Carnival of Carnage

Joseph Bruce and Joseph Utsler formed a hip hop group in 1990.[2] Under the stage names Violent J, 2 Dope, and John Kickjazz, the group began performing at local night clubs under the name of their gang, Inner City Posse.[2] By late 1991, the group had invested more money into production than was covered by returns. They decided that their gangsta rap style was the cause of the problem: Most emcees at the time used similar styles, making it difficult for Inner City Posse to distinguish itself stylistically.[3] Bruce suggested the band instead adapt a style similar to the hallucinatory, surrealistic "acid rap" of fellow Detroit rapper Esham, in a bid to have Detroit represent acid rap, much as Los Angeles represented gangsta rap. The group agreed, but not to copying the style of Esham closely. Instead, they suggested using horror-themed lyrics as an emotional outlet for all their negative life experiences. They were also unanimous in deciding not to rap openly about Satan, which Esham often did.[3]

After the change in musical style, the group decided that it needed a new name. Utsler suggested keeping the "I.C.P." initials to inform the community that Inner City Posse was not defunct, an idea to which the group agreed.[3] Several names were considered before Bruce recalled his dream of a clown running around in Delray, which became the inspiration for the group's new name Insane Clown Posse. The other members agreed, deciding that they would take on this new genre and name, and would all don face paint due to the success of their former clown-painted hype man.[3]

Carnival of Carnage began recording at Miller Midi Productions in Detroit, Michigan with Chuck Miller producing and mastering the album.[3] Miller charged the group US$6,000 to produce the songs "Red Neck Hoe," "Psychopathic," "Your Rebel Flag," and part of "Night of the Axe."[4] Seeing that they were being overcharged, Alex Abbiss made his first major managerial move by finding another producer, Mike E. Clark.[4] The group finished recording the album with Clark at The Tempermill Studio in Ferndale, Michigan. Clark mastered his part of the album at Rythmatic Studio, and continued to work with the group throughout their career.

Original group member John Kickjazz appeared on the songs "Your Rebel Flag", "Psychopathic", "Blacken' Your Eyes", "Wizard of the Hood", "Red Neck Hoe" and "Taste".[5] "Carnival of Carnage" was originally recorded by Esham at Hells Doors Studio, but he pronounced "carnage" as "carnicks" and refused to redo it.[5] The final version of the song was recorded by Joseph Bruce over a reversed recording of the original.[5]

Awesome Dre was originally going to do a verse on "Taste." While Insane Clown Posse waited in the studio for him to arrive, Esham suggested that he appear on the track instead for the same amount of money, and the group allowed him to record a verse. Esham was paid $500 for his appearance.[5] Kid Rock demanded a hundred more than Esham, and was paid $600 to appear on "Is That You?"[5] He showed up to record the song intoxicated, but re-recorded his vocals and record scratching the following day.[5]

Carnival of Carnage is the first Joker's Card in Insane Clown Posse's Dark Carnival concept album series.[6] The Dark Carnival is a concept of the afterlife in which souls are sent to a form of limbo while waiting to be sent to heaven or hell based on their individual actions. These concepts are related by Insane Clown Posse in a series of albums called the six Joker's Cards. Each of the six Joker's Cards relate to a specific character — an entity of the Dark Carnival — that tries to "save the human soul" by showing the wicked inside of one's self.[7][8]

This Joker's Card is a representation of the ghettos and the violence that occurs within them.[9][10] It takes the form of a traveling carnival which releases the same brutality on those who have ignored the inner cities' cries for help.[10] The Card issues a warning against the upper-class and government's negligence toward the lower classes.[9][10] The cover of Carnival of Carnage was drawn by Joseph Utsler, who would later create artwork for the rest of the albums in the Joker's Cards series.[2]

Mike Clark samples Johnny "Hammond" Smith's "Big Sur Suite", from Smith's 1974 album Higher Ground, Black Sabbath's "The Wizard", from their 1970 debut album, the Beastie Boys "Pass the Mic" from their 1992 album Check Your Head, and the drum beat from Champtown's "Do Da Dippity" off his 1991/2 12" single Do Da Dippity, in his production of "Never Had It Made."[11][12] Joseph Bruce samples several clips from the film The Wizard of Oz in "Wizard of the Hood." The song "Psychopathic" features a sample of "More Bounce to the Ounce" by Zapp and "Halloween theme" from the Halloween film franchise. The song "Redneck Hoe" features a sample from "City, Country, City" by WAR. The song "Taste" samples Esham's "Word After Word" from Boomin' Words from Hell and "Ghetto Freak Show" samples "I'd Rather Be Dead" from Judgement Day.

"The Juggla" samples "Kiss" by Prince.[1]

Joseph Bruce uses elements of political hip hop throughout the album. Many of his lyrics were derived from his experiences of growing up in a poor family that was neglected by the government. He and his brother Robert used to escape from their impoverished reality by gathering themselves in a forest called "Picker Forest". Joe cites "Picker Forest" as a strong influence on the Dark Carnival mythology which began with this album.[13] The themes of the Dark Carnival also derived from a dream Bruce had shortly after the group adopted its new name, in which spirits in a traveling carnival appeared to him.[3]

"Red Neck Hoe" and "Your Rebel Flag" stem from the group's anti-bigotry philosophy, based on various experiences witnessed by Bruce.[14] As a teenager, he had briefly lived in Bonnie Doone, North Carolina, a trailer park town just outside Fort Bragg, where his brother Robert had been staying with the U.S. Army. There, Joseph witnessed firsthand the hatred and open racism directed toward African American citizens, as well as the minorities serving in the Army, and became disgusted and infuriated with the actions that took place.[14] "Wizard of the Hood" was originally written by Bruce sometime in the late 1980s.[15] The first recorded version of the song appeared on the Intelligence and Violence EP under the name "Wizard of Delray."[15] The Carnival of Carnage version is derived from a 1991 recording which appeared on the EP Dog Beats.[15]