Dog Beats
Encyclopedia
Dog Beats is a 1991 EP by Inner City Posse, later to be known as Insane Clown Posse
. It was the first record ever released by Psychopathic Records
.
, Joseph Utsler
and Utsler's brother, John performed at local night clubs, using the stage names Violent J, 2 Dope, and John Kickjazz, under the name of their gang, Inner City Posse. Seeing a need for a manager, Bruce's brother Robert
recommended his friend and record store owner Alex Abbiss, who established the Psychopathic Records
record label with the group in 1991. Later that year the group released the self-produced EP
entitled Dog Beats. Growing popularity in the local music scene turned negative for the group's gang, which became the target of growing violence. After receiving jail sentences, the group members abandoned gang life.
track "Who's the Mack?". The title track uses a looped sample from the George Clinton
's song "Atomic Dog" as its bassline and refrain. "Ghetto Zone" uses a sample from Rod Stewart
's Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?
.
Miller produced each track very slowly, and after long periods of studio time and much money spent, the group had their first song produced, "Ghetto Zone". Bruce later called Miller a "snake". While Miller would begin working on the group's first full length studio album as Insane Clown Posse, Carnival of Carnage
, he was later replaced by Mike E. Clark
, following a managerial decision by Alex Abbiss.
Joseph Bruce samples several clips from the film The Wizard of Oz
in "Wizard of the Hood
." The song was originally written by Bruce sometime in the late 1980s. The first recorded version of the song appeared on the Intelligence and Violence
EP under the name "Wizard of Delray."
' first release; Bruce wanted the album to be "available everywhere" because people would not expect a local act to be as widely released. This sales method did not turn out as planned, as the album was mostly released locally, and was not purchased by as many stores as Bruce had hoped. The group members took turns going out with unattractive women who worked at Kinkos in exchange for having their fliers promoting the album printed for free. The group promoted the album themselves by putting up the fliers across the city.
While promoting the album, Bruce and William Dail drove up to a young African American man and Bruce asked him if he liked rap music
. The kid, who appeared scared, told him "no". Bruce, still determined, told him that if he knew someone who did, he could "give them this" and threw a cassette copy of Dog Beats on the ground. As Bruce and Dail began to drive away, their back windows were shot out and they looked behind them to find that the kid had pulled out a gun and shot out their windows.
Later, Bruce was putting fliers on the windows of cars in the parking lot of the heavy metal
club Harpo's, and was hassled by a security guard, who told him that Bruce couldn't put up fliers unless it was for a performance at the club. Bruce apologized, but the security guard insisted that Bruce go back and take every flier off of every car. As he left with his fliers, the guard pulled him over and asked what he had. Bruce explained, "I'm in ICP, we're a rap group" and the security guard responded by punching him in the face so hard that Bruce's nose has been crooked ever since.
Insane Clown Posse were asked to perform at Ferris State University
in promotion of the EP. A snowstorm delayed the group's performance, and because there were no microphones, the performance consisted of Bruce and Utsler "yelling over [their] own cassette". After they finished their two-song set, Bruce stated that the audience "didn't cheer or boo. They just stood there, stunned." Bruce and Utsler later learned that the actual concert had taken place on the other side of the college three hours earlier, but decided that the mishap "wasn't even close to slowing [their careers] down."
Abbiss actively sought out local airplay for Inner City Posse, but radio broadcasters were reluctant to play the single "Dog Beats" once they learned that the members were white. While trying to get stations to play the single, Bruce learned that one of the stations he and Abbiss visited would be interviewing local rapper Esham
, who Bruce considered to be a "superstar"; Bruce had recently begun to collect Esham's albums, as he had done with other local rappers; by the time he had discovered Esham, the rapper had released two full length albums and three EPs. Bruce met Esham for the first time at the station and appraised him. Esham wished Bruce well and Bruce gave the rapper a copy of Dog Beats, beginning the two rappers' friendship and professional relationship.
