ICP Mighty Death Pop Review

Yes it is finally here, my review of ICP's newest release "The Mighty Death Pop!"




 

The Mighty Death Pop Review

Insane Clown Posse

By: Juggalotus

I have the awesome task of reviewing ICP’s newest release, The Mighty Death Pop. Being an old-school Juggalo, I take great pride in giving my most honest assessment of the album and its bonus disks. I’m going to break it down into four parts (one for the main album, and one per each bonus disk), give my impression of each part, and then give each disk a rating. At the end, I’ll give what I think are the top three tracks from each album (not including the black bonus disks).



The main album, The Mighty Death Pop, comprises seventeen tracks and one bonus track of outtakes. Right from the intro, I knew this would not be anything like Bang Pow Boom. While I liked that album, I could tell right away that this one was geared more toward old-school Juggalos. The first six tracks bring back great memories from my intro to ICP back in 2006-2007. The next three are more humorous and intended to lighten the mood. Then we get to my favorite track on the disk, “Hate Her to Death.” This track stands alone as the deepest track on the album, with a very slow but deliberate beat. Next is the only track on the album with guests, called “Screeem!,” featuring Tech Nine and Hopsin. It’s a good track in which all the artists get a chance to shine with their various styles. “Ghetto Rainbows” follows, and I can say that I was VERY apprehensive when it first came on, due to the music alone. As I have listened further, it really works for them, and it’s catchy, although it’s definitely a departure from the norm for ICP. After that, the album becomes somewhat disjointed, however it ends on a very emotional track called “Forever,” which is a fitting culmination to the main album. There is one more track that contains outtakes from the album recording process. All in all, the main album does not disappoint. You can definitely tell that ICP made it with their long-time fans in mind.



MDP Disk Rating: 9/10



The Red Pop set is called Smothered, Covered, and Chunked. It contains ICP’s covers of popular tracks from the past. With collabs on this disk from Fred Durst, Downtown Brown and Lil Wyte, there’s really nothing to complain about. ICP did all of the songs justice, while also making them their own. The remake of the Tears for Fears track, “Shout” is a little weird at first, but it grows on you. Their collab with Fred Durst, “Bitch Betta Have My Money” is dope as hell. The Yo Gabba Gabba track, “Hold Still,” (yes you read that right) is fresh and will make for an interesting concert experience. This disk is fun and has a lot of energy.



SC&C Disk Rating: 8/10



The White Pop set, called Mike E. Clark’s Extra Pop Emporium, is a blend of remixes and outtakes from the main disk. Hands down, my favorite remix is “Chris Benoit.” Ice Cube and Scarface come in with some amazing verses, and the beat Kuma came up with is absolutely killer. My major criticism of this disk is track 3. It’s a remix of “When I’m Clownin, feat. Kreayshawn.” I didn’t know her music prior to this track and I won’t be going out to find any hereafter. Her verse kills one of the better tracks from the main disk, and not in a good way. My other criticism is that the remix of “Ghetto Rainbows, feat. Color Me Badd” should have been the one on the main disk. It sounds so much better than the version that made the album. Mike E. Clark and Kuma do an amazing job of remixing the tracks.



EPP Disk Rating: 8/10



The Black Pop set, titled Freaky Tales, is an hour long sex-rap inspired by Too Short’s song of the same name. The biggest problem with this one is that more than sixty minutes of hearing about J and Shagg’s sexploits was, at least for me, about fifty minutes too long. Too Short kept his track to eight minutes, and that was just about perfect. This disk is ICP going over all the hoes they have been with and the special “features” of each girl. I was able to listen to about 35 minutes of it before it got stale and repetitive. I went to track 2, which was the outtakes, hoping for some good humor, but found none. I feel like this disk should have been left off the release, but others out there might enjoy the novelty.



FT Disk Rating: 2/10



Track listing:

MAIN ALBUM:

1. Intro

2. The Mighty Death Pop

3. Night Of The Chainsaw

4. Chris Benoit

5. The Blasta

6. Kickin’ Kickin’

7. Bazooka Joey

8. Shooting Stars

9. Juggalo Juice

10. Hate Her To Death

11. SKREEEM!! feat. Tech N9ne and Hopsin

12. Ghetto Rainbows

13. When I’m Clownin’

14. Dog Catchers

15. Daises

16. Where’s God?

17. Forever



RED POP (Smother, Covered, and Chunked):

1. Prelude feat. Psychopathic Family

2. Jump Around

3. Shout feat. Blaze Ya Dead Homie

4. Ain’t No Future In Yo Frontin

5. Hold Still feat. Downtown Brown

6. Bitch Betta Have My Money feat. Fred Durst

7. Night Of The Living Baseheads

8. Beautiful (Indestructible)

9. Mind Playin’ Tricks feat. ABK and Lil Wyte

10. State of Shock

11. Love For Dem Gangsters feat. Cold 187um

12. Guess My Religion



WHITE POP (Mike E. Clark’s Extra Pop Emporium):

