The underground kings of chaos, Insane Clown Posse, may be known for their wild clown-painted personas and outrageous horrorcore anthems, but deep beneath the greasepaint and Faygo showers lies a deep appreciation for some of the most iconic names in rock history. During a recent dive into their musical roots, the duo opened up about the bands that left a lasting imprint on their twisted sonic universe.
Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope have never shied away from showing love to genres beyond their own psychotic carnival sound. In a heartfelt reflection of their influences, the duo gave nods to the legends of grunge and the titans of nu-metal that shaped an entire generation.
Starting with grunge, the duo’s admiration shines for bands that balanced raw vulnerability with dark, emotional edge. Their personal playlist definitely includes some of the scene’s most groundbreaking acts—those who blended aggression, emotion, and grit to change the face of rock in the ’90s.
But it doesn’t stop there. When the conversation turns to nu-metal, ICP’s respect goes out to the heavy hitters who fused rap, metal, and raw angst into something that blew the doors off mainstream music. They praise the genre’s power to unite the misunderstood and turn pain into fire—an energy ICP’s always carried in their own way.
It’s not just about sound, though. For ICP, it’s about ethos. Whether it’s grunge’s tormented poetry or nu-metal’s sonic rebellion, they vibe with artists who wore their pain like armor and weren’t afraid to bleed onstage. That raw emotional honesty is what ICP say they admire most—it’s what made these bands timeless, and what connects them to their own wild ride through music history.
ICP might be masters of their own offbeat, face-painted empire, but even clowns have idols. And behind the theatrics, their hearts beat loud for the rockers who made being different feel like a revolution.
