Since the 1990’s Horror Rap has been circulating in the bedrooms of weird adolescent teens around the globe. I know. I was one of them. I still am. Artists like Brotha Lynch Hung, Esham, Insane Clown Posse, and Ganxsta NIP set the tone with their eerie lyrics, dark beats, and non-filtered topics like murder, suicide, and nerophilia. I remember when I first heard X-Raided’s Xorcist tape, I was like wow. I can’t believe he said that! I needed more. Then a childhood friend showed me a group from San Francisco called Triple 6. They took things so much further I actually felt like I was going to hell for even listening to their music. I was hooked. When I found the Juggalo world, I felt like I finally felt at home as an outcast from the normal mainstream music fans and I finally had something of my own that wasn’t force-fed by the media. There was nothing like seeing Insane Clown Posse live. That ride home, soaking in midwestern soda glowing from seeing the music performed to perfection, and hanging out with people that felt like family. When I started making music as a teen, it was no different. I wrote about the same things my heroes had before me. I finally knew it was ok to put any emotion down on paper whether it was joy, sadness, or even the darkest sides of myself. Horrorcore music changed my life. Even saved it at times. Fast forward to 2021, the scene is running strong and many newcomers and pioneers have released just as shocking, entertaining, and scary for any weirdo like myself to enjoy. Or maybe, just maybe, some of you hip-hop heads can appreciate it if only for one day out of the year. Our day. Halloween. These are some of my favorites to listen to that’s dropped this year:
Insane Clown Posse – Wretched
The ICP has created such a dope community of people that I call family, but is often referred to as a counter-culture, or if you’re the FBI, a gang. Juggalos are often misunderstood, but to me, they are some of the most nonjudgmental, loving, and understanding people I’ve ever had the pleasure of kicking with my whole life. They decide what’s the s### or not in our scene. A documentary called “The United States Of Insanity” recently hit 665 theaters for one special day this month focusing on how the FBI classifies Juggalos as a gang and ICP’s fight for their first amendment rights. Their album “Yum Yum Bedlam” drops today off, and the new music video “Wrectched” is the first single. Thank you Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. Real s###. You know it’s all love.
Twiztid – Corkscrew
Eastside Detroit demented duo Twiztid has been tearing up s### since before Eminem was opening for their group House Of Krazees. Over the years I’ve been lucky to tour and do songs with these two amazing Emcees who recently started leaning more towards their rock side of darker music. Did I say that right? Yes. They are making dark-ass rock music as well as horror rap these days, and if you want a taste of what they got going on their new music video for “Corkscrew” is the best example from their latest album Unlikely Prescription. Their project Songs Of Samhain Vol II just dropped a few days ago and features artists like their group House Of Krazees, The ROC, Alla Xul Elu, and Blaze Ya Dead Homie from their imprint Majik Ninja Entertainment.
Lil Sicx – Put One In The Air
What can I say about Lil Sicx? The son of Sacramento legend Sicx and nephew of Brotha Lynch Hung. That’s what I can say. You already know what his music is about to sound like. Because he is the perfect mix of both and a breath of fresh air in the mix of the current drill sound that’s currently saturating the Sacramento rap scene. I first met Sicx on the set of X-Raided’s “California Dreamin” video and last year connected with him at Sac Gee Studio in Sacramento to start making music together and was blown away. This is a new breed of the Siccness. Next month he is about to drop his Tales From The Sicc compilation featuring myself, Brotha Lynch, Spice 1, X-Raided, Luni Coleone, Doomsday Productions, and more. Hard copies only available on Diamondlifemusicgroup.com. Check out his latest video. You just got to hear and see this s### I’m telling you.
Ouija Macc – “Get A Life”
Ouija came into the Juggalo world with his new wave brand of rap and represented it to the fullest. What I’ve always admired about Ouija was his hustle. When Insane Clown Posse signed him to their label Psychopathic Records he took his position and ran with it. Wait for nothing or nobody. Go get yours. He has been grinding ever since. Right now he’s on his “Say It To My Face” tour promoting his new album Pretty Ugly dropping November 19th on his own imprint Chapter 17. One of the coolest m############ around. Been down since his first Toof. Check out his latest video “Get A Life” that also features all of my favorite goth b###### from around the way-way.
