heroin overdose.  No matter what the cause this is absolutely horrible news.  Why you ask?  Well it is simple, the public at large is finding any way possible to label us delinquents and shut the Gathering down.  Drugs have expanded way out of control and last year I saw people who were obviously “professional” dealers who were only there to make money off dumb ass Juggalos who did not even remember their experience at the Gathering because they were wasted the entire time.  Drugs are out of control at this event.  Why is this important to me?  I GIVE A CRAP that’s why!  People need to go out there and enjoy themselves but this is getting ridiculous.  We have now lost Family because of this problem.  I suggest we as Family get this under control.  This is our Mecca (as Violent J said today). 

Now the other huge news everyone was waiting for was promised by Violent J to be “The biggest news we have ever released in our career!” and we were promised this life changing news at the seminar today.  Let’s briefly go over what they released at the seminar:

·         Juggalos at the Gathering are the most elite Juggalos on the planet!

·         ICP considers the Gathering the mecca of Juggalo-ism

• He gives us the epitome of news in the Juggalo world
• Psychopathic is resuming the Mighty Death Pop tour right after J’s knee surgery
• Tour will include Denver, Salt Lake City, Albuquerque, Florida, Texas; Last show of the tour will be Hallowicked
• November dates for the tour in Australia
• ICP theater has 8 episodes (3 of which have aired so far).  If ratings are good, they will get 25 more episodes for season 2!
• They are starting the 3rd Joker’s card of the new deck after Hallowicked!
• Planning of the 3rd card will be more precise
• It will be available on CD!  The rumor that it would only be on digital is “straight bullshit”
• He said the difference between a physical copy of the album and a digital copy is like the difference between porn and a real neden!
• They are bringing back Psychopathic Radio after the Gathering!
• Shaggy is off probation (finally!) so they will be touring in Canada!
• On Juggalo day, they will be performing the Great Milenko in its entirety! It will be available on iPPV, and may not be in Detroit!  More Joker’s cards shows are in the works!
• Violent JJ made 3 beats (beatboxing) and they will release it on the Internet
• 6th Joker’s card box set is ready to go!
• Violent J confirmed that Blaze ya Dead Homie did officially leave
• Psychopathic isn’t trying to replace anyone who left, just trying to leave a legacy of great artists!
• They want to do more concept music like Wizard of the Hood or solo albums like Shaggy’s Fuck the Fuck Off
• They said that Twiztid told Psychopathic they were leaving via text message
• They then announced that Axe Murder Boyz and Boondox  are officially back on the label!
• Everyone was handed a ticket before the seminar started, without knowing what it was about.  They then started talking about the  Chronicles of the Dark Carnival series that was filmed for SyFy years ago.
• They said that the end product they got back had a “little twinge of suck”.  Jumpsteady said it was SO BAD that it came full circle and ended up being entertaining again!
• They said it would ONLY be available for Juggalos who were in attendance at this year’s Gathering!

Now with that in mind what could possibly have been the huge earth shattering news? 

ICP is touring Australia? 

AMB and Boondox have resigned with Psychopathic?

Blaze leaving the label?

Are any of those the Biggest news ever?   NO.  So I take this list of news as just that, news.  ICP once again pulled the wool over Juggalos eyes to sell tickets and get people in the door.  As I have discussed before ICP is all about the bottom line.  They don’t care about the Family any more.  They knew the lineup this year, while great underground acts were on the set list, was not enough to sell enough tickets.  So J tells us all they are going to drop devastating, huge, Juggalo world changing news.  And we get nothing.  Then we are told there is a mystery seminar after ICP that I think everyone including me thought would be Twiztid.  Nope Twiztid and Blaze bounced and the seminar became AMB and Boondox.  Don’t get me wrong Boondox dropping some good news that I am pumped about but really why not give Twiztid a seminar? 

How many times are we going to see the fan base abused by this label and do nothing about it.  When Twiztid left I didn’t want to “take sides” and I still support the music Psychopathic, Twiztid and Blaze put out there.  I think J and Shaggy need to seriously look at what has happened.  Alex left and it has been a steady decline into money and ego. 

