ROX-TV presents “A year in the life of a Juggalo”. Looking back on 365 days in the culture, examining the shows, music, and much more. Part 1.

Welcome back to all the returning readers as always, tonight we have a special presentation of “A year in the life of a Juggalo” based on my last three hundred and sixty five days in the Juggalo Culture. It’s been a stunning ride into the Juggalo community and I think its worth talking about and sharing. This article will be examining the last year in my life and all the amazing shit that I was able to witness, hear, and partake in. I’ve been down with the clown since the early 1990’s (Murder Mitten Juggalo 810) and this has been the best year that I can remember in a long time. I’m not saying shit isn’t fire all the time, but for me personally, the voyage into the world of the Hatchet was more interactive in the last year of my life than any other time outside of the golden era (1992-2000).

So, I will be taking a look back at the events and people who I encountered along the way and assisted me on my great adventure. Before October of 2020, I had been drifting a bit, working on writing projects here and there, but for the most part, my writings had stopped in 2018. I had been releasing independent drops on Amazon and honing my craft, but by 2018 things had grown quiet. I wouldn’t say I stalled out, and would liken it to more of a “what’s next” type of vibe.

I took a couple of years “off” I guess you could say. I focused on other parts of my life and was trying to get a sense of what I should be doing. Life is like that sometimes and I’m not afraid of pulling the brake. I believe the universe has a plan for everyone and if the great unknown wants you to chill, than that’s what I do. I sat around and thought about who I was, what I wanted to be doing, and waiting for inspiration to assist me in making the next choice.

In September 2020, I don’t know what came over me, but I had a tremendous sense of “doing something” and for the first time in two years, started writing again. Within a month I completed “Shep’s Mixtape Volume One” and released it on October 3rd on Amazon. It felt good to be writing again and I decided that the Universe wanted me to get moving with the written word. I suddenly felt the time snap of the last decade or two, realizing that life had been marching on, I was no longer twenty anymore, and so it began.

I started examining my life in the historical context. Who was I? Who had I been? Where had I come from? What needed to be said? The gears and mechanisms in my brain started to move….first with a puff of smoke (weed) and then a boom. I looked back at my teen years in Michigan and things had aged like wine so to speak. The things I was into, Insane Clown Posse, Project Born, the underground music of that era featuring Esham, Natas, and so many others….it was all still there, shining like it had been when I first got into the scene some twenty eight years ago (give or take).

The things I was doing back in the 1990’s, the music and groups I supported, had come through intact and better than ever. Only now, the small Juggalo movement had grown into a fucking world wide phenomenon. I had been keeping track from a distance, lost in my own life for awhile, but those years and memories shined through like a lighthouse in a storm. I had bet on some long shots and they had paid off. The groups I had been into, especially the Insane Clown Posse, had managed to create  their own world, defying all the odds and pushback from an ungrateful industry. Let’s face it, everyone hated the Juggalos and ICP, the resistance was real and nasty at times. But like some many others, I was undeterred and only doubled my resolve.

So in the middle of October of 2020, with Samhain Season upon me, I felt really inspired to start writing down “our history” for all time. Was I inventing the wheel? No, there had been other writings, publications, and websites keeping Juggalos informed and doing that history capturing as well, but I felt like it was time to get involved, roll up my sleeves and speak on my experiences in those early days of the Juggalo culture, which in the early 1990’s was still in it’s infancy.

I wanted people to know about what Juggalo life was like for the earlier cats, who devoted their time and energy into supporting the scene. We celebrated that shit hardcore and I wanted to get my own takes down on paper, talking about the things I remember about the culture, the way things were for us in those days, and again doing my part to record living history.

Where do we take it from here? Well, once I had my own vision for stamping Juggalo History into the rock, I decided to re-examine some of my favorite aspects of the early days, the music, the artists, and go from there. I grew up in the 810 (Genesee County, Michigan) and still live there today. Most Juggalos who know their history, will also be able to tell you about two groups with Psychopathic History from Flint Town.