1. Traveling Circus

2. Chris Benoit (Kuma’s Crub remix feat. Ice Cube and Scarface)

3. When I’m Clownin’ (Kuma’s Clownin’ Remix feat. Kreyshawn)

4. Lost In The Music feat. Swollen Members

5. Up Ya Ass (outtake)

6. Ghetto Rainbows (Soft Ass R-N-B remix feat. Color Me Badd)

7. Birthday Party (outtake)

8. Scrubstutite Teachers feat. Twiztid and Willie D

9. Playin’ In The Woods (outtake)

10. Pass It To The Sky feat. Kottonmouth Kings

11. Shugston Brooks 1959-2004 (outtake)

12. Night Of The Chainsow (Joe Strange remix feat. Three Six Mafia)

13. Forever (Extended Geto Mix feat. The Geto Boys)

BLACK POP (Freaky Tales):

1. Freaky Tales

My Top 3 Tracks:

Main Album

1. Hate Her to Death
2. Night of the Chainsaw
3. Where’s God?

Red Pop bonus disk

1. Bitch Betta Have My Money, feat Fred Durst
2. State of Shock
3. Guess My Religion 

White Pop bonus disk

1. Chris Benoit Remix, feat Ice Cube and Scarface 
2. Birfday Party 
3. Night of the Chainsaw remix, feat Three 6 Mafia



Length:

Main Album- 62:14

Red Pop- 54:00

White Pop- 53:45

Black Pop- 60:15

Record Label:

Psychopathic Records

Release Date:
08/14/2012


There you have it. My own personal opinion of all of the albums included in the release. Take it for what it is.

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

Kingz of the street Aug 3, 2012

  I was in attendance at the Kingz of the street show at the 12052 Event Center in Amarillo, TX on Aug 3, 2012.  Why is this review so late you might ask, well I went to the Gathering of the Juggalos and didn't get time to post it prior to leaving!  Anyway the show turnout was much better than the last few shows I have attended, but that was due to it being a different promoter.  The promoter seemed to have done a great job getting people out to the show.

First up on the stage was a new young rapper named Pastor J.  He put on a good stage show even though he was really young.  The set was enjoyable but not memorable. 

Next we had Concrete Connection, otherwise known as Mr. 806 and his crew.  They did their normal set and the crowd really seemed to dig it.  I was indifferent as it was not my genre of choice.  But that being said they always are enjoyable to watch.

The next group I cannot remember their name and honestly cannot remember their performance.  I guess that says all you need to know about it.

Then we got to Ill literate Productions and the Balaholic family.  They had issues with to many people talking on the mic at once.  They tended to walk over each others vocals which made for a disjointed and kinda annoying set.  When they were not talking over each other they did well.

After that we had a little down time before getting to our hosts for the night Worldz Kollide.  Rezerect and his crew absolutely killed it.  They got the crowd hella hype and definitely made the show pop from that point forward.

Second to last in the night was Black Project.  They performed old classics and a few new tracks.  One of the new tracks was called Dig Your Grave and it was dope as hell.  They had some audio problems but overall it was a good show.

The night ended with Sir Johnson and his crew on the stage.  To be honest I had to leave to get home so I missed a majority of their performance.  But knowing Sir Johnson the show ended on a high note.

  Thats it.  For the first show I have attended by this promoter I have to say I am looking forward to working with them again.  The show was dope and I had a really good time.

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

Update of upcoming events, blogs, etc.

So the past month has been hectic as all heel.  But the bright side for you guys is I have plenty of reviews for you.  The next few months we have a few shows coming up, a CD release in Dec, 2 new CD's by Black Project and Sikone beginning, and an all new Photo shoot for Wicked Butterfly!

Here is what we have coming this week:

1.  My review of the Kingz of the Street show in Amarillo from Aug 3, 2012
2.  My review of the 2012 Gathering of the Juggalos
3.  My review and tryout for Faygoluvers of ICP's new CD The Mighty Death Pop!

So this next week will be hella busy.  But be on the look out for the first review today or tomorrow.  The CD review will be out this week.  And my Gathering review will be up as soon as I can write it!

Wanted you all to know what was coming.

MMFWFL,


Juggalotus

Night of the Wicked in Amarillo review

  With our hopes high and our energy up Wicked Butterfly Entertainment left Friday morning from Clovis, NM headed for Albuquerque and Night of the Wicked.  Black Project, Draztik and I drove the long 4 hours getting into town around 2 pm or so.  Not being due to the venue until 8 we checked into the hotel and chilled out all afternoon.  It was nice for us all to have time to hit the pool and hot tub and just hang out. It is the first time we as a company have had to do that.  Around 7:45 pm we headed out to The Orchid Chamber for the show.