People will read this and some will agree while others disagree.  I will take heat for saying these things but I know people out there who view it the same way (testdummy22 and I see eye to eye on a lot) and that is ok.  I have opinions and so does everyone else.  The one thing about me that never changes (whether it is CD reviews, Event reviews, my blog and opinions, or anything else I do) is that I am honest and will say what I believe to be the truth. 

I still rep the hatchet and will always support the underground movement.  This years Gathering has shown me that the Mecca for the Family is on life support.  Attendance was down, we had a death, and we saw a glimmer of hope that things were ok with the ending of the Lotus set (which quickly went away when J told the family Twiztid left via text. That was a low blow if you ask me), and the police getting a “financial” advance from the “organizers” (Psychopathic) which let them buy new equipment for the force.

I love my Family and hate to feel like this whole movement has been shifted in the wrong direction.  I hope things will change and we will see Juggalos return and rebuild what has been lost.  I hate to say I feel that movement is now with Twiztid but that is how I see it. 

Let’s hear your opinions people, I welcome everyone’s thoughts!

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

What would you do?

  I recently reviewed the newest CD released by Kansas City rapper Irv Da Phenom for Faygoluvers.  The review was favorable and quite different from any other CD I have reviewed up til now.  For those that don't know Irv Da Phenom is a more mainstream rapper who recently went out on the road with Horrorcore legend Mars from California.  He has done a lot of work with many artists such as Tech N9ne, Krizz Kaliko, and Kutt Calhoun.  His album was very well written and lyrically on top of the game.  So I posted the review and sent the links to all the Facebook pages I am a part of and also posted it to Irv's Facebook page and ensured he got the link as well.  Yesterday he posted this on his page:

"Hey! The guys over at Faygoluvers reviewed Irv Da Phenom's new album ‎Los Kangeles.

Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Do you agree with this review? Do you disagree? With everything leaking early now days & being streamed before release do you even feel album reviews are still important?"


Shortly after it was posted someone responded with this:

"With a site called "FaygoLuvers" and a reviewer named "Juggalotus", I can't take any of this seriously."

I found this response odd for two reasons.  First if an artist I liked took the time to post a review of their album I wouldn't really care what the name of the site or reviewer was I would go check it out and answer the original question asked by the artist "Do you agree with this review? Do you disagree? With everything leaking early now days & being streamed before release do you even feel album reviews are still important?"

Second, why would someone choose to not only ignore the review but then criticize the reviewer without seeing if the guy knew what he was talking about based simply on the name of the site or reviewer?

So I guess this blog is asking all of you who read this blog this question Would you go read the review if a favorite artist of yours posted it?  Would you not go to the link based solely on the site name or reviewer name?  And I would also like to know your thoughts on Irv's original question are album reviews still important?

I personally would go check out any album review posted by a favorite artist of mine because I welcome all opinions and feel they can broaden my perspective on music.  I would never not go to a site based on the name or reviewer name.  and yes I do think album reviews are important not only for the fans but also the musicians.  Musicians can take the positives and the negatives and improve what they do.

So this is a short post but I would really like to get some feedback from you guys!

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

Brutal Honesty

For a while now I have written blogs about honesty in music.  This week I got a shock when a review I did on an rapper's CD led to his quitting.  Yes you read that right, I made him quit.  The CD was good as far as recording quality but it lacked substance, originality, and passion.  Since I started reviewing CD's for Faygoluvers.net I have prided myself on giving brutally honest reviews.  I have done a few negative reviews in the past and had artists take my criticism to heart and change the way they do things.  I have also had artists disregard my opinion totally.  But never have I had someone quit.  I have said in the past that any artist in any genre needs to surround themselves with people who will tell them the truth.  People who will tell them when what they are doing is not good or needs improvement.  So many rappers surround themselves with yes men.  People who refuse to tell them what they are doing might need work for fear of losing their friendship.  So it came as little suprise that this review was so hurtful the guy quit.  I hope he takes it in stride, modifies what he is doing, and comes back to prove me wrong.

