It was just over a month ago, at the 13th Annual Gathering of the Juggalos, that Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope of Insane Clown Posse (ICP) announced that they would be taking legal action against the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), due to its National Gang Intelligence Center (NGIC) labeling ICP’s fan base, the Juggalos, a criminal “gang” in its 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment. It was at ICP’s scheduled Gathering seminar that the face painted rappers publically promised the Juggalos that they would fight for their fans’ rights, regardless of any financial obstacles. On this day, September 25, 2012, ICP and Psychopathic Records came through for their fans, and filed a lawsuit against the FBI.
Insane Clown Posse and Psychopathic Records’ legal counsel, Hertz Schram PC, has released the following statement:
“Hertz Schram PC, by Howard Hertz and Elizabeth Thomson, on behalf of Insane Clown Posse and Psychopathic Records, has filed suit against the FBI in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, alleging the FBI’s violation of the Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) for its failure to produce any documentary evidence in support of the FBI’s classification of the groups’ fan base, the Juggalos, as a gang in the 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment: Emerging Trends.”
The Juggalos were listed as a “gang” in the 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment under “non-traditional gangs.” The FBI’s labeling of American Juggalos as a “gang” is extremely absurd as the Juggalos have come together as a dedicated fan base due to a deep appreciation of the music of ICP, Psychopathic Records, and in recent times, other similar record labels and musical artists. There are numerous known fanatical, music fan bases, some examples being Parrot Heads (Jimmy Buffet fans), Little Monsters (Lady Gaga fans), Beliebers (Justin Bieber fans), Dead Heads (Grateful Dead fans), and many more. However, none of these fan bases have ever been singled out by the FBI. In fact, the FBI’s unwarranted labeling of the Juggalos as a “gang” is the first time in rock-n-roll history that any known music fan base has been officially labeled a “gang”, which may cause, and already has caused, significant, legal ramifications for Juggalo citizens of theUnited States of America. To compare the Juggalos to such notorious and long established criminal gangs such as the Aryan Brotherhood, Bloods, Crips, and the Latin Kings is beyond any available legal rationale, as Juggalos are fans of music – not hardened, organized gang members!
Self-proclaimed Juggalo Lawyer, Farris F. Haddad, who is also a legal advisor in this matter, states that:
“The FBI either does not have much information backing up their labeling of Juggalos as a national street gang, or if they do, it is so flimsy they are certainly hesitant to share it — Because music fans are, simply, not the same thing as a gang.”
ABOUT INSANE CLOWN POSSE: Insane Clown Posse (ICP) emerged from Detroit’s underground music scene in the early ‘90s. Since that time, the face-painted duo has amassed a following of millions of fans endearingly called “Juggalos”, and shattered all music industry expectations to become a worldwide phenomenon. Celebrating over 20 years together, Insane Clown Posse is among the best-selling independent groups of all time, with 24 albums to their credit, over 11 million sold worldwide and a highly-successful, annual music festival, their infamous Gathering of the Juggalos. On August 14th, ICP released their new album The Mighty Death Pop, which debuted at #4 on the Billboard Top 200.
For more information regarding Insane Clown Posse, the Juggalos, and ICP’s fight against the FBI, please visit the following websites:
www.insaneclownposse.com
http://juggalosfightback.com/
Jason Price founded the mighty Icon Vs. Icon more than a decade ago. Along the way, he’s assembled an amazing group of like-minded individuals to spread the word on some of the most unique people and projects on the pop culture landscape.
