I’ve been saying it for months and I’m constantly being given more reasons to keep saying it: 2024 is a HUGE year for Juggalo music. We are a third of the year down, and by my count already have nine new albums of 2024 out (that I care about), with the tenth out this week via Twiztid’s Cryptic Collection 5!
Not only that, news has been dropping frequently with album announcements, label changes and significant records that will send shockwaves through the scene from the moment they drop. Yes, 2024 is a big one, and set to get even bigger as it goes. May has only just begun, and already I am in a position where I can talk about five surprises we have received that have already dropped or most likely will by the end of the year. Without further ado let’s start with a group who is new to me that has been dominating my hours with Spotify for the last fortnight.
arM:Igeddon – Mission: Infect
This entry will hardly come as a surprise to most who are familiar with Juggalo music, but after getting into Lo Key through his work on the Cabal albums, I thought I’d try their most recent release. My mind was absolutely fucking blown by arM:Igeddon.
I admit I’m still not sure what Mission: Infect is, as in who it is comprised of, as going back through older projects only seem to have Lo Key as the main artist