  When we arrived we met up with Dmize, who was promoting the show.  Got our hand stamps put on and then it was time for things to kick off.  Now this review will be different as I will not be going so in depth with the performances as I have in the past. 

First up was a group called HMSM or Horror Movie Style Musick.  The group was 3 people, 2 guys and 1 girl, and they were all quite young.  This was their second time on stage and it showed.  Their live vocals need a lot of work, understandable due to the limited stage time.  The show mix they had needs to have the levels mastered better.  Overall not to bad for a second show.  But their inexperience showed for sure.

The second group of the night was the Karnie Lunaticz.  For those that heard Psychopathic radios Sugar Slam's Demo Jams they won the bootleg catagory and 2 tickets to the Gathering!  Their show was good.  Great vocals, show mix was done right and their stage presense was very impressive.

Next we had Saint Ekkwall.  I do not remember anything about the set so any review of the performance would be inappropriate on my part.  I do remember during this performance the Albuquerque Police/Fire Dept decided that 10 pm was a great time to perform a fire inspection.  This delayed the show for about 30-40 min.

Native Remedies were next up.  It was a decent set but nothing really stood out as outstanding in my opinion.  Had good energy and did well.

Solo hit the stage next.  The only thing that stood out from this performance was the fact the vocals on the show mix were way too loud and the live vocals were not in time.  This made for a very distracting performance.

Loco Chaos was next.  I do not remember anything about this set either so once again I cannot give an honest review.

Next was Cryogenikstyles.  He had a style and sound similar to Eminem or Underrated.  His set was way more than the 15 min we were alloted.  I don't know if it was technical difficulties or not but the distortion on his mic was way to high.  That coupled with the fact he held the mic to close to his mouth made it really difficult to hear the lyrics he was spitting.  His flow sounded good but the lyrics I could not make out.

Draztik the Terrible was next.  He also was featured on Psychopathic radio's demo jams and he also won 2 tickets in the semi-pro catagory.  He has made it a point in recording that his show mix not have the primary vocals on it, this allows for a 100% honest performance, but can also be very painful if there is any equipment issues.  That being said, during his first track the mic kept cutting out, which had him distracted.  Between the first and second track the DJ turned the volume down and announced to the crowd that who ever brought the wireless mics the batteries were dying.  When the show mix was turned back up it was about halfway into the first verse.  This threw Draztik for a loop and he never really recovered.  With the rest of his set having mic issues the set was lost.  He lost his breath several times and really seemed off his game.

Born Wicked was up next.  Their show mix had the vocals on it still and I feel it saved the set from the same downfall Draztik had.  Kano held his mic almost all the way up to his mouth and his vocals were still very muted coming through the speakers.  Corerupt's mic was not pickeing up his vocals for most of the set but it was saved by having the show mix vocals on it.  Their second to last track was a track called "Bounce".  This song was live as hell.  It had the crowd up on their feet which hadn't really happened all night.  I personally feel that should have been the last track for their set because the one that followed brought the crowd down off that high.  All in all a great set even with the technical difficulties.

Nmaniaks hit the stage next.  This group was 2 guys and a girl as well.  One of the guys looked like he came straight off the set of jersey show (track suit and all), the other had a standard rap look and the girl was in massive heels and a nice tight outfit.  Their set was not impressive.  The girls rap skills need a lot of work.  The 2 guys tried to bring a gangster sound to the stage and to me it seemed forced and fake.  Their flow was ok but their show mix needed a lot of work on levels.

Black Projects performance started very rocky.  They chose to use a wired mic due to the issues the wireless were having.  The volume on one mic was minimal and the other was way to high.  Halfway through their first track they stopped to adjust the levels.  Once both mics were the same volume they restarted their set.  About 3/4 way through their set the levels were jacked up again.  They kept going and just traded the mic that was working back and forth.  This set was a huge step down from the previous shows I have seen.  It was however not due to their abilities but the technical issues they had to deal with.

Shovelo was next.  I did not stay for the whole set because I was in a meeting with my guys.  What I did hear didn't blow me away.

Dmize finished the night.  Unfortunately I was unable to see his set because I was giving a few people from the show a ride home at the venues request.  I was told one of the speakers stopped working during his set and they had to stop and restart his set as well.

I had really high hopes for our first trip into Albuqeurque.  Unfortunately I was really disappointed at all of the technical issues everyone had.  I hope all of us will be invited out again for a future show and hope that the tech issues will have been resolved.  I do feel all 3 groups from the West Texas area did the best they could and definitely represented for their cities!  Much love and respect to all the performers and Dmize.

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

We invade tomorrow night!

Yes you heard that right Tomorrow night in Albuquerque, NM the entire Wicked Butterfly crew will be performing at The Orchid Chamber!  This is New Mexico's first chance to see the full lineup all in the same night. I am talking Draztik the Terrible, Black Project Productions, and Sikone!  This show promises to be an event for the ages.

