It’s a real court battle that sounds entirely fake: the Insane Clown Posse vs. the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On Wednesday, the Detroit-based hardcore rapping group filed a lawsuit against the FBI with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union and a Michigan law firm, Miller Canfield. The reason? Since 2011, the ICP’s fans, known as ‘juggalos,’ have been labeled as a “non-traditional gang” by the Bureau.
But the classification doesn’t seem to have much basis, other than a couple isolated arrests. As Wired noted back in early 2013, two drug-related arrests of juggalos in Salt Lake City let to a lengthy FBI investigation. The nationwide look at the Insane Clown Posse’s fans — who often paint their faces like the two members of the music group — didn’t turn up much, however. And the ICP’s fans were obviously upset about the broad-brush classification.
Insane Clown Posse, also known as rappers Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope, unsuccessfully filed a lawsuit in 2012 in an attempt to get the FBI to disclose more information about its investigation into their fans. And now they’re hoping the support of the ACLU can help them discredit the gang classification once and for all.
“The ACLU and Miller Canfield both think that the discrimination, profiling and harassment that Juggalos have been facing over the last few years in flat out WRONG and un-American so now they will be helping us fight our case in court,” the ICP wrote on its website.
The FBI has until March to either respond to the lawsuit or ask a judge to dismiss it.
“We don’t know if we can beat the FBI,” Violent J told Rolling Stone. “But we’re damn sure not gonna sit there and accept it.”
Check out one of the group’s songs below. Caution: NSFW.
(h/t National Journal)
