What Is A Juggalo? Not A Criminal Or A Hoodlum

The juggalos are one of the most misunderstood music-based
subcultures around today. It seems that every few years when the mainstream media needs a parent scare story, a bored reporter digs up a crime and finds a way to blame it on the juggalos. But almost all of these so-called "investigations" get the juggalo meaning all wrong.

So what is a juggalo? A juggalo is, first and foremost, a fan of the Detroit-based underground horror rap group the Insane Clown Posse. ICP has enjoyed a 20-year career by being all about giving back to its fans -- the juggalos.

Still, the juggalo meaning is much debated and much misunderstood. First, there's the word itself, which can sound funny.

Legend has it the term "a juggalo" first arose during a 1994 Insane Clown Posse performance of the song "The Juggla," during which Violent J, referring to the crowd, randomly invented the word. It stuck, with the group cementing it with its infamous 1997 song "What is a Juggalo?"

This is where some of the misconceptions about the juggalo meaning began. The song appeared on one of ICP's biggest-selling albums, The Great Milenko, which hit the mainstream. Fans knew not to take "What is a Juggalo" lyrics seriously, especially with excerpts like this: "What is a juggalo? / A fucking lunatic."

But if you took that literally, you would get the juggalo meaning all wrong. The real juggalo meaning is that a juggalo is his or her own person (there are plenty of females among the juggalos, and they're known as juggalettes).

The real juggalo meaning is that the juggalos are family, and look out for each other like family. The real juggalo meaning is that the subculture will accept a juggalo from any walk of life, even if the rest of society has scorned that person for his or her place in life or just for being a juggalo.

The juggalos are not hoodlums, even if they like to have a good time. In many of the high-profile crimes blamed on a juggalo, it usually turns out that the reporting was wrong or the criminal wasn't really a juggalo.

A juggalo would, for one thing, never knowingly do something to make the rest of the juggalos look bad, knowing that the juggalo meaning is so misinterpreted already.

The juggalos these days use their shared fandom as an international network to help each other and those less fortunate. The juggalo meaning truly expands when you consider the number of projects sponsored by the juggalos.

There are churches run by the juggalos, equal-rights activist groups run by the juggalos, a number of charities run by the juggalos, and even an anti-drunk-driving coalition run by the juggalos. This likely blows the minds of most people stuck on the mainstream idea of the juggalo meaning.

Real juggalos and new fans can come experience the true juggalo meaning at its best this summer at the annual Gathering of the Juggalos festival in Cave-in-Rock Illinois. Quite simply, it's like no other summer festival.

The four-day event is a global gathering of juggalos from around the world, with all-day and all-night contests, games, wrestling shows, comedy shows, and of course, musical performances by some of the top horror rap and hardcore rock artists down with the juggalos.

Camping on the site and meeting new friends is the real way to experience the real juggalo meaning. No matter where you come from, what you look like, or what you do, you'll be accepted as family.

By: Arielle C.

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In the past few years, the Gathering of the Juggalos has managed to create lineups with some of the most legendary and popular hardcore rock and rap musicians -- as well as comedians and wrestling. Besides ICP, of course, this year includes Busta Rhymes, Lil Jon, Kottonmouth Kings, and even Charlie Sheen, and there's still time to get tickets. For more about the full lineup of performers, visit the official website of this music festival at juggalogathering.com.