Those being Project Born and The Dayton Family. Both groups had recording releases with Psychopathic Records and also had been in the Juggalo Universe for decades. Living a few miles away from these guys and knowing about their contributions to the scene over the years, it really felt like a no brainer to start in Flint. Project Born has been down with the Clown going back three decades, and one of my favorite Psychopathic Records releases of all time would have to be the “Born Dead” EP from 1995.

The Dayton Family would eventually sign to Psychopathic Records’ subsidiary “Hatchet House” in July of 2010 and would go on to release the “Psycho” EP on February 1st, 2011. About a month later, a video was dropped for the song “Cocaine” which is Juggalo favorite, even to this very day. The Dayton Family dropped “Charges of Indictment” on June 21st, 2011 on Hatchet House/Psychopathic Records. When I went to the Gathering of Juggalos 21 with Project Born, I ran into Ira Dorsey of the Dayton Family and caught their set at the Luv Rising Stage along with Project Born’s set there as well. It was a good day for Flint Town and the 810 should be proud.

So starting in 810 became my mission and documenting the Flint Town sound took center stage. I had a direction and an idea so I decided that was a good place to start. This is where my past collided with the present and the future so to speak, and also served as a jumping off point for what would become an amazing year. With the groundwork laid down, we can start with the journey. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give to you “A year in the life of a Juggalo”……

October 29th, 2020-The day it all started

The day it all began was classic. I was up north on a family vacation when I decided to put my ideas into motion. I had recently made an account on Instagram, and had been posting some old school flyers from Project Born shows, from 1994 and 1995. To my amazement and delight, Project Born actually liked a few of the posts. We started rapping back and forth and I told them I was an old school fan from way back….to the days of “Losin It” (1993 underground single release featuring Esham the Unholy). I explained that I was a writer and interested in doing a book about Project Born’s amazing three decade career. Polk D hit me up and we exchanged phone numbers.

We talked about doing a book and I laid out my vision for the project. The guys in Project Born were interested so we agreed to meet up in person and talk about what a book might look like and ways to make the dream a reality. I celebrated Halloween with my family, but when I got home, I met up with Polk in Flint, to discuss further plans and feel each other other. We met up at the Secretary of State, had a great hour long conversation and decided to run with it.

I met up with Project Born at one of their houses and we started the process. Those first few interviews went really good and we all got excited about the future. Although I didn’t know it at the time, the things we were doing would shape the next year of my life. The book making process became official and I was off and running with a camera and a recorder….going wherever we needed to go to help capture the Project Born story (Forever in the Jects dropped on July 7th, 2021 and is available on Amazon and www.therealprojectborn.com).

December 2020-Meeting Rude Boy and DJ Carlito, CRB Radio, “Cruisin The Barrio”

This was a busy time and it seemed like almost daily, something amazing was happening. Polk called me up and said that Rudy “Rude Boy” Hill, Psychopathic and JCW Legend, offered to have the three of us on his show “Cruisin The Barrio” to talk about the Project Born book and how it was rolling out. Frank Nitty and Polk said we could interview the Rude Boy for the book, because he was their manager at Psychopathic Records  during their time on the label.

I was beyond excited because I knew who the Rude Boy was. The guy had been down with Insane Clown Posse when they were still Inner City Posse. Rudy is listed as one of the members of “ICP on the streets” on the inside of the Dog Beats cassette jacket. Rudy was best friends with Violent J before the music and they spent their early years running around Southwest Detroit and at wrestling shows, among other places.

For a Juggalo, this type of “work” (which isn’t work at all, when your doing things you love) had me over the moon. I had been a fan since the early 1990’s, and I lived and breathed the music and everything that went along with that. I was in the fan club, saved all the flyers, went to shows, and had found an identity for myself. The first three tattoos I ever got were the Hatchet Man, The Ringmaster, and the Riddle Box. I was all the way in with the Dark Carnival. We arrived at the station and were greeted by the Rude Boy and DJ Carlito. The night was filled with great stories from those early Psychopathic Record days. I took in the sights and sounds, listening to these Legends talk about the music and what those early years were like. I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to be in the position that I was and tried to get everything down on paper.

