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RJ.com part 2
This interview was conducted by Sweet Candy Nutz of RealJuggalos.com
Note from Jumpsteady: What up Juggalos! I’m getting ready for the devastation of organizing the Gathering and putting together my long forgotten album and figured some ninjas out there would have a few questions for me. The Sixth is coming and ninjas need to prepare themselves, because it is going to be the biggest venture we at Psychopathic have ever performed. It is our mission to make it live up to its name no matter what the cost.
Before I begin to answer questions, I want to admit that our road together hasn’t always been a smooth one, and I feel that Juggalos have endured a bit over the years, and so have we. We at Psychopathic have never claimed to be perfect, and I realized (especially after reading some of these questions) that we have let Juggalos down from time to time. I want to apologize for this, and even though we sometimes fuck up, you have to believe me when I say that our main goal over here what we strive the hardest for is to provide our Juggalo Family with as much entertainment and flavor as we can. Never forget that with every failure, we’ve given ten times that in success and goodness. Our bands have produced some of the best music on the planet and will always continue to do so. This is the greatest time to be a part of our family because it is the coming of the Sixth and great things are right around the corner. A family is always about joys and sorrows, and if there is true love we will endure through it all.
For all the Juggalos who understand this already, mad props to you. Now on to the questions
RJ: What finally made you decide to do Chaos Theory five years late? And why did it take so long!?
Jumpsteady: So many times I have been asked the question what happened to your album? It would kind of eat my Karma, ya know. I felt like a promise wasn’t kept or that I failed to accomplish a goal in my life I was meant to do. When I started to record Chaos Theory all those years ago, I had a lot of heart for it and mad ideas, but I found that it was incredibly hard for me to put something together that I was proud of and say what I wanted to say. I became very frustrated and found it easier and more fulfilling to excel at running a record company than at rapping. Over the years I have always tried to give ICP suggestions for song ideas and beats. Almost all of them were never used, and so I found myself chillin’ with all these ideas for tracks until the ultimate idea finally came to me. I should use these ideas myself! Now more then ever I am determined to put this shit together and am very fuckin’ pleased with the results. I believe that Juggalos will definitely be able to feel what I am about to drop. I want to add that in no way do I want to be a rap star, nor am I just trying to make money or some shit off this flavor. Our plan is to have my EP available only on the webstore, and it is meant for the Juggalos only. I want to fulfill a promise made a long time ago and put out a record that I feel that Juggalos will respect.
RJ: Will Chaos Theory consist of all new stuff, or will it have any of the stuff you recorded years ago when you first planned it?
Jumpsteady: It consist of all new stuff because I feel that I have a better understanding of music now, and the old shit is just that, old. My shit sounds different then any other artist that we have on our label because I wasn’t trying to copy anyone’s style but my own.
RJ: If you have any unreleased tracks recorded for Chaos Theory, will they ever be put out, say, on a Forgotten Freshness-type album?
Jumpsteady: I doubt it. That whole project was met with a bunch of road blocks and the material we have is good but in my opinion, not good enough to be put on any tape.
RJ: How many tracks will be on Chaos Theory? Any track names?
Jumpsteady: Since it’s an EP, there are going to be five tracks, and I’d rather not give out the names just yet.
RJ: Will you possibly be performing anytime soon, maybe on tour or even just a one-time Gathering performance?
Jumpsteady: I want to perform at the Gathering but I don’t know if that’s going to be possible, because it is incredibly hard to organize and run it. I would really need to practice and I don’t know if I will have the time.
RJ: Will there be any merchandise relating to Chaos Theory?
Jumpsteady: Yes, but not alot.
RJ: Any guest appearances on the album?
Jumpsteady: Yes, I plan on doing a track with Twiztid, Blaze, Anybody Killa, and ICP, but it hasn’t been recorded yet. At this point I can’t guarantee they will all make it on any track, because they’re spread out all over the nation all the time.
RJ: Who is going to be producing the album?
Jumpsteady: Those two murdering psycho killers called Twiztid!
RJ: Will there be any free mp3's posted up in the weeks to come before the album drops, like with past Psychopathic releases?
Jumpsteady: Maybe...I haven’t really thought about that yet.
Final information on the Gathering, so everyone knows for sure:
RJ: Place and Date for the Gathering? Ticket prices and on sale dates? Performances and events.... Anything?
Jumpsteady: I am still trying to lock down the Peoria Civic Center, in Peoria Illinois, and am expecting a call from them today where they will give it the thumb up or thumbs down. You have to realize that it is getting harder each year to lock down a convention site because of all the damages. Last year the hotel attached to the Seagate tried to have us shut down the whole convention, because ninjas were tagging the walls and throwing Faygo everywhere in the halls, and setting off automatic fire sprinklers and shit. The Gathering is gaining a reputation for being an out-of-control event that convention centers would rather avoid. People in the business talk shit and it’s making my job harder. I want ninjas to have fun, in and out of the Gathering convention, but ninjas need to think before they commence fucking up a hotel or whatever for no reason. I’d rather they fuck up our own shit before they do that. Think about this, that hotel is a nation wide chain with probably thousands of hotels. Now they all know about ICP and will never let us use their hotels again for anything. Not to mention how they talk to other ninjas about the destruction like a nearby convention center we might want to book in the future. If Peoria falls through, the alternate cities that I am looking into are Milwaukee, Dayton, Louisville, and Las Vegas.
RJ: Can you speculate on any of the artists and acts performing at the Gathering?
Jumpsteady: At this time it is hard to tell because you cant really book a group until you have a date and a place for them to perform. Once we get a place (hopefully today) and after some phone calls, I will be able to post a preliminary list of all the events we are planning at the Gathering this year, along with all the bands we are trying to get.
RJ: How has the editing you've been doing for the Behind The Paint book been coming along, and when can we expect it?
Jumpsteady: Slow as fuck. The book is done and is a masterpiece. I have read it myself about five times already and enjoyed it tremendously each time. The problem is that the ninja at Ballantine who was putting out the book got fired just before Christmas, and there’s a new guy that’s not doing shit. I keep calling him asking for the final edits so my Graphic designers can get to work on I, and he never calls back. When he does, he always tells me he will get me the shit soon. Anyway, at this rate it’s looking like it’s going to be a Gathering release. I seriously apologize y’all, it’s a fucked up situation but I don’t know what else I can do.
RJ: Will some of the Psychopathic video releases promised in the past (such as The Shaggy Show, JCW Vol. 3, Shockumentary 2, or the Gathering 2000 video, etc.) ever be released?
Jumpsteady: We plan on releasing the Gathering 2000 video at this year’s Gathering (I know, fuckin’ ironic) and there are serious plans for Shockumentary 2 and JCW Volume 3, both of which should drop around the Gathering. There was talk about The Shaggy Show, but we decided that since it was released as the Ray Day prize, it should remain an exclusive for those ninjas that participated in Ray Day. But it is still possible that we will release it at a later date.
RJ: As far as Mike E. Clark goes, what was the true reasoning for him not working on the sixth, and is there any bad blood between him and Psychopathic?
Jumpsteady: Look man, I understand that some ninjas are upset that Mike Clark isn’t going to be working on the Sixth. I also know that some bitch ass hoe made a fake e-mail conversation that is supposed to be Mike Clark and posted it on the message boards of certain sites in order to cause drama and spread hate. In this fake conversation Mike Clark even goes on to say that the Bizzar / Bizaar albums were a joke and were only made to get off Island. If anyone knows Mike Clark and Violent J at all, you would know that they have never made anything for a joke and they both loved the Bizzar/ Bizaar albums very much and considered them a masterpiece. For those who are so easily fooled by this hoax e-mail I have to say...WAKE THE FUCK UP! Some ninjas actually want to believe that bullshit email, just so they can cry even more than they already are.
Look, there are a lot of things over here that happen that we never bring to light because it’s just stale...plain and simple. Either its personal or business but either way it just doesn’t make for a good story to spread out to the public. This is the case with Mike Clark. Before I go on, I want you to realize that for every move we make at Psychopathic there is a reason for it and we never do anything lightly or without serious contemplation. For each action we take there is a good reason behind it. Do you think that we just said one day "Hey lets not work with Mike Clark anymore" just like that? Come on man, think about it?!? Don’t you think that we realized there was going to be repercussions and that Juggalos would be upset? Don’t you think we tried to work it out with Mike? Of course we did!!! Every move we make has a purpose. What took place between ICP, Mike and Psychopathic has nothing to do on a personal level or because of a difference in how they wanted the album to sound or any of the other bullshit rumors flying around. Its just a business matter, which led to the fact that Mike, Psychopathic and ICP just don’t see eye to eye anymore.
First off I want to say that Mike Clark at this time is still on good terms with ICP and Psychopathic and we consider him to be a friend. After all the years that we have worked together I hope that it can stay that way and business won’t interfere with that friendship. I have never been that close to Mike personally but from what I have known of him, I find him to be very cool. The reason for Mike not working on the Sixth is because of a business disagreement that has nothing to do with Mike as a person. We have no interest in airing out all of our personal affairs because it’s just that...personal. It just wouldn’t be fair to Mike because it’s not meant to be shared. We just ask you to understand and know that we came upon the decision not to work with Mike after much aggravated debate. Also know that it was just as much as his decision as it was ours and we feel sad that it has to be this way.
Now some Juggalos are worried about the Sixth and how it’s going to sound and I want to say something about this. Though Mike Clark is a genius when it comes to producing music, Violent J is and always will be the main musical genius behind the music of ICP. Violent J has always been in the studio working side by side with Mike making the music as fresh as possible. He has always put heavy, heavy influence behind how it sounds. The music is always going to be the same quality. It will have the same super hype flavor that it has always had because Violent J will be right there co-producing the flavor like always. ICP without Mike is still ICP. Mike will still be producing for others that he can meet eye to eye with and he is in no short supply for work. Mike is a great producer and he puts a great deal of heart into what he does and I wish him well.
As for Mike P he has a great deal of talent as well towards producing music. Violent J as always will be right there with him, every second, tweaking the beats and adding the flavor. Violent J’s level of creativity is at a height that he has never experienced before and he is very enthusiastic about the Sixth and so am I. I have already heard one song from it and it is devastating beyond belief. I for one can’t wait for that shit to drop.
I have always given you the truth as it lies. No matter what else is said or whatever bullshit rumors starts to fly, know this statement to be the truth. I give you my word as a man on that. I just hope ninjas can move on and stop being so sensitive over everything we do over here. With all the countless bones we endure every day running this company we are trying to do the best we can for the Juggalos. Anyone who doesn’t want to support our cause can find another one. As for everyone else the time of the Sixth will soon be at hand...our time. The Juggalos time. As Juggalos we have endured some hardships throughout the years but soon the ultimate time of being a Juggalo will be at hand and nothing and I mean nothing will stop us.
RJ: How can aspiring artists send a demo to Psychopathic Records, and what are the requirements?
Jumpsteady: I listen to all the demo tapes myself, and if they are good enough I play them for everyone here to see if they feel it can go anywhere. Send any Demos to: PO Box 332, Royal Oak, MI, 48063, and address it to Rob Lee. If you’re serious about being a rapper or in a band you should record this demo at a studio or with professional equipment. Don’t just stop at Psychopathic, send that bitch off to every label you can. Make sure to include your real name and phone number.
RJ: Psychopathic receives a LOT of emails from juggalos in both Canada and Australia ( I mean a LOT from Australia) wondering if/when Psychopathic would ever come to their areas. What can ya tell them?
Jumpsteady: Man, Australia and Canada are definitely places that we want to go. It’s just that there are so many things happening over here, it’s hard to make it over there. We definitely haven’t forgotten about those ninjas, and have been talking about a tour heading over to Australia, and also performing several dates in Canada during the release of the Sixth Jokers card. Australia seems like they got some crazy ass ninjas over there. If you Juggalos get a chance, do a web search for some ninjas called the Cave Clan. They explore all these underground sewers and tunnels and shit because in certain parts of Australia they have like thousands of miles of underground tunnels. If I lived over there I would be part of that hype ass crew because that’s the shit we grew up doing right here in Detroit.
RJ: I got a few people asking: what's the latest on the Dark Lotus re-release?
Jumpsteady: Man, the more I answer these questions the more I realize just how behind we are over here. You see, the problem is that we announce things before they’re even being made, when we should announce things after they are made. I wanted to have the Dark Lotus re-release at the Gathering this year, but since Anybody Killa is working on his album right now and then touring all the way up till around the Gathering, it looks like that’s not going to be possible. So at this point I am not sure because after the Gathering it will be the era of the Sixth and all hell’s going to break loose.
RJ: What're your favorite juggalo websites (if you have time to surf the web, that is)?
Jumpsteady: I’m not gonna front, man, I always go to realjuggalos.com to see what the fuck they got to say because they represent the neutral standpoint to the story and tell it how it is. That way I have a better understanding of how Juggalos are looking at things, because working here, it’s hard sometimes to understand what the rest of the ninjas are thinking. I also really enjoy the faygolovers.com website and plan to contact those ninjas about a booth at the Gathering this year to see if they’re down. I would say my third favorite right now is canadianjuggalos.com, because those guys seem to have a lot of heart. I don’t go surfing hardly at all, so I really don’t know much information about Juggalo run websites, so don’t take offense if I didn’t mention yours. I usually ask JellyNuts, who’s freakin’ it when I decide who to offer booths to for the Gathering.
RJ: How do you 'Find Morton' on Morton's List? ([email protected])
Jumpsteady: That would be the mission of all missions and would bring you to the deepest understanding of the game and even life itself, my friend.
RJ: After Chaos Theory is released, if there is good feedback from the Juggalos, will you go on to make any more albums after that? (Sikkone)
Jumpsteady: If there was an overwhelming response to it, then yes. But I have many dreams and am not banking on that to happen. I just want to provide some flavor to the Juggalo Family.
RJ: In the last RJ interview, you mentioned a Dark Carnival video game possibly in the works. Have there been any new developments on that? (Serial Slaughter)
Jumpsteady: It is incredibly expensive to put out a video game, so at this point it’s on the backburner, and I am not sure if it will ever come to be. I hope it does because being a video junkie myself I have phat ideas about what direction the game would take. I have spent some time thinking about this and writing down key concepts, because at one time it was looking like more of a possibility then it is now. Don’t lose total faith in it though because it may still happen.
RJ: What sort of new events for this years Gathering can you speculate on? (Serial Slaughter)
Jumpsteady: I will list a preliminary list of all events we are planning, hopefully by the end of this week. A couple big events we want to have this year are: an MC competition where the winner gets an online record deal with Psychopathic, and a giant paint ball arena where ninjas can battle it out. That’s just a small part of the Gathering this year, which will be bigger and tighter then last year’s by far.
RJ: What's the latest on Big Money Ru$tlas? (XLocoPimpX)
Jumpsteady: That is a project that we are going to push when we sign with our new label, since they will have the funds necessary to do such a huge project. We are all excited about it and it’s definitely something we want to drop along with the Sixth. The paperwork for our new major label is being worked on right now, and soon everything will be coming into place to make the Sixth the biggest Album we have ever dropped.
RJ: You often said you are a perfectionist, so how and the hell did you manage to make an entire album without feeling you needed to "improve" it all the time? (The Neck Cutter)
Jumpsteady: It has been something I had to struggle with and also to let go. I feel that I have been able to reach a peace with myself while recording this album that has allowed me to flow without the restrictions I experienced the first time recording it.
RJ: Has there ever been consideration of a movie made from the Pendulum comics? Sort of like how other comics are turned to animated movies or something, but with ICP and Twiztid providing their respective voices? (InsaneVoodooKid)
Jumpsteady: Man, I have had that idea for years now and it would be awesome. All the characters in the Pendulum lead to such a Devastating animated movie that I know it would be off the chain. The only problem is that animated movies take years to make and millions of dollars, unless it’s done cheaply and I would want the best Japanimation artist to work on this flavor. If I was a millionaire I would invest in this movie, because that’s how much I believe in it. If it were ever to be made, I would probably watch it at least once a week for the rest of my life.
RJ: When will the new supplements to Morton's List be available, and what kind of flavor can we expect? In the last RJ interview, you mentioned a Dark List, something of an expansion to Chaos for people more into the darker type of shit. (g50187)
Jumpsteady: We are planning a supplement to debut at the Gathering this year that I don’t want to talk about just yet. We want to release that information when the time is right, like when it’s finished and being pressed. I will say, though, that it is going to make the game even more enjoyable than it is already.
RJ: Where did the name Jumpsteady come from? (Juggalo82421)
Jumpsteady: A long time ago I was a thief (or burglar). I would break into buildings in Downtown Detroit (most of these on Woodward) via the fire escape stairs. Then when the alarms were going off, I would make my way to the roof of the building and jump from rooftop to rooftop to get away. Since they were mostly connected together this was not very hard and some involved falling rather then jumping. Then I would go down another fire escape or hide out in an abandoned building until the coast was clear. Mostly I would go for computers and expensive shit, and this habit of mine continued all the way through my Army days as well. In the Army it was easier. We would break into the buildings (on ground level) at night, and even though they had screens on the windows, they never had alarms, so we would use a crowbar to break through. I had a small crew who would operate with me, and we used the military tactics we had learned to the fullest to pull off our raids. Camouflage and everything! We were true pros, and I only got caught once, but that’s a long story that I wouldn’t be able to cover here.
Anyway, one day while I was in the Army I was reading the Malcolm X autobiography. In the book Malcolm X (when he was a criminal) mentions one of his friends, named Jumpsteady, who robbed apartments in New York and Jumped from roof top to rooftop to get away. He sounded so much like me that I jocked him a great deal and I even used his name for a Talent Show I did when I was in Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War. I rapped on stage for the first time in front of 500 or more soldiers with my friend Red (I can’t remember his rap name.) Together we were the group Connetic Colors, since he was red (Indian mixed with black) and I was white (I know it sounds lame now, but we were proud of our name then.) Our rap protested the war and why we were there and since there were so many Majors and shit in the front row, it started a huge controversy and we almost lost rank because of it. After that everyone was jockin us and they started to call me by my rap name Jumpsteady as kind of a joke I guess. After that it just stuck and people were even talking to me (not Red) about signing me to record labels they had back home (probably bullshit.) To this day that performance was one of the best days of my life and I was glad I didn’t punk out and I said what I wanted to say. It was the key defining moment that made that name stick with me for the rest of my life.
By the way Jump comes from jumping from rooftop to rooftop and Steady comes from having the steady nerves it takes to do such a brave and foolhardy thing in order to get away. That is the first time I told that story in its full detail.
That’s it, thanks a lot to all the Juggalos who sent in their Questions and to Realjuggalos for keepin that shit treel! I’m out like a ninja that rolled Crowpocalypse on Morton’s List. |
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