Bonesaw Wizardstick said

How'd it go?  

I enjoyed it regret not seeing them at this year or Gatherings prior. Might have to make that trip to Houston or Dallas to see them with Twiztid on the Fright Fest tour coming up.

Ya, I'm a little bummed I skipped out on them at the Gathering. A little... Still not completely sold, but I've liked about 50% of what I've heard so far (which isn't too much) and really like their 1st MNE single. Definitely looking forward to the album and Frighfest tour. 

Almost splurged on the mask combo pre-order, but without really knowing the quality I had to pass.

AXE is recently part of that supergroup thingy with Flatlinerz. Choirboy Dank (formerly Swag Toof) is part of the group too. Imagine he could be one of tbe features. Twiztid should be an obvious one also. Maybe a Spange feature...?

The features are flatlinerz, insane poetry, twiztid, lo key and one more on the first track

TheFvckinKreeper said

To call Xul generic is almost a fair statement, especially from someone who doesn't feel their shit. To say they're taking the generic route of trying to be as shocking as possible is not.

Plenty of artists are guilty of that, up to and including a polished lyricist like King Gordy, but a study of their catalog proves that they lean more heavily on mood and the conjuring of evocative imagery than the ultraviolent gross out you might expect from Scum or MC Bushpig.

To say there's nothing here you haven't heard before. Well, that's also fair, to a point. Juggalo DNA runs deep in marrow of a Xul record. When you hear the skits off Necronomichron or listen to certain songs such 'Midnight' off of Head of Horns, you can't help but be reminded of Green Book-era Twiztid or early Dark Lotus. All of these examples blend humor with wicked shit interspersed, with varying degrees of darkness to each cut. I think this is part of the reason for Alla Xul Elu's appeal among older Juggalos. Horror rap is what brought me into this culture in the first place, and I think that their back-to-basics approach, simple and unapologetic, if not derivative, speaks to the people who might have felt alienated by hearing ICP cover Christina Aguilera or Twiztid do what is ostensibly an emo wicked shit record, complete with pop punk riffs and a catchy hook.

To be derivative is not necessarily a cardinal sin. So much of the music in this scene, and music in general, is. Not every up and coming artist has to be an innovator (in my experience, true innovators have a bad habit to falling to the wayside), and there's a place for people who take something that already exists and refining it to the essence of what makes what has come before it so enjoyable in the first place. I feel like A.X.E. occupies that spot for a lot of people.

There's generic horrorcore, then there's wicked shit for guys who like wicked shit. Xul is most definitely the latter.  

You're spot on.  Is AXE original? Nah.  But people are always saying "I want that oldschool wicked shit!"  Referring, of course, to the wicked shit that's already been released 20 years ago and stating that they want more of it.  Well you're in luck...here it is, and it's only 10 bucks!

djscrubb said

True, but is it symptoms of insanity, 12, & Devils Groove wicket shit?

I feel when people say they what that old school wicked shit, they want that feeling again (which will never happen) like the first time they heard Amy's in the Attic.  Anyway i totally get it, these dudes are the wicked shit for today and that's awesome.

I'm just extremely thankful the era I grew up in....being truly terrified of Esham @ 14.  Not even wanting Boomin words from hell tape in my ROOM AT NIGHT!  hahaha true story.  

I get that, 100%. I was too young for the rumors of Esham's infamous red tape to reach my ears, but I relate to what you're saying.

I think the mythic qualities of the wicked shit are taylor made for bored teens with active imaginations, and its existence vitally necessary for that fact. Horror rap broke me on the culture, but it was myths and legends, and not the Juggalos themselves, that kept me initially invested. That would come much later. I was there by virtue of  inarguably *being* a Juggalo, which didn't make me any more a people person.

Mysteries and rumors drove the early wicked shit in a way that the internet simply can't anymore, in a time where the rumors that do abound are rooted in the whos-fucking-who and which artist is on drugs TMZ school of speculation. There's no replicating the apocalyptic uncertainty of the pre-6th Joker's Card era, when stories abounded of Blaze's namesake deriving from an incident where he flat lined following a driveby, or car crashes resulting in the only unscathed piece of wreckage was a Tales From the Lotus Pod record still playing in the CD Deck. And the artists played into the mystery, too. The mirror-candle divining ritual on The Lotus Pod CD book has its origins in Solomonic Magik and The Goetia, though I doubt any of the rappers themselves are well versed enough to realize it.

