On this long awaited episode of The Carnival Grounds, Maxxx and the Reverend Television finally make their return to the airwaves after more than a year of waiting with a very special guest, OG Juggalo Legend Boppo the Clown, as we discuss the 3rd Joker's Card in the Second Deck, the albums of Lost & Found that are The Marvelous Missing Link. This very thinly veiled homage to the duality of Heaven and Hell as described in Catholicism/Christianity has always been a very polarizing album to the Juggalos, some love it, most hate it, few are indifferent to it. We discuss the parallels between "God" and "Religion" as well as just kick it old school like you would imagine 3 elder Juggalos would. Don't miss our return to the pod, because now that the final card in the Second Deck has dropped we can finally bring this portion to a conclusion. The Carnival Grounds will always remain, but once we reach The Naught, things will inevitably change. Stay Tuned!
On this long awaited episode of The Carnival Grounds, Maxxx and the Reverend discuss this years Gathering of the Juggalos as well as the state of the scene in general. Everyone who had been wondering what Maxxx was up to this year at the Gather need look no further than here because it all gets broken down with minute particularity. Load up and Lock in family.
On this very late episode of The Carnival Grounds, Maxxx and the Reverend have their first discussion about the 3 part 2nd Deck Joker's Card they've been anticipating, The Mighty Death Pop. This discussion focuses on the core album itself and not the additional albums that are the cover album and Freaky Tales. This conversation also dips into the state of the underground at the time of the initial release and how it was received as well as the other artists of the time like Hopsin who were becoming more well known during that period.
On this very special (and very long) episode of The Carnival Grounds, Maxxx and the Reverend finally get to discuss at length the first album in the polarizing but profoundly important Second Deck of Joker's Cards, the ineffable BANG! POW! BOOM! This album served as Maxxx's reintroduction to the wonder and magic of The Dark Carnival, both musically and spiritually, as Maxxx had been very underwhelmed with the culture and with Juggalos at large at the time (mostly due to a negative experience at the GOTJ 2008). This album was the catalyst that reinvigorated Maxxx and countless others, and the proof is in the numbers, as ICP once again found their way into the top of the billboard charts with the release of B!P!B! This episode runs long but the conversation never dulls for a second, they actually get a little heated at one point, but it's all love all the time here at The Carnival Grounds so come check it out.
On this episode of The Carnival Grounds, Maxxx and the Reverend discuss the seminal Juggalo mixtape series Let Em Bleed Volumes 1 through 4, created by none other than the longtime Juggalo icon DJ Clay. They discuss not only the albums themselves, but also Clays' influence on Juggalo culture over time. To say that his contribution to the culture has been substantial would be an understatement, and his presence continues to be felt to this day. These albums not only solidified DJ Clay as a major player in the scene but it also gave the artists on Psychopathic at the time the ability to make more informal tracks and expand their repetoire as musicians. Definitely not an episode you'll want to miss.
On this very special episode of The Carnival Grounds, Maxxx and the Reverend are once again joined (in person this time) by the long time homie and Juggalo Culture aficionado, Mike Landry as we discuss what we believe to be the hands down best Dark Lotus album of all time, The Opaque Brotherhood. We've referenced this album many times throughout the course of the podcast because it is genuinely a favorite, and this episode definitely helps put an emphasis on why that is. Because it was an auspicious occasion, the episode ran long and went onto more tangents than usual, but it's still one you won't wanna miss. No subject is ever out of bounds on The Carnival Grounds.
On this newest episode of The Carnival Grounds, Maxxx and the Reverend discuss one of the last compilation albums to ever come out of Psychopathic and the third in the series, Psychopathics from Outer Space 3. This album came out at a time when the division in the culture had yet to rear its ugly head, and whether things were peaceful behind the scenes or not, the family still felt as connected as ever. So many long standing classics from each artist came from this album, many of which are still performed today. Take a trip into the past and out into space with us as we discuss every facet of the Juggalo world that we can think of.
On this episode of The Carnival Grounds, Maxxx and the Reverend discuss the post Tempest EP "The Eye of the Storm" as well as the era of the annual festival The Gathering of the Juggalos that is known as the Hogrock era. Hogrock was the name of the venue where the Gathering was held from 2007 until 2013, and it was, for lack of a better term, lawless. This was the birthplace of the infamous "drug bridge" as well as many aspects of the culture that resonate to this day. We were in rare form on this one, so come check it out.
On this episode of The Carnival Grounds, Maxxx and the Reverend discuss Shaggy 2 Dope's second solo album, the incomparable Fuck the Fuck Off or F.T.F.O. as it is colloquially known. This album is light years beyond the first and is absolutely one of the best projects Psychopathic Records have ever released. From the amazing beats to the stellar delivery of his always original style of lyricism, this project was a beam of light and hope in what was a somewhat uncertain and dark period in the history of Juggalo Culture. The album is packed stem to stern with bangers, proving once again that although Violent J is clearly the creative force behind much of ICP's work, Shaggy is no slouch by any quantifiable measure and can create authentic and dynamic work that stands the test of time.
