Eminem was a Juggalo? Grammy nominated and multiplatinum producer Filthy Rockwell says he first met Eminem at a Juggalo event before Eminem had made it big. Filthy Rockwell on the Kid L podcast! Eminem’s connection to the Juggalo scene is one of the more interesting and lesser-known aspects of his early career. Before becoming a global superstar, Eminem was a struggling underground rapper in Detroit, navigating a scene that was heavily influenced by battle rap and hardcore hip-hop. At the same time, Insane Clown Posse (ICP) and their fanbase, the Juggalos, were rising to prominence in the Midwest with their horrorcore rap style and theatrical personas. In the mid-to-late 1990s, before he blew up, Eminem was performing at small shows in Detroit, some of which attracted Juggalo audiences. While he was never officially part of the Juggalo movement, he shared some of the same underground spaces with ICP and their fans. Some Juggalos even supported his music in his early days, especially tracks that had an aggressive or darkly comedic edge, similar to the horrorcore style that ICP pioneered. Despite this loose connection, Eminem and ICP became bitter rivals in the late ‘90s. The beef allegedly started when Eminem was promoting a release party for The Slim Shady EP in 1997. He reportedly included “ICP (Maybe)” on a flyer as potential guests, which ICP’s members Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope took as disrespect since they hadn’t actually agreed to attend. This escalated into a full-blown feud, with both sides dissing each other in songs, interviews, and even on the streets of Detroit. ICP released a parody of Eminem’s hit “My Name Is,” mocking him. Eminem fired back with several lines across multiple songs, including “Marshall Mathers” and “Ken Kaniff” skits. The feud lasted for years, but in later interviews, ICP admitted the tension had cooled down, even though they were never friends. Despite the feud, Eminem still has a segment of Juggalo fans who respect his artistry, especially those who were into Detroit rap in the late ‘90s. While he doesn’t embrace the culture, the connection remains an intriguing part of his early come-up, showing how deeply intertwined Detroit’s underground scenes were.
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