I do not review albums this way to be cruel or force people to stop being creative.  I do it because without that brutal honesty the whole genre suffers and gets a bad name.  I am trying to make the overall acceptance of the music more common.  There are a ton of talented artists in Horror Core that are often overlooked or lumped in with the unimaginative and uncreative masses in the genre.  I have reviewed so many artists who deserve to "make it" but are not even given a glance because they are Horror Core.  I will never back down from the standards I have set for music.  I will always be as honest as I can in my opinions.  But at the same time they are just that, my opinions.  I do not expect everyone to agree with me, heck I expect at least 90% of people to have a different opinion.  I always welcome comment, opinions, and feedback.

Scottie D over at Faygoluvers appreciates my honesty as do many big name artists in the Underground.  That is why I will never comprimise that position.  If we as fans, reviewers, and artists set a higher standard for our craft we can make positive changes.  We can make our genre more accepted.  If no one speaks up nothing changes.  Sure 1 man can't changes the world but no man speaking up cannot change anything.

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

Evolution

  So it became official today with Violent J's interview that Blaze is no longer with Psychopathic.  Honestly it came as no suprise.  I said in my blog about Twiztid leaving it was going to happen.  So I have spent much of the day today reading forum posts, watching videos, and just feeling out the Family and how things are currently.  Now I took a lot of hate and criticism because of my thoughts about Twiztid leaving.  So let me say as plain as I can, I am and always will be a Juggalo.  I will always support the music ICP makes, like it or not, I have nothing but respect for the Dons of Psychopathic.  I will always support Blaze and Twiztid no matter where they go and what they do.  Nothing can take any of my memories or feelings away that I have developed over the last 16 years.  I will always support music I like and speak out if I don't like something.  That is what makes the Family unique, our ability to be individuals while still being a Family. 

All that being said I wanted to share my feelings on the state of Twiztid, Blaze and Psychopathic.  Psychopathic will be fine and move on without Twiztid and Blaze.  As long as ICP is making music the label will continue.  My feelings on the current management of the label have been made clear throughout this blog.  For two years I have opened myself up and told you all exactly how I felt things were going.  I do not think the label will be as successful now that Twiztid is gone.  The talent just isnt there.  Twiztid will forge their own path and so will Blaze.  I see nothing but bright things in their futures.  One video I watched was a review of Abominationz.  In the video the guy speaks exactly how I have been feeling.  He says at one point he can't tell if Twiztid is speaking directly to ICP a majority of the time.  He also feels like the album is Twiztid's stance against the current movement of the label, and I agree.  It was Twiztid's renewal of their devotion to the Family and movement that ICP built.  I feel like they have not agreed with the current shift in policy and product.  That is why when I hear lines like:

"Your looking for acceptance in places your never gonna get it accept it
Our painted face is rejected
An abomination infected
With so much hatred collected
How can you say you didn't expected to go this way
Like bad directions
They're looking at me like a weapon
We got the world's attention
Were like this great invention
There all to afraid to mention
Shun me like bad intentions
But we'll see who really had agendas
A misconception I don't wanna be in your fucked up life or interventions"

I can't help but feel like they are speaking directly to ICP.  Like I have said I will support the music ICP, Twiztid and Blaze make for life.  on the business side of things I think things need to change.  I do not agree with business decisions being made.  Period.
We have been told recently that the Gathering this year will be a celebration of the Underground.  When I heard that my first thought was "Huh?" I like the idea of people like Kung Fu Vampire, Bukshot, Liquid Assassin, Mars, Molly Gruesome, and others getting a chance to hit the mainstage and bring the house down.  My biggest fear is this move is being made to save money because of the lost profit with Twiztid leaving.  Do I think Twiztid will be at the Gathering?, yes.  Do I think in 5 years they will be at the Gathering?, not sure.  No one can disagree it is much cheaper for the label to have these underground artists on the main stage for $500-800 per set than to bring guys like Ice Cube, Ice T, and others out for $10,000 or more for a set.  I am not sure at this point how I feel about the Gathering this year.  I am hoping to get a chance to go out there as press and do an actual honest review of the Gathering.  We shall see.