J himself has lamented the death of mystery in the social media age here and again, which is why I think we see less of it these days, beyond a slight bit of theatrical words during promotion. It's become a sort popular, long running puppet show. We know the characters, we know the story, and we even know the actors behind the characters. At the same time we see the popped seams and tattered fabric holding it all together. We don't mind because we love the show, but to make it anything more than it is would be a disservice to all parties involved.

That's not to say that its gone altogether. Lex the Hex Master said on Replicon Radio that his most recent LP tells a story, and he slipped in subtle hidden messages for his listeners to interpret. I pointed out to him via Twitter that this is part of a rich tradition in Juggalo music, and his observance of it makes him a legacy.

TheFvckinKreeper said

I get that, 100%. I was too young for the rumors of Esham's infamous red tape to reach my ears, but I relate to what you're saying.

I think the mythic qualities of the wicked shit are taylor made for bored teens with active imaginations, and its existence vitally necessary for that fact. Horror rap broke me on the culture, but it was myths and legends, and not the Juggalos themselves, that kept me initially invested. That would come much later. I was there by virtue of  inarguably *being* a Juggalo, which didn't make me any more a people person.

Mysteries and rumors drove the early wicked shit in a way that the internet simply can't anymore, in a time where the rumors that do abound are rooted in the whos-fucking-who and which artist is on drugs TMZ school of speculation. There's no replicating the apocalyptic uncertainty of the pre-6th Joker's Card era, when stories abounded of Blaze's namesake deriving from an incident where he flat lined following a driveby, or car crashes resulting in the only unscathed piece of wreckage was a Tales From the Lotus Pod record still playing in the CD Deck. And the artists played into the mystery, too. The mirror-candle divining ritual on The Lotus Pod CD book has its origins in Solomonic Magik and The Goetia, though I doubt any of the rappers themselves are well versed enough to realize it.

J himself has lamented the death of mystery in the social media age here and again, which is why I think we see less of it these days, beyond a slight bit of theatrical words during promotion. It's become a sort popular, long running puppet show. We know the characters, we know the story, and we even know the actors behind the characters. At the same time we see the popped seams and tattered fabric holding it all together. We don't mind because we love the show, but to make it anything more than it is would be a disservice to all parties involved.

That's not to say that its gone altogether. Lex the Hex Master said on Replicon Radio that his most recent LP tells a story, and he slipped in subtle hidden messages for his listeners to interpret. I pointed out to him via Twitter that this is part of a rich tradition in Juggalo music, and his observance of it makes him a legacy.  

Dude....jesus christ, what a great way on describing that. 

Yeah man, I'll never forget I was in 7th or 8th grade ('93-'94) and I remember this like it was yesterday, this kid Shane walking in front of me in the halls between classes and he had that white Ringmaster shirt on, and on the back in red it said "Insane Clown Posse".... and in my mind I was like "THAT'S what ICP stands for!"  I heard it, but didnt know what it meant at that time haha swear to god.  He was friends with this girl named Chrystal and I was asking her like crazy the next period on what they "sang" about!  I've been hooked ever since. 

I was just lucky enough to be born in 1980 in Metro Detroit (Mt. Clemens).

djscrubb said

True, but is it symptoms of insanity, 12, & Devils Groove wicket shit?

I feel when people say they what that old school wicked shit, they want that feeling again (which will never happen) like the first time they heard Amy's in the Attic.  Anyway i totally get it, these dudes are the wicked shit for today and that's awesome.

I'm just extremely thankful the era I grew up in....being truly terrified of Esham @ 14.  Not even wanting Boomin words from hell tape in my ROOM AT NIGHT!  hahaha true story.  

I think it is, actually.  Had this been released during that time, it would have been regarded as right up there with the stuff you mentioned.  But as Kreeper was saying, the internet has changed the perception of this so it's physically impossible for it to have the sound AND the context needed for it to rank like that.

But as far as musical content and presentation, I say yes.

Really digging this one. 

https://youtu.be/mAZ-AYpiuhM