Twisted Insane – “Missing”
I’ve known about Twisted Insane for a hot minute but finally got to connect with homie out in Phoenix for the first time on one of my tours and he was super cool! He even had one of my CDs in his ride. Twisted Insane is one of the fastest rappers alive and it has been said he was once in the Guinness Book of World Records. When we linked up I immediately got him on my Zodiac mixtape with Kung Fu Vampire and Liquid Assassin and people loved it. Over the years we’ve ran into each other all over the country and it’s always love. Nobody spits like Twisted Insane. Today he dropped Volume 2 and Volume 3 of his VooDoo series in time for Halloween. The West Coast don’t f### around. Check out his music video for “Missing”.
G-Mo Skee “F### It All Up” (feat Tech N9ne, Trizz)
G-Mo isn’t like most of the artists to come out of Richmond, CA. I mean, he might kill you and all, but it’s probably going to be a machete that does you in, not a chop. I first saw G-Mo as a young buck on YouTube running around a park swinging a ninja sword looking all crazy in his music video and was like f###. This dude is going to be big. A few years later, G-Mo was killing s### on TeamBackPack, touring all over the place and in the ranks of the who’s who of horrorcore and hip-hop simultaneously. G just dropped his new album independently called “The Filth Element” and has a new video featuring Tech N9ne and Trizz who are both some of my favorite people in the game period. I f#### with G-Mo and Inf Gang hard. Straight the f### up.
Necro – After 12
I first met Necro in San Francisco when he was touring with Insane Clown Posse but we’ve interacted and knew about each other for years. I used to play his I Need Drugs album on repeat. Not too long ago I got to kick it with him and his crew in LA and he rocked the f### out of the crowd and I turned right back into a fan. This is raw, brutal, New York hip-hop deeply rooted in the streets of Brooklyn. He just dropped a new single called After 12 and the video is bonkers. That Gremlins sample is f###### amazing. RIP The Kid Joe.
Chuckklez – No Patience
One of the up and coming artists from San Jose, CA is Chuckklez has two new singles for this years Halloween drop called “Nightmare Before Halloween” and “I Think I’m Going Insane”. I shot this video for him and was impressed on how animated he is and willing to get crazy for his art. I think this dude is just getting started and has the potential to be one of the biggest artists in this genre. Check out his music video for “No Patience”.
Kung Fu Vampire – 5AM
If you know who I am than you know I’ve rocked with this man since the day we met. Kung Fu Vampire has his own blend of gothic hip-hop that has been voted the best band in the Silicon Valley many years in a row. But since he stepped on the scene of the horror rap world, he exploded. It was like he had his own s### and was adopted by juggalos and horror rap fans everywhere and has toured with some of the biggest acts and put up huge numbers on his own independent runs all over the country. But yeah. I said BAND. He has a band that he tours with and his drummer Chris Paxton who goes by ActionPaxton is also his producer and probably mixed your favorite Bay Area rappers hottest songs. He just dropped a music video with Chris called 5 AM thats on some whole other s###. Kung Fu Vampire knows no boundaries. If you aint know. Know.
Brotha Lynch Hung – Good Night
Look, I’m probably the biggest Brotha Lynch Hung fan in the world. He is one of the pioneers of what we do. I’ve must have bought his Season Of Da Siccness album like 20 times because people kept stealing it out of my car. So 20 of them platinum record sales was from me. I’m excited to let people know he is set to drop his Kevlar Season Of Da Siccness 2 album hella soon. He is steady doing shows and has a new merch line on rapbay.com thats got people going nuts. I’m super juiced for the new album. This Halloween I’m bumpin’ this unreleased video from him called Good Night on repeat.
Alla Xul Elu – Halloween Mask
AXE hit the scene one day and just had a crazy cult-like fanbase instantly. I remember watching their set in Milwaukee and was like f### yeah. This is the s###. It was rumored that they had the attention of Majik Ninja Entertainment, Twiztid’s label, and when the news hit, it’s like they shot right to the forefront of horror rap. They are the epitome of what horrorcore is all about. Their new music video for Halloween Mask speaks for itself.
Bay Area’s horrorcore icon Mars released two new singles this Halloween season called “Don’t Talk To Strangers” and “Final Halloween” on Empire Distribution and 23 other releases in the last year. Give him a follow on Instagram @Mars.