Now back to the point of the post, evolution.  As a long time Juggalo I have seen shifts in the movement.  I have seen band wagon fans come and go.  I have seen the music succeed (Melinko, AJB, Mostasteless, Abominationz) and I have seen it fail (The Calm, Tempest, Mutant) but the one thing that has remained constant is the fans.  We support the music more rabidly than any other fanbase out there.  We get hated on for it and it makes us ban together and put a middle finger in the air at the mainstream.  The video review of Abominationz the guy makes a great point and that is this "BPB and MDP were great albums but they do not deserve to be called Jokers Cards.  There is something missing that was in all six of the origional cards."  They are well done, great as far as production, and have many tracks I can relate to.  But the magic is missing.  The story is a faint reminder of what we have been told for decades. 

The one thing nobody can avoid is evolution.  I will never be 100% behind every project that Psychopathic, Twiztid, or Blaze puts out but I can tell you I will give each and every release it's fair shake.  I will listen to what is being put out and support the ones I enjoy while allowing the others to collect dust in my collection.  I have nothing but love for each and every Juggalo and Juggalette in the world.  The real los and lettes not the band wagoners that we seem to be gathering recently.  Being a Juggalo isn't about a set of rules, a pledge, if you do drugs or not, or even the music.  Being a Juggalo is a state of being.  When you find the Family you know you belong no matter where you come from, how much money you have, or what your recreational activities are. Being a Juggalo is about being an individual.  Liking what you like and standing firm on your beliefs.  We are a Family.  Evolution doesn't change that.  J said it best in the interview posted today "But if one day you get to college and start hangin’ with a new group of friends and you start to like other kinds of music, just don’t be one of those bitches that’s like, “Can you believe I used to be a Juggalette? I was so young and stupid, I guess.” Never talk that shit about us. Never sell us out because the you at 14 is just as important to your legacy as the you at 34. Yes, it’s OK to be a 14 year old Juggalette. It’s even OK if you grow out of being a Juggalette one day, but do us a favor. Never sell us out. Always remember the good times you had as a Juggalette and cherish them. Don’t look back on them with regret, look back on these days as great days. Never bad mouth the family. Better yet, stay down with the family forever!"  Thats it right there.  Evolution is going to happen.  People will outgrow the need for the music and the Family and that is ok.  And if you leave the music behind for a while and find in the future you need that connection again, we will be here.

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

Can't believe it's been 2 years!

In looking at my blog stats I was very happy to see it finally passed 9300 page views!  I never thought it would get that many.  Then I was looking back at all my posts and realized an even bigger achievement, this blog has been going strong for 2 years yesterday!

The evolution of the blog is funny to look at because it started as a way for me to show support to Juggalos/Juggalettes and help promote the Family in a positive light.  Since that time things in my life have changed and evolved.  I now manage Black Project in their music, write reviews of CD's for Faygoluvers.net, am doing freelance reporting for American Media Distribution (Hopefully they will send me to the Gathering to write a positive story and get rid of more stigma associated with us), have booked and promoted a concert, and have worked with a lot of Underground artists and gotten to know them which I never expected.  It is so funny to me that my life went for 31 years and then the last 2 have gone by so fast it makes my head spin.

The current theme in my blog is giving advice to artists, promoters, bookers, and managers.  I am no expert but I do business honestly.  I truely think we need more honesty in this business.  Now I have had my share of haters and that is ok with me.  I respect everyone's opinion and welcome any comments all the time on this blog.  I take an active role to respond to everyone in some way and show my appreciation for the time they give to read my ramblings.  I have started a new non-rap blog this year which has yet to get it's legs but hopefully soon. 

I am very intersted to see where we go from here.  If you are a regular reader know that I appreciate you taking the time to read this.  If you are new welcome!  Feel free to comment or hit me up on email.  I am looking forward to more years to come!

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

Business or Hobby

  So since my last post I have had several discussions with some rappers that feel my views might not be right in the context of the business today.  They have told me I am out of touch.  I disagree completely.  I also have been told that too many rappers today look at music as more of a hobby than a business, thus why this blog post is being written.