  As I said in my last blog this is not just a music event it is a bridging of the divide.  New Mexico and West Texas have a huge amount of talent to share.  This is a great chance for any underground fan in Albuquerque to check out what we have going on out here.  It is also a great chance for us to make new Homies and see what you all are doing over there.  So come on out and enjoy great music and maybe find some new stuff to jam.

  A special thanks must go out to Dmize for inviting us all out there.  If you don't know who he is click the link and check him out!

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

Bridging the divide

  At the beginning of the month I signed Black Project Productions and Sikone to Wicked Butterfly Entertainment as you may know, if not check out my other posts for that news!  Anyway a few days after signing them I got a text from Dmize in Albuquerque, NM about a show he was putting on call Night of the Wicked.  He asked if Draztik the Terrible would perform at the show.  As I was answering I got another text from 806 Outlaw asking if I could get them on the show as well.  So once I asked Dmize he said it was all good and all of the artists I had could come do the show!  How does any of this apply to the title of my blog?  Well it is simple, 806 told me he had been trying to get a show in Albuquerque for about 2 years with no success.  As I asked some questions it became clear there had been issues in the past and very few Texas underground rappers had been welcomed into that city.  The war of words had prevented great music from being shared across borders.  It became a feud the likes of the Hatfield's and McCoy's.  Because of petty egos rappers had been shut out of certain markets.  So the title Bridging the divide means just that.  This show on Friday night will be all of our opportunity to leave petty differences aside and enjoy a night of music together.

  I do not care what kind of "beef" someone might have with another performer.  We should all be professionals and adhere to a thing called professional courtesy.  That means we can all be on the same show and not have to hang out or anything.  We can all perform, get some love, and then go our separate ways.  I am asking every artist on the ticket to please treat this night as a celebration of all of our accomplishments, because if we plan to make moves and put the SW on the map we all need to support one another professionally!  I can tell you as the manager of all the artists on Wicked Butterfly we are coming there to blow the roof off the place.  We will make a mark with our performances and nothing else.  We will not be there to start any problems and hope you all will do the same.  We don't have to like each other to co-exist. 

  As I have told my guys Success is the best revenge.  That simply means talk is cheap and if you succeed your enemies can't say anything.  I know we can make this show live as hell.  I know each and every artist on there puts on a show.  I know we can make it a fun night with zero issues.  This is our chance to make people see we are not all wanna be thugs and criminals.

Let's all do the right thing this weekend.

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

Who is Sikone?

 

  Sikone aka Mickey Mangles has officially signed with Wicked Butterfly Entertainment!  Yes that is two major announcements in two days!  First Black Project Productions and now Sikone.  I have been asked on several occasions who is Sikone?  My answer is always the same; I am still trying to figure it out!

  Known by his trademark Joker style tattoos and verbal skills, Sikone quickly made a name for himself in the West Texas rap community.  In 2005 Sikone started off writing songs for his guitar.  In 2008, the Lubbock, TX legend himself, S.I.N  went out of his way to find Sikone.  He had heard from several different people Sikone could produce bad-ass freestyles in both Spanish & English.  So after listening to several of these freestyles, he asked if Sikone would do a feature for his album.  That combination hit the radio & the streets pretty damn hard.  After that S.I.N. helped Sikone put out his first mix tape "Back from the Dead Again" in 2009.  In 2010 S.I.N.’s Brother Mr. Phil came to Lubbock, TX from Austin, TX & began producing the duo.  This was the beginning of the group Tierrosos.  They dropped their first album the same year but have produced nothing since then.  Sikone was tired of being idle in music and ended up working with a group called The Jokaz in 2011. He signed with them under the alias Mickey Mangles.  The group made the decision to change their name from The Jokaz to S.M.K (Sik Made Killas). To this day it is still unclear how everyone ended up in the group.  S.M.K. really made a name for themselves in both Texas and New Mexico and will be heading out on the National Blackout tour this summer.  In July 2012 Sikone aka Mickey Mangles signed onto Wicked Butterfly Entertainment for his management needs.  Once he returns from the Blackout tour his current Sikone persona will be laid to rest.  In late 2012 we will see the reemergence of Sikone with Wicked Butterfly Entertainment and total devastation is sure to ensue.  You can be sure of one thing and one thing only; there is nothing but world domination on the horizon!

   The next year is going to be huge for Sikone, Black Project Productions, and Draztik.  Look for releases by all 3 in the next 12 months.  Also be on the lookout because these guys will be hitting the road in West Texas/New Mexico.  The next performance you can catch the entire Wicked Butterfly Crew at is "Night of the Wicked" in Albuquerque, NM on July 27, 2012.  Come by the Orchid chamber and check them out!

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus