Album Review: Insane Clown Posse – The Marvellous Missing Link (Found)
2 min read
In the grand scale of Insane Clown Posse’s discography, The Marvellous Missing Link (Found) falls as the second part of the third Joker Card in the second Deck of the hip hop duo’s Dark Carnival Saga. That somewhat grandiose title may not mean much to a lot a people, but for some the above is exactly what they have been waiting for.
Regardless of whether you appreciate ICP’s music, you can’t ignore that their decades long career has had such an impact: it has spawned its own subculture. Juggalos, named after an early ICP track The Juggla, are the varied and remarkably inclusive group who all share a love of ICP, and the horrorcore genre. Coming together each year for the annual Gathering Of The Juggalos, there is no doubt that a dedicated fanbase is still very alive and kicking – or clowning.
The first studio album from Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope for a few years, The Marvellous Missing Link has been hyped as “the album” from the Detroit duo. Divided into two chapters, Lost and Found, the first of which (Lost) was released earlier this year. The darker of the two, Lost was written around lack of faith. But Found is all about rediscovering that faith and follows as a strangely upbeat, feel-good release.
And in what is potentially a nod to that dedicated fanbase, The Marvellous Missing Link (Found) is heavy with the echoes of the kind of 2000’s era hip hop that formed ICP. Anthemic tracks like The World Is Yours exude that kind of positivity that first edged hip hop into the mainstream arena, while Juggalo Party is a bit like a double-take at a Black Eyed Peas feel-good hit. The laid back Delusions Of Grandeur rings true with country inspired vocals and contrasting rococo strings. However, worry not; this may be the most chilled ICP release to date but every track is still topped off with grease paint, creepy melodies lurk behind circus references – ICP are very much still peddling their own particular brand of circus rap.
The Marvellous Missing Link (Found) may have a new positivity but is laden with swagger and bad boy antics; just take a listen to I Fucked A Cop. As a whole, the album has a certain nostalgia, and as such it feels unsure where exactly ICP sit in 2015. But for Juggalos the world over, The Marvellous Missing Link (Found) could well be the triumphant epitome of the Dark Carnival.