On this episode of The Carnival Grounds, Maxxx and the Reverend discuss two of ICP's more polarizing albums, the EP the Calm and The Tempest, two of Insane Clown Posse's first efforts following the release of Hell's Pit and the end of The (first) Saga of The Six. These albums were not only famously produced solely by ICP but this was also the first time in many years that they did not have the full weight of a major record label behind them in some form or fashion, not to mention as discussed in the Soopa Villains episode, Alex had just up and left with many unpaid bills left on the books. To make matters worse, their relationship with Mike E Clark was, at best, simply less involved, or at worst, strained. As you'll come to find however, Maxxx and the Reverend feel these albums absolutely deserve their flowers as classic ICP projects. Check it out, or be forever stale.
On this newest and long awaited episode, Maxxx and the Reverend discuss an often overlooked and forgotten gem of a collab album, 2005's Furious by the immortal Soopa Villains, comprised of ICP, Esham, and Lavel. This album was teased for years before its eventual arrival, and in classic supervillain fashion the album signalled the end of an era, as this was the time when it can be argued the "family" era of Psychopathic Records itself truly began to dissolve. They discuss Juggalo politics (wait that's a thing?) as well as happenings in the underground and chop it up as they always do, so come check it out.
On this first episode of the new year, Maxxx and the Reverend have a jovial little chat about the two next chronologically placed Forgotten Freshness albums, #3 and #4. Maxxx forgot to listen to the albums and can't stay in one place, and the Reverend isn't having it. Hilarity ensues. They also discuss the music. Happy 2024 fuckfaces, we're off to a running start.
On this very special final episode of 2023, Maxxx and the Reverend are joined by none other than TJ aka The Beastmaster as we discuss the final half of the final Joker's Card, The Wraith Hell's Pit. We reflect on the year that's passed, but also reflect on the changes of the last 20 years since Juggalos entered and exited the era of the 6th. TJ, Maxxx, and the Reverend have known each other for the vast majority of those last 20 years and they have quite a bit to say about the culture and the community at large. This is an episode you don't want to miss, and in fact a video version will be coming soon on Youtube so keep your eyes peeled for that one.
On this very special episode, Maxxx and the Reverend discuss not an ICP album, but an album that Violent J wrote for the band Zug Izland, Cracked Tiles. This is a Juggalo deep cut that many newer ninjas aren't familiar with, but trust me when I tell you that it is one of the best rock albums of all time. Violent J didn't write the music but he wrote the lyrics, and the product is one of the most honest and hard hitting rock albums in history, in my humble opinion.
On the first of this week's two episodes, Maxxx and the Reverend discuss the second Dark Lotus album and the only Lotus album ABK belonged on, Black Rain. The two discuss the ins and outs of the album as well as the dynamic between the members in times past, as well as discussing their experiences of seeing Dark Lotus live in concert. This is one of the best album's Psychopathic ever released and it made for a great episode.
On the second of this week's episodes (because I missed the upload last week and decided to just double up instead of waiting to release the next episode) Maxxx and the Reverend discuss the legendary Psychopathic Records concept album, Wizard of the Hood. They discuss not only the album, but also the performance that took place at the Gathering of the Juggalos in 2016. Many consider this to be the absolute peak of achievement for Psychopathic Records all around. It is technically a Violent J solo album, but it featured the entire Psychopathic Records family at the time and had a unique sound that resonates to this day.
On the first of this week's episodes, Maxxx and the Reverend discuss the second interstellar collaborative album from Psychopathic Records, Psychopathics from Outer Space Volume 2. With this album being more of an actual project as opposed to a compilation album like the first, there is a lot more to dissect. The boys also go off on a tangent about Twiztid and their current status in the Juggalo underground.
On this weeks episode, Maxxx and the Reverend are joined by their first guest, the incomparable Wayne Da Payne, as they discuss the first half of the 6th Jokers Card, The Wraith: Shangri-La. The discussion actually dances around several different facets of Juggalo Culture, but most importantly Wayne regales us with a story of how he won the freestyle contest at the Wraith Release Party at Who's On First in Boston in 2002 when the album originally dropped. This episode is a long one but it's one of the best yet, which is fitting since this is the beginning of the end of the First Deck.
On this week's episode, Maxxx and the Reverend discuss the second group project from Psychopathic Records, the gangsterific Psychopathic Rydas debut album Dumpin'. This project, while less grim than Dark Lotus, was taken every bit as seriously by the Juggalos when it was released in the late 90's. Bringing their signature style of lyricism to a swath of mainstream beats from artists like Nas and Cypress Hill, this project was an opportunity for Juggalos to jam out to some straight Hip-Hop without the same darkness and occult vibes that often accompanied the music released by Psychopathic Records. It also gave the roster an opportunity to really flex their lyrical skills and show the world that they could actually spit bars and not just make songs about having sex with dead girls. This episode also goes into Maxxx and the Reverend's distaste for certain unseemly characters in the Juggalo scene and make it known that they do not support the shady individuals who think they can hide amongst our ranks. It's an episode you won't want to miss!
On today's episode, Maxxx and the Reverend discuss maybe the most significant group release in Psychopathic Records history, the one and only Dark Lotus' debut project, Tales from the Lotus Pod. This supergroup, consisting of ICP, Twiztid, Blaze ya Dead Homie, and initially Marz of Ministry fame, lit the underground on fire with this project and it ushered in a new era of family unity. Seeing Dark Lotus live for the first time was a nearly religious experience, and that was by design. While this group may be a point of contention for some in the here and now, the impact Dark Lotus had on the underground and Juggalo Culture as a whole cannot be understated.