Ringmaster (album)
| Ringmaster | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Insane Clown Posse | ||||
| Released | March 8, 1994 | |||
| Recorded | 1993 | |||
| Genre | Midwest hip hop, horrorcore, indie hip hop | |||
| Length | 70:05 | |||
| Label | Psychopathic | |||
| Producer |
ICP Mike Clark |
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| Insane Clown Posse chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Ringmaster | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Martin Charles Strong |   |
| Rolling Stone | |
| SputnikMusic |  |
Ringmaster is the second studio album by American hip hop group Insane Clown Posse, released on March 8, 1994, by Psychopathic Records. Recording sessions for the album took place in 1993 at The Tempermill Studio. The album is the second Joker's Card in the group's Dark Carnival mythology. The album's lyrics describe the leader of the Carnival, who serves as one of the judges of one's soul in the afterlife, as being created from the listener's own evils. It is the group's 3rd overall release.
The album was the first Insane Clown Posse album which was composed solely by producer Mike E. Clark, who would work with the group throughout much of their career. It features guest appearances by Capitol E and Jumpsteady. Ringmaster was reissued by Island Records in 1998 and earned a gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In 2004 the original version also earned a gold certification by the RIAA.
Following a dream by group member Joseph Bruce in which "spirits in a traveling carnival appeared to him", Insane Clown Posse created the mythology of the Dark Carnival. The Carnival, a metaphoric limbo in which the lives of the dead await to be judged, was planned to be elaborated through a series of stories called Joker's Cards, each of which offers a specific lesson designed to change the "evil ways" of listeners before "the end consumes us all."
Following the release of the first Joker's Card, Carnival of Carnage, the group began to build a local following. To increase interest and popularity, they produced a mass amount of promotional material such as demo packages, flyers, and fan club newsletters. The group also released their first EP, Beverly Kills 50187, in 1993. When they felt the building anticipation for the second Joker's Card, the duo began work on Ringmaster.
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