Horrorcore

Origins of the word "Horrorcore"

Who actually came up with the word "horrorcore" is not exactly known, though the originatation of the term is often accredited to the Flatlinerz. However artists have been doing horror rap as far back as the mid-80's with artists such as Ganxsta Nip, Insane Poetry, and Esham, long before the word horrorcore was coined.

The word "horrorcore" was made famous by both the Flatlinerz and Gravediggaz back in the early 90's when they came on the scene with their debut albums "USA (Under Satan's Authority)" and "6 Feet Deep (Niggamorphia)." Who would be the bigger group came down to a push & popularity contest between Wu-Tang Clan and Russel Simmons. The Flatlinerz were banking on the fact that Russel Simmons' (at the time head of Def Jam records) nephew was the pointman for the Flatlinerz VS. RZA of Wu-Tang Clan who was the top dog from the Gravediggaz. The popularity of the Wu-Tang Clan at this time was undeniable, so naturally the Gravediggaz were instantly in the limelight by piggy-backing onto the Wu-Tang fanbase. The Gravediggaz were all over MTV and in hip-hop magazines. At that time horrorcore was thought to be "the next big thing" considering gangsta rap's popularity was deteriorating quickly and the industry was looking for something new to catch the interest of hip-hop fans.

In the end, the whole horrorcore movement was not broadly accepted by the public. The Gravediggaz reached nominal fame, releasing 2 albums with RZA (1 album without), and eventually fell off the map. The Flatlinerz released only their debut album before Def Jam pulled the plug due to lackluster sales.

That particular period is where horrorcore gained mainstream attention and why so many people are familiar with the horror-rap sound today. Even today MTV will mention an artist as being "horrorcore" in its news segments. Emphasis on the word mainstream! The horrorcore world did not center around the Detroit area with Esham & ICP. Esham never managed to get well known outside of the midwest and ICP did not branch out into national appeal until much later.

History

The term horrorcore was coined by Russell Simmons, the man behind The Flatlinerz, who referred to Horrorcore as being "hardcore rap with some horror movie themes". Around the same time, The Gravediggaz, led by Wu-Tang Clan's RZA (as RZArector), embraced the genre. Although this was the first time that the word horrorcore was officially used, many artists had been doing Horrorcore-themed music for some time. Horrorcore artists often have ties with Heavy Metal; specifically, black metal and death metal is infused with their rap. The Insane Clown Posse has been the single most successful horrorcore rap group and have also founded the most successful Horrorcore record label, Psychopathic Records. Horrorcore now remains underground, something that will always be un-touched by the mainstream.

Lyrics

Horrorcore lyrics typically center around fairly similar subject matter, namely the Macabre & Horror, which include subtopics such as homicide, suicide, crime, rape, necrophilia, beastiality, pedophilia,Satanism, and Dark Rituals. Some songs have samples from Horror Movies in the intro, chorus, or at the end of the song to add to the songs' brooding atmosphere. Occasionally, such topics are used in a darkly comedic manner.

Makeup

Many horrorcore performers wear makeup, a fashion popularized by Psychopathic Records and the Insane Clown Posse. Some follow in the footsteps of the latter group by using clown-themed paint, while others try to create their own style, often being a mix of clown makeup and black metal corpse paint. Or they just don't wear face paint because they want their own original style.

Some argue that makeup is nothing to do with rapping, and that is just a part of the media image of some artists.

It has definately become a defining trait for most of the genre, and also the fanbase.

Underground

Though a select few Horrorcore rappers become widely known outside Horrorcore circles due to tremendous multimedia promotion, the vast majority of Horrorcore record labels, acts, and artists seldom sell over a few hundred records. With the commercial and critical failure that was Def Jam's attempt at marketing The Flatlinerz, many major labels and established independents have been reluctant to further promote and release Horrorcore albums.

Furthermore, incidents at numerous venues around the country involving such artists associated with the genre (e.g., Insane Clown Posse) have reduced the ability for many Horrorcore acts to perform publically. [citation needed] As a result, the primary marketing tools for such artists have become the internet and word of mouth. However, because their audience is a very passionate one, word manages to travel extensively through certain channels.

Eminem's early underground work has a very strong Horrorcore / Acid rap influence to it, often with subject matter such as suicide, murder, violence, death, and some satanic themes. Eminem also notes that an influence of his was Esham Lyric: "I'm a cross between Manson, Esham & Ozzy". D12's first mainstream album, Devil's Night, also has some Horrorcore influence, notably songs such as the title track, American Psycho, and Revelation. Additionally, Oscar-winners Three 6 Mafia is best known for their gruesome beats and lyrics in their albums from the 1990s. Their first album, Mystic Stylez, showcases the eerie production of DJ Paul and Juicy J, in particular the song "Fuckin Wit Dis Click" contains the lyrics: "Watch me rob Adam and watch me rape Eve, on the eve of Destruction..."

Debate on terminology

Many regard the terms "Wicked Shit" and "Horrorcore" to refer to the same genre of music. In other circles, there is difference enough in styles to differentiate between the terms. Many artists come up with their own terms for their music, such as Scum of LSP, who claims his music is GoreHop. There is much debate over the two terms, as you will see if you browse Wicked Shit/Horrorcore forums.

"Acid Rap" is a term coined by rapper Esham (The Unholy). His sole reason for giving his music the title of acid rap was to distinguish himself from other horrorcore and hardcore rappers. However, the term "Acid Rap" is usually used to describe a spacey, trippy rap genre popularize by Kool Keith rather than horrorcore. Esham also stated that his music is "Modern Day Blues" which may prove a difference between the two.

"Death Rap" is a term coined by rapper Necro to describe the mixing of death metal subject matter with dark hip-hop laid down over gritty beats. It is not uncommon to hear Necro collaborate with Heavy Metal legends such as Obituary & Igor Cavalera. Necro made this term to further himself away from the horrorcore/juggalo scene.

"Horror Rap" is a term used by some to describe the Horror themed lyrics in this style of Rap that is dominant. With the fact that Insane Clown Posse's movie "Big Money Hustlas" had a cameo appearance by the Horror Punk band The Misfits in the donut shop scene, the idea of the term Horror Rap became more popular.

"Slasher Rap" is a term coined by Insiniak part of the 'Sinister South' duo, The Burning Legion, to further illustrate the difference between the different sub-genres of the horrorcore genre. This helps to separate them from other similar artists as well as the fact that, in Insiniak's words, they focus on topics that involve mutilation and dismemberment, similar to the "Slasher" horror films they have grown to love and embrace.

"Ghetto Gothic" is a term used by outsiders as a reaction to the "Horror Rap" term, due mostly to the fans of the style that seem to wear dominantly all black clothes and incorporate the two styles of Goth fashion with Hip-hop fashion

References

http://www.killmusick.com/killmusick2/artists.htm

Links

[1] Online Horrorcore Store [2] Horrorcore Supersite [3] Listen to horrorcore radio online