In late 1991, the group invested more money into production than was covered by returns. The group decided that its gangsta rap
style was the cause of the problem: Most emcees at the time used similar styles, making it difficult for Inner City Posse to distinguish itself stylistically. After the change in musical style, the group decided it needed a new name. Utsler suggested keeping the "I.C.P." initials to inform the community that Inner City Posse was not defunct, an idea to which the group agreed. Several names were considered before Bruce recalled his dream of a clown running around in Delray, which became the inspiration for the group's new name: Insane Clown Posse. The other members agreed, deciding that they would take on this new genre and name, and would all don face paint due to the success of their former clown-painted hype man
. Upon returning home that night, Bruce says he had a dream in which "spirits in a traveling carnival
appeared to him"—an image that would become the basis for the Dark Carnival
mythology detailed in the group's Joker's Cards series, beginning with Carnival of Carnage
.
. The remaining three tracks were included in the first Forgotten Freshness compilation, while the re-release of said compilation Forgotten Freshness Volumes 1 & 2 included only "Dog Beats", omitting the other two tracks.
Insane Clown Posse
Insane Clown Posse is an American hip hop duo from Detroit, Michigan. The group is composed of Joseph Bruce and Joseph Utsler, who perform under the respective personas of the "wicked clowns" Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. Insane Clown Posse performs a style of hardcore hip hop known as horrorcore...
. It was the first record ever released by Psychopathic Records
Psychopathic Records
Psychopathic Records, also known as "The Hatchet", is an American independent record label based in Farmington Hills, Michigan that specializes in hip hop music. The label was founded in 1991 by Alex Abbiss and hip hop group Insane Clown Posse....
.
Production
In 1989, Joseph BruceJoseph Bruce
Joseph Frank "Joe" Bruce is an American rapper, record producer, professional wrestler and actor. Bruce is most commonly known as Violent J of the Insane Clown Posse . He is the co-founder of the record label Psychopathic Records, with fellow ICP rapper Joseph Utsler and their former manager,...
, Joseph Utsler
Joseph Utsler
Joseph William "Joey" Utsler is an American rapper, record producer, DJ, professional wrestler and actor. Utsler is known as Shaggy 2 Dope of the hip hop group Insane Clown Posse. He is the co-founder of the record label Psychopathic Records, with fellow Insane Clown Posse rapper Joseph Bruce and...
and Utsler's brother, John performed at local night clubs, using the stage names Violent J, 2 Dope, and John Kickjazz, under the name of their gang, Inner City Posse. Seeing a need for a manager, Bruce's brother Robert
Robert Bruce (rapper)
Robert Bruce is a former American rapper, Psychopathic Records don, and professional wrestler, and currently works as a paramedic in Detroit, Michigan.Bruce is most commonly known by his stage name Jumpsteady...
recommended his friend and record store owner Alex Abbiss, who established the Psychopathic Records
Psychopathic Records
Psychopathic Records, also known as "The Hatchet", is an American independent record label based in Farmington Hills, Michigan that specializes in hip hop music. The label was founded in 1991 by Alex Abbiss and hip hop group Insane Clown Posse....
record label with the group in 1991. Later that year the group released the self-produced EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
entitled Dog Beats. Growing popularity in the local music scene turned negative for the group's gang, which became the target of growing violence. After receiving jail sentences, the group members abandoned gang life.
Music and lyricism
Dog Beats began recording at Miller Midi Productions in Detroit, Michigan with Chuck Miller producing and mastering the album. This album features samples of other artists lyrics and songs. "Life at Risk" contains some lyrics from the Ice CubeIce Cube
O'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper and actor. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music, and also as a writer,...
track "Who's the Mack?". The title track uses a looped sample from the George Clinton
George Clinton (funk musician)
George Clinton is an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and music producer and the principal architect of P-Funk. He was the mastermind of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic during the 1970s and early 1980s, and launched a solo career in 1981. He has been cited as one of the foremost...
's song "Atomic Dog" as its bassline and refrain. "Ghetto Zone" uses a sample from Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
's Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?
Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?
"Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" is a 1978 hit song for Rod Stewart. It was written by Stewart and Carmine Appice, and produced by Tom Dowd."Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" spent one week at the top of the British charts in December 1978 and four weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, starting 10 February 1979...
.
Miller produced each track very slowly, and after long periods of studio time and much money spent, the group had their first song produced, "Ghetto Zone". Bruce later called Miller a "snake". While Miller would begin working on the group's first full length studio album as Insane Clown Posse, Carnival of Carnage
Carnival of Carnage
Carnival of Carnage is the debut album by American hip hop group Insane Clown Posse, released on October 18, 1992, by Psychopathic Records. Recording sessions for the album took place from 1991 to 1992 at Miller Midi Productions and The Tempermill Studio. The album is the first Joker's Card in the...
