Inner City Posse

Inner City Posse (1990-1991) was a rap group from Delray, Michigan. Its three members were known as Violent J (Joe Bruce), Shaggy 2 Dope (Joey Utsler), and John Kickjazz (John Utsler). They recorded five and a half releases; Ghetto Territory, enter the ghetto zone,Intelligence and Violence, Bass-ment Cuts,Dog Beats, and the unfinished Gangsta Codes.

History
Inner City Posse began in 1990 in southwest Detroit. Having just moved to the inner city from another poor area of Detroit. Joseph Bruce (Violent J) and Joseph Utsler (Shaggy 2 Dope), along with family and friends from their neighborhood, started an ill-fated street gang called 'Inner City Posse' (I.C.P).
The two Joes had no knowledge of any real gang life, but attempted to throw I.C.P.'s name right into the dangerous mix of Southwest Detroit's street gangs anyway. The little notoriety I.C.P. received from their music also proved to be an almost fatal setback. Southwest Detroit's established gangs, some of which had been around for generations, began to harbor serious resentment towards I.C.P. The entire Inner City Posse became the target of much gang-related violence, and after two years of battery most members bailed out, some barely escaping town with their lives. The two Joes were among the last few that remained in their weakened I.C.P. clique.
In mid-1989 Joe, Joey and John decided to record their first song, under the name 'The JJ Boys'. They recorded on the four-track recorder of one of their friends. John took the name 'Master J', Joey decided on 'Kangol Joey' and Joe: 'Jagged Joe'. The six and a half minute song is entitled 'Party at the top of the Hill'. They continued writing rhymes and working on their rap flows - discovering their own unique styles. It was during this time that Joe Bruce came to take the name of 'Violent J'. Later in 1989, I.C.P. recorded the tape 'Enter the Ghetto Zone' with two audio-cassette players. They rapped over instumentals of other artists such as Kwame. This release was given away for free.
Unlike the rest of their crew they remained in Southwest Detroit, still trying to uphold their name. When Joe Bruce took his fourth trip to the county jail and was put away for the entire winter of 1989, the Utsler brothers recorded a tape entitled 'Ghetto Territory'. This is Inner City Posse's official debut, as it is the first time they used the name "I.C.P." in and on it. The boys recorded this tape again using two audio-cassette players, rapping over the instrumentals of earlier rap music such as the Geto Boys and others. It's unknown how many copies of the 'Ghetto Territory' release were made, but they were just distributed to their friends and associates.
In 1990 Joe was released and so was I.C.P.'s Intelligence and Violence. Upon getting out, Joe Bruce teamed up with a guy named D-Lyrical, who owned a karaoke machine and recorded ten songs. This was a 'step-up' for the boys from using the two audio-cassette players. After releasing Bass-ment Cuts in 1990 they formed a relationship with Alex Abiss who would later become their manager. Alex Abiss sold some copies of 'Bass-ment Cuts' at his record store Hot Hits. Later in 1991 Inner City Posse released their four-track E.P. Dog Beats which sold rather well in Detroit. They then decided they wanted to rap about something more original and that they needed to change their name to go along with it. Joe (violent J) remembered a strange dream of a clown that he kept appearing. They then decided to change their name to 'Insane Clown Posse' and rap about insane clowns killing people who were corrupt. That very same night Joe had a vivid dream of a clown with jokers cards surrounded by a dark carnival. I.C.P. decided they would release six "Jokers Cards", warning the world of impending doom, with each card resembling a part of the impending doom. That night in late 1991 the Insane Clown Posse was born.
During the transformation to the Insane Clown Posse, Greez-E was recalled to permanently replace John Kickjazz. His membership however was short-lived. Greez-E is best remembered for his verse on the song "In Da Haughhh!" on the 1992 Beverly Kills 50187 E.P. Greez-E left the group before they released the second Joker's Card, The Ringmaster. Since then it has been only Joseph Bruce (Violent J) and Joseph Utsler (Shaggy 2 Dope), better known today as the Insane Clown Posse.

Discography
*Party at the Top of the Hill (1989) (one-track single recorded under the moniker 'The JJ Boys')
*Enter the Ghetto Zone (1990)
*Ghetto Territory (1990)
*Intelligence and Violence (1990)
*Bass-ment Cuts (1990)
*Dog Beats (1991)
*Gangsta Codes (1991) (unfinished album: Most songs appear on Carnival of Carnage, the first 'Joker's Card'.)

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