Music / Business & brands
Violent J
born 1972 · rapper, record label co-founder, wrestling promoter
Co-founder of Insane Clown Posse and Psychopathic Records, the face-painted horrorcore act that built a national cult following out of metro Detroit.
- Born
Berkley, Michigan
age 54- Birth name
- Joseph Frank Bruce
- Also known as
- Joseph Bruce · J
- Detroit years
- 1972–present
- Field
- Music, Business & brands
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Joseph Bruce was born in Berkley and grew up poor in Oak Park, the suburb on Detroit's northern border, where he met the brothers John and Joey Utsler. As a teenager he moved in with a friend in River Rouge and formed the Inner City Posse among friends from southwest Detroit. In 1991 the crew hired local record-store owner Alex Abbiss as manager, founded Psychopathic Records and, inspired by the “acid rap” of Detroit's Esham, reinvented itself as the clown-faced Insane Clown Posse. Their 1992 album Carnival of Carnage was distributed only within about 120 miles of Detroit, but relentless local shows built the Juggalo fan base. The Detroit-made soda Faygo became the duo's trademark stage prop, a Halloween-night Hallowicked concert became a Detroit tradition, and the first Gathering of the Juggalos was held in Novi in 2000. Bruce also launched Juggalo Championship Wrestling; his first match took place at Azteca Hall in southwest Detroit.
Highlights
- Insane Clown Posse has two platinum and five gold albums.
- Co-founded Psychopathic Records in 1991; it is based in Farmington Hills.
- The annual Hallowicked show on Halloween night began in Detroit in 1994.
- Launched the Gathering of the Juggalos in Novi in 2000.
- Co-founded the Juggalo Championship Wrestling promotion.
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 3
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Performed here · 1990s
Saint Andrew’s Hall
Insane Clown Posse is listed among the breakthrough acts the hall hosted in the 1980s and 1990s.
Performed here
The Majestic Theatre
ICP's Strangle-Mania Live wrestling show sold out this Midtown theater.
Founded · 2000
Novi Expo Center
Status being checked
Site of the first Gathering of the Juggalos in July 2000, which drew over 7,000 fans.