, he was later replaced by Mike E. Clark
Mike E. Clark
Mike Earl Clark is an American record producer and DJ from Detroit, Michigan currently signed to Hatchet House.Clark is best known for his work with Insane Clown Posse, for which he has produced nine studio albums...
, following a managerial decision by Alex Abbiss.
Joseph Bruce samples several clips from the film The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)
The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs...
in "Wizard of the Hood
Wizard of the Hood (song)
"Wizard of the Hood" is a song by the American hip hop duo Insane Clown Posse. It is the sixth song on their first album, Carnival of Carnage .-History:"Wizard of the Hood" was originally written by Joe Bruce sometime in the late '80s...
." The song was originally written by Bruce sometime in the late 1980s. The first recorded version of the song appeared on the Intelligence and Violence
Intelligence and Violence
Intelligence and Violence is an extended play by Inner City Posse, self-released by the group in 1990.-Production:The recording group consisted of Joseph Bruce and D-Lyrical, who Bruce later recalled disliking and only working with him for his karaoke machine.The entire album was recorded on a...
EP under the name "Wizard of Delray."
Album artwork
For the cover, Bruce had his friend, Don, hang from a rope in Delray dressed as a clown. Don would later perform with ICP in their early days as a hype man, but eventually tension caused him to drop out. Joseph Utsler drew a jester holding up the "ICP" logo. Inner City Posse wanted the artwork to have typesetting and presentation that looked professional, so Alex Abbiss hired a graphic designer to process the materials, which included a photograph of the group, into a cover. The designer told them that he had to charge them 50 cents more than the usual fee for every typesetting that was larger than the standard type; the designer attempted to charge them a $10 fee for the explicit lyrics box, which would have featured white letters over a black background. As the designer continued to describe the fees the group would be charged, they realized that they were being ripped off.Release
Dog Beats was Psychopathic RecordsPsychopathic Records
Psychopathic Records, also known as "The Hatchet", is an American independent record label based in Farmington Hills, Michigan that specializes in hip hop music. The label was founded in 1991 by Alex Abbiss and hip hop group Insane Clown Posse....
' first release; Bruce wanted the album to be "available everywhere" because people would not expect a local act to be as widely released. This sales method did not turn out as planned, as the album was mostly released locally, and was not purchased by as many stores as Bruce had hoped. The group members took turns going out with unattractive women who worked at Kinkos in exchange for having their fliers promoting the album printed for free. The group promoted the album themselves by putting up the fliers across the city.
While promoting the album, Bruce and William Dail drove up to a young African American man and Bruce asked him if he liked rap music
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
. The kid, who appeared scared, told him "no". Bruce, still determined, told him that if he knew someone who did, he could "give them this" and threw a cassette copy of Dog Beats on the ground. As Bruce and Dail began to drive away, their back windows were shot out and they looked behind them to find that the kid had pulled out a gun and shot out their windows.
Later, Bruce was putting fliers on the windows of cars in the parking lot of the heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
club Harpo's, and was hassled by a security guard, who told him that Bruce couldn't put up fliers unless it was for a performance at the club. Bruce apologized, but the security guard insisted that Bruce go back and take every flier off of every car. As he left with his fliers, the guard pulled him over and asked what he had. Bruce explained, "I'm in ICP, we're a rap group" and the security guard responded by punching him in the face so hard that Bruce's nose has been crooked ever since.
Insane Clown Posse were asked to perform at Ferris State University
Ferris State University
Ferris State University is a public university with its main campus in Big Rapids, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1884 as the Big Rapids Industrial School by Woodbridge Nathan Ferris, an educator from New England who later served as governor of the State of Michigan and finally in the US Senate where...
in promotion of the EP. A snowstorm delayed the group's performance, and because there were no microphones, the performance consisted of Bruce and Utsler "yelling over [their] own cassette". After they finished their two-song set, Bruce stated that the audience "didn't cheer or boo. They just stood there, stunned." Bruce and Utsler later learned that the actual concert had taken place on the other side of the college three hours earlier, but decided that the mishap "wasn't even close to slowing [their careers] down."