What are some things that make music a business vs a hobby?

1. Quality of recordings.  Rappers today do not feel the need to pay money for an actual sound engineer to mix and master their music.  They feel that their $300 mic and closet setup are good enough to sell records.  There was a thread on the Faygoluvers forums about Fruity Loops which touched on this.  It was the view of one of the participants that in his studio he could get a recording 96% perfect so why should he pay money to get it to be 99% perfect.  My answer is simple, his mixing and mastering is no where near 96%, at best he puts out 60% as for the quality of the recording.  Not because he doesn't have the skills but because he doesn't have the compressors and other equipment needed to even out and fine tune the tracks properly.  95% of rappers today do not know how to properly level the music and vocals so they are even and sound the best they can.  A trained and educated engineer can do that and more.  I have had a few people I work with that thought their recording, mixing, and mastering were on point.  Then I take their track into the studio with a pro engineer and when I am done they have realized the difference immediately.  If you are not willing to pay for quality you think of Rap as a hobby.

2.  Fan base.  If you are the hottest rapper in whatever city you are in that is good on you.  If no one except people from your city know you, you are doing it wrong.  To move from this being a hobby to a business you need to expand your fan base, do shows in as many cities and states as possible, and put in the work to get your name known by more people.  The fans worldwide should eventually know you and what you do, if that isn't happening, you think of Rap as a hobby.

3.  Performance.  Most new rappers need as many performances as they can in the beginning to shake the nerves, get used to the stage, and learn how to play the crowd.  The problem is rappers who don't learn anything while doing these performances.  If you do a show once a week and never change what you are doing, you are wrong.  You should grow with each and every performance.  You should have people around you willing to tell you what worked and what didn't work in the show.  Accept criticism.  No matter how long you have been doing this business there is always room for improvement.  There is always a young guy or gal on your heels that will some day pass you up.  The time most rappers spend at the top is relatively small in comparison to how long they worked to get there.  If you are happy doing a show once a week, never making things better, and surrounding yourself with yes men, you think of Rap as a hobby.

4. Money.  The number one thing that shows you consider Rap a business and not a hobby is money.  If you are not spending money to improve your product with confidence that it will be returned you are destine to fail.  We all can say all the time "I could get paid nothing and I wouldn't care.  I do it for the love of the music"  That's great, does love of the music pay the bills?  No it doesn't.  In any business if you forget that making money is your number one priority you will not be in business long.  I do believe you should make the music because you love it.  You shouldn't be afraid to make money or make music that will make you money.  If all you care about is the "Love" of the music, you think of Rap as a hobby.

I have encountered quite a few underground rappers who, for lack of a better way to say it, suck.  The quality they put out is sub par, their performance on stage is horrible, and their ego is way to large for where they are in their hobbies.  That is the point of this blog really.  Stop making music if it is a hobby.  If you cannot commit time, energy, and money into making a product that makes you money, then don't.  The underground is so flooded with egotistical half talented hacks and it is making us all look horrible.  There are some shining stars and even they get hated on for the money they are making.

All businesses start out as hobbies we enjoy.  The time hobbies become businesses is when you focus your efforts on making money.

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

14th Annual Gathering of the Juggalos

So the 14th Annual Gathering of the Juggalos tickets went on sale today.  In looking at the costs several things came to mind.  Holy crap that is expensive and what is going to draw the Family this years.  So let's take my reaction to each individually.  I will give my experience from last years gathering in my analysis.

Here is the info directly from the most recent Hatchet Herald:

Running from February 1st until March 1st, when you purchase your Ticket from juggalogathering.com for $175 you will receive a free exclusive Gathering of the Juggalos t-shirt! That freshness can actually be seen in the picture above. This t-shirt combo will only run in the first month for the early bird ticket buyers. If you wait until after March 1st to get your ticket it will still be $175 but no t-shirt freshness. A ticket to The Gathering of the Juggalos will get you free parking in the parking lot outside of the grounds and access into The Hatchet Landings. This includes all the shows, all the concerts, all the madness, and free camping!

