Insane Clowns prosper even as album sales wane

By Todd Martens

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - Despite the No. 20 debut on the U.S. album charts by Insane Clown Posse's new disc, the principal player in the Detroit-based rock/rap hybrid knows what is about to happen.

"We do our best sales in our first two weeks, and then we fall off," Violent J says.

"The Tempest," self-released on the act's own Psychopathic Records, sold 33,000 units in the United States in its first week on the tally, according to Nielsen SoundScan. As ICP enters its 20th year of existence, the act's fan base, which ICP lovingly refers to as "juggalos" (for him) and "juggalettes" (for her), is still showering its support.

And even though first-week sales of "The Tempest" -- the act's 11th charting album -- are significantly lower than the 73,000 units sold by the act's last full-length, 2004's "Hell's Pit," Violent J isn't worried. That's because ICP has an entire industry to fall back on.

A smaller, more underground version of Kiss and its "Kiss army," perhaps, ICP feeds its juggalos and juggalettes a bevy of products, from board games and lunch boxes to lighters and watches, and stages its own multiday convention of sorts (the Gathering) every July. Dates have not yet been set for this year's event, but last year's fest -- staged outside of Columbus, Ohio -- featured such performers as Too $hort, Digital Underground and Drowning Pool. The Columbus Dispatch estimated last year's attendance in the 7,000 range.

"We do everything but the actual manufacturing of the CDs," Violent J says. "That's the only thing we don't do yet, but we're getting a damn pressing plant one day."

For now, the act will have to settle for about 30 full-time employees manning its own studio, office and 25,000-square-foot warehouse space. ICP also started an extreme wrestling league in the JCW (Juggalo Championshit Wrestling), and works such artists as Twiztid, Blaze and Boondox under the Psychopathic banner. A recently launched imprint, Hatchet House Records, will release lesser-known acts.

While ICP has worked with its share of major labels, it launched Psychopathic in 1991 to release albums from side projects and friends. The company is headed by Bill Dail, who declined to be interviewed.