Abbiss actively sought out local airplay for Inner City Posse, but radio broadcasters were reluctant to play the single "Dog Beats" once they learned that the members were white. While trying to get stations to play the single, Bruce learned that one of the stations he and Abbiss visited would be interviewing local rapper Esham
Esham
Rashaam Attica Smith, better known by his stage name Esham , is an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan known for his hallucinogenic style of hip hop which he refers to as "acid rap", which fuses rock-based beats and lyrics involving subjects such as death, drug use, evil, paranoia and...
, who Bruce considered to be a "superstar"; Bruce had recently begun to collect Esham's albums, as he had done with other local rappers; by the time he had discovered Esham, the rapper had released two full length albums and three EPs. Bruce met Esham for the first time at the station and appraised him. Esham wished Bruce well and Bruce gave the rapper a copy of Dog Beats, beginning the two rappers' friendship and professional relationship.
In late 1991, the group invested more money into production than was covered by returns. The group decided that its gangsta rap
Gangsta rap
Gangsta Rap is a subgenre of hip hop music that evolved from hardcore hip hop and purports to reflect urban crime and the violent lifestyles of inner-city youths. Lyrics in gangsta rap have varied from accurate reflections to fictionalized accounts. Gangsta is a non-rhotic pronunciation of the word...
style was the cause of the problem: Most emcees at the time used similar styles, making it difficult for Inner City Posse to distinguish itself stylistically. After the change in musical style, the group decided it needed a new name. Utsler suggested keeping the "I.C.P." initials to inform the community that Inner City Posse was not defunct, an idea to which the group agreed. Several names were considered before Bruce recalled his dream of a clown running around in Delray, which became the inspiration for the group's new name: Insane Clown Posse. The other members agreed, deciding that they would take on this new genre and name, and would all don face paint due to the success of their former clown-painted hype man
Hype man
A hype man in hip hop music and rapping is a “backup rapper/singer who is also responsible for increasing an audience's excitement with call-and-response chants” according to The Hilltop and author Grant Barrett....
. Upon returning home that night, Bruce says he had a dream in which "spirits in a traveling carnival
Traveling carnival
A traveling carnival is an amusement show that may be made up of amusement rides, food vendors, merchandise vendors, games of chance and skill, thrill acts, animal acts or sideshow curiosities. A traveling carnival is not set up at a permanent location, like an amusement park, but is moved from...
appeared to him"—an image that would become the basis for the Dark Carnival
Dark Carnival (Insane Clown Posse)
The Dark Carnival is the mythology of the concept album series used in much of Insane Clown Posse's discography. It is a concept of the afterlife in which souls are sent to a form of limbo while waiting to be sent to Heaven or Hell based on their individual actions. These concepts are related by...
mythology detailed in the group's Joker's Cards series, beginning with Carnival of Carnage
Carnival of Carnage
Carnival of Carnage is the debut album by American hip hop group Insane Clown Posse, released on October 18, 1992, by Psychopathic Records. Recording sessions for the album took place from 1991 to 1992 at Miller Midi Productions and The Tempermill Studio. The album is the first Joker's Card in the...
.
Legacy
"Wizard of the Hood" was later re-released, slightly different, on ICP's debut album Carnival of CarnageCarnival of Carnage
Carnival of Carnage is the debut album by American hip hop group Insane Clown Posse, released on October 18, 1992, by Psychopathic Records. Recording sessions for the album took place from 1991 to 1992 at Miller Midi Productions and The Tempermill Studio. The album is the first Joker's Card in the...
. The remaining three tracks were included in the first Forgotten Freshness compilation, while the re-release of said compilation Forgotten Freshness Volumes 1 & 2 included only "Dog Beats", omitting the other two tracks.
Tracks
- "Ghetto Zone" - 6:02
- "Wizard of the HoodWizard of the Hood (song)"Wizard of the Hood" is a song by the American hip hop duo Insane Clown Posse. It is the sixth song on their first album, Carnival of Carnage .-History:"Wizard of the Hood" was originally written by Joe Bruce sometime in the late '80s...
" - 5:18 - "Life at Risk" - 3:30
- "Dog Beats" - 4:51