This was my personal experience last year with this package.  We got into the parking lot fairly quickly.  Then we realized we had to pack all our gear into Hatchet Landings, with out a cart of some kind this took us about 9 trips and a ton of lifting and hauling.  Had we known this we might have put out the $$ for a car pass.

Next is the car pass option.  Here is what it includes besides the ticket and entry:
Car Passes are available for $100. While there is free parking for everyone at The Gathering of the Juggalos outside of the grounds, if you would like to bring your vehicle into The Hatchet Landings then you will need to purchase a Car Pass.
      As a side note, once your vehicle is parked at your campsite that is where it has to stay. For the safety of your fellow ‘Los and ‘Lettes you CAN’T drive around the grounds of The Juggalo Gathering unless it is an emergency situation. This is simply so you can have the convenience of having your car at your campsite and camp out in it if you want.

So with this option and an extra $100 you get the pleasure of not hauling your gear by foot and having more security for you things (a few people got caught stealing last year).  I think $100 is excessive though.

Then we get to those who want to bring in RV's:

If you’re looking to bring in something bigger than a vehicle, an RV or a trailer, then the RV Pass for $150 is for you. It gives you the same sort of access as a Car Pass, but for a larger class vehicle. Same as before, when you park your RV or trailer at your campsite, that’s where it has to stay until you’re ready to pack up and leave The Gathering.

So $50 more on top of the car pass for a larger space.  I saw a lot of RV's getting tagged and damaged.  Nothing extra with it.

Finally they offer Big Ballas campsites:

Finally, for everyone who wants the top dog experience at The Gathering of the Juggalos we suggest the Big Ballas Campsites. The Big Ballas Campsites are a designated area for you to camp that will include an electrical outlet and a water source for your convenience. A Big Ballas Campsite will run you $400. These spaces are limited and there hasn’t been a year of the Gathering when they haven’t sold out quick as shit. So, we suggest if you’re even remotely interested with goin’ in on this site with your homies that you pool your cheddar and get to gettin’ before they’re gone.

This is the most expensive and really only adds water and electric to your rv spot.  So for $400 you get an RV slot with utilities.  Thats it.  Last year many of the Ballas sites had a ton of issues with the utilities and I would say this option is not worth the money for that reason alone.  All of the last three options do not include your ticket so that makes the total cost this:

Camping no car: $175 and a lot of footwork
Car Camping: $275
RV Camping: $325
Big Ballas: $575

Now keep in mind that none of these include the gas and food money.  You are welcome to cook at your campsite but last year if you sold food to fam at a discount so they would'nt have to pay the $7-9 for a plate you were told to stop or be kicked out of the Gathering.  The vendors at the Gathering know this and charge way to much for food, ie a slice of pizza $5.  Then we get to the merch tent.  The first day the lines are insane but the deals are pretty good.  Then after that it is back to the same as buying on Hatchetgear minus shipping.  So at least they didn't raise prices there.

Now on to my second reaction, what is going to draw the Family to the event.  All the years we have had seminars from ICP, Twiztid, Blaze, ABK, etc.  This year will Twiztid be allowed that courtesy?  Perfromances have always had Twiztid headline a night.  Will they get that this year?  Will they even be at the Gathering?  I would say yes to being there but I don't know to anything else.  I guess as the lineup is announced we will see what Psychopathic will pull out of their hat. 

Please don't misunderstand, I went last year and had an absolutely kick ass time.  It was an experience I will never forget.  But that being said, Psychopathic has gotten greedy and forgotten what brought them to the dance, The Family.  In the beginning the Gathering was our yearly release and while it cost a little bit it didn't put us in debt.  I can't tell you how many Los and Lettes I saw on the way out last year with signs asking for rides to all over the US because they had spent their last dollar just to get there.  More and more people snuck in last year than ever before.  Why?  Simple most of us do not have $600-1000 to blow on the Gathering.  I hate that Psychopathic has become this way.  I love the music and principals we stand for but hate seeing the exploitation of the fans.  Twiztid left and has since stood up and reclaimed the Family.  All of their shows still have the magic.  They preach the principals I stand for.

Anyway that is my take on the big announcement today.

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus