There are so many facets to every yearly Juggalo festival (better known by Juggalos as the Gathering) that it's difficult to keep track of them all. However, one facet that rarely goes unnoticed is the highly anticipated artist seminars.
The family underground present at the Juggalo festival is so connected to their favorite horror rap artists beyond their music that they can't wait to hear what they have to say to a room full of fans, uncensored, taking questions from the audience. This year's artist seminars at the Gathering did not disappoint.
The biggest news from the artist seminars at this year's Gathering is unquestionably ICP's announcement that they are suing the FBI for labeling Juggalos (the family underground) as a gang.
They went into impassioned detail, saying that now you could be "wanted" for wearing Juggalo merchandise (which nearly all family underground members do), for having a hatchetman tattoo (which, again, nearly all family underground members do) or for even working at the Juggalo festival or at the band's record label, Psychopathic Records.
What really sparked the Juggalo festival crowd's attention was that it now costs ICP hoards of money to throw shows because the insurance is so high, and the insurance is so high because the FBI labeled the family underground as a gang. This association makes concert promoters nervous, so they charge more for insurance.
Also, J and Dope weren't kidding around when they said the family underground at the Gathering could be raided because the FBI viewed it as a gang Gathering. It's safe to say that no Juggalo festival would ever be the same after an event like that, if there was any Juggalo festival to exist at all after such a raid.
Several artists other than ICP spoke at artist seminars at this year's Juggalo festival, the largest of which was Twiztid. However, whether you enjoy a Twiztid artist seminar at the Gathering is very subjective.
The guys are known more for kidding around with each other and not taking things very seriously, which bothers family underground members who came to see questions taken seriously and hear legitimate plans about Twiztid's future. Not much new information about Twiztid's upcoming album Abominationz was released at the artist seminar at this year's Juggalo festival.
The Gathering's second most talked about artist seminar (after ICP's) was probably the Blaze seminar. Blaze is well appreciated by members of the family underground, if for nothing but the simple fact that he's been a loyalist to Psychopathic Records having been signed since 1999.
However, at his artist seminar during this Juggalo festival, he spoke often about feeling like he was one of the horror rap label's lower priorities. Family underground members have taken this sentiment in one of two ways: some think he should be trying harder to make them raise him as a priority, and others sympathize with him as is.
How much longer do you think Blaze will remain signed to Psychopathic and continue playing the Gathering? Will the family underground at large grow angry at him if he leaves?
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