December 2020-Interviewing Lyte

Project Born had set up an interview with Lyte for the book “Forever in the Jects” and I was excited for the opportunity. Juggalos will remember that Lyte (formerly Young Lyte) was signed to Psychopathic Records in the beginning of 2017. He would drop “Psychopathic Monstar” on Psychopathic Records that same year and belted out some memorable Juggalo anthems such as “Flint Town Tittie Bar Bathroom” featuring Insane Clown Posse, “Shut em down”, and another dope jam “6 Foot, 7 Foot (7 Foot 8 Foot)” with ICP as well.

We met up at Nitty’s house and Lyte rolled in little bit later. He was moving on from Psychopathic Records and doing his own thing, but Lyte was really a cool guy and we talked about how he had come to know Project Born and the friendship and mutual respect they had for each other.

I had never seen Lyte perform, but I had watched his videos. I was expecting a fireball to show up, but when he pulled in, he was really laid back and chill. I got a great interview with him and we talked about life on the road, and some of the shows and things he had done which led up to the signing with the label.

I had brought along a gift bag full of several different strains of marijuana, a rolling tray, and some edibles….and gave one to Nitty and one to Lyte. It was a small token of gratitude for being allowed to peer into their worlds. After the interviews were over, I got a few pictures with Lyte and Nitty. Polk had to dip out a bit early that day, but we would be getting plenty of other opportunities for pics as the days and months rolled along. I was forever moving deeper into the world of the Juggalos and I was right at home.

December 2020-Big Ballas Christmas Show-El Club Detroit featuring Big Hoodoo, Ouija Macc and DJ Chunk, DJ Clay, Shaggy 2 Dope, Project Born, and others

I had been working almost daily with Project Born for two solid months when the chance of a lifetime came my way. It hadn’t been announced yet, but Project Born had been invited to perform at the Insane Clown Posse’s annual Big Ballas Christmas Show in Detroit. The event was going down at the El Club in Southwest Detroit (4114 W. Vernor Highway, Detroit) and was going to be featured on Patreon for the Juggalos. I was beyond words as Polk talked to me over the phone, giving me the details. To be able to experience an ICP, Project Born, Ouija Macc show was going to be fire, especially given the times.

The night of the show, I rode down with Frank Nitty and Polk. It was electric and I was really looking forward to the whole experience. It was a strange time in America as well, with the pandemic running wild, and basically shutting down live events all over the country.

The Ballas Christmas gig was going on during all this covid shit, caps on venues…the amount of fans allowed into shows….masks and all the shit that went along with it. Nothing was going on in the country, but the Dark Carnival could not be stopped, even during a pandemic.

We arrived at the El Club and got our backstage passes. It was the first time I had ever received such a pass, so that was a fly experience for me. I had watched guys for decades at shows, walking around with lanyards and being cool and now I had my chance to do the same. I had my camera and was taking pictures of Project Born backstage. It was quite an experience. My family was at home, watching the event on Patreon.

I spent a great deal of time backstage enjoying the “green room” area of the place. I hung out and interviewed La Purp for the book, who was chilling backstage. I watched Big Hoodoo and others getting into the performing zone. It was really dope. DJ Clay interviewed Project Born for Patreon and then it was time to start moving to the stage.

We were led to ICP’s dressing room and the next thing I knew I was standing next to Shaggy 2 Dope who was talking with Ouija Macc. I couldn’t believe it. As a life long Juggalo, this shit was the stuff of dreams for me. Shaggy came over and wished Project Born good luck before they went out on stage. I dipped into the crowd to take some pictures of the performances and enjoyed the show.

I caught a Christmas present (technically it bounced off a guy in front of me) Ouija tossed into the crowd. It was a banner fucking year for the Bender Family (Obscure quote from Breakfast Club movie, released February 15th, 1985). It was my first time seeing Ouija Macc perform and his set was bangin.

February 19th 2021-Mosh Pit Mike-JCW Legend

The year continued to roll out in grand fashion. I was deep into the Project Born book “Forever in the Jects” and was making trips down to CRB Radio rather often as well. After meeting Rude Boy and DJ Carlito, we had become friends and I was starting to bop down to “Cruisin The Barrio” on Friday nights. Rudy and I had talked about doing a book together when the Project Born book finished up, but in the meantime, I started to juggle both projects at the same time. I was building momentum and was open to capturing as much Psychopathic History as I could, wherever it popped up.

The Rude Boy called me one night and said that his homie Mosh Pit Mike would be stopping by the studio. He was in town for a JCW event, that was to be featured on Patreon. He flew in the night before and was planning on coming to the studio to be interviewed on air with Rudy and DJ Carlito. Rudy asked if I could come down and interview him for his book “My Life, My Funhouse” (The Rudy Hill story, which I just completed over the Halloween weekend. Expect a December 2021 drop, more details to follow).

I had some free time, so I took off for the Cruisin The Barrio show. I was pumped to meet Mosh Pit Mike and knew of him through the JCW Wrestling promotion. That night I drove down and met the Cruisin Crew. It was a wild night in the studio, with booze and marijuana flowing more freely than water over the Niagara Falls. Mosh Pit said he would do a side interview for the Rudy book, so we stepped into the break room and I talked to him about his friendship with the Rude Boy, wrestling, and beyond. MPM’s name is well known in the Juggalo Community and I would get a chance to see his skills in the pit (Denver) a few months later.

Interjection:

By now, the Juggalo homeruns were piling up for me. I was getting to interact with people from all over the Psychopathic Universe and history. I felt very privileged to be in the position I was, getting to tell these guy’s stories for all time. I know I’m beating a dead horse into the ground, but for a life long Juggalo, I couldn’t have asked for much more. These experiences were one of a kind and I knew how lucky I was to be where I was. The months kept coming and the interesting shit never seemed to stop. Anyways, back to the story….

 

February 24th, 2021-Project Born and the lost tapes

During the making of the PJB book, Frank Nitty and Polk had come across some long lost Adat tapes, which were believed to have been part of the lost album “Forever In the Jects”, that they had initially recorded and was to be their first album on Psychopathic Records. The album vanished at the time and no one could find the recordings. This was how “Born Dead” EP number 1 was brought into existence. When the tapes vanished, “Born Dead” was released in its place.

“We had a record before Born Dead. It was a really nice record. The album was supposed to be called Forever in the Jects. We played it for ICP and they liked it, then they vanished….lost (tapes). It’s crazy because we actually found the tapes last year (some of them). We had like eight songs and they liked what we was doing. We were using a bunch of movie skits, even way back then in 1992. Then the tapes got lost. That’s when we had to put Born Dead together”. Excerpt from “Forever in the Jects” book, Frank Nitty on the lost tapes page 121.

“When we signed them, they had an album….and people don’t know. They had an album and it was done. When we started talking to them, the were like “we have a whole album done and ready to go…ready to press”. And then, they lost it somehow. All the tapes were gone. So we had to start recording again. Those lost tapes just turned up, so that’s exciting. This was the album they had before they met us”. Excerpt from “Forever in the Jects” book, Violent J on the lost tapes page 123.

Nitty and Polk said they knew a guy named Marshall Block, who had a studio which featured a fully functional Adat machine, which as it turns out is more rare than a double headed Unicorn. The guys had purchased one on EBAY, but after fucking with it at Gozza’s studio, all hope was abandoned when the Adat machine almost ate two of the tapes back to back. Marshall Block had a working machine, so we made plans to go there and have a listen.

The old Adat tapes look like VHS tapes and PJB had found about ten of the “tapes” believed to have some of the original Forever in the Jects material. Marshall was nervous because he hadn’t used the machine in over twenty years but believed it was still in good working order. He was more concerned about the state of the tapes, and wondered if they were still playable after decades in the bottom of a faceless container. There was a good chance the machine might not work, or the tapes might not be any good, or a combination of both, perhaps resulting in the destruction of the Project Born holy grail. To everyone’s surprise, several songs were recovered that day and digitized for safe keeping. The Adat machine worked but it was nerve wracking to experience it in real time, knowing that something could go wrong at any second.

End of Part 1, Part 2 coming this evening.

Signing Off,

Mike Shepard

ROX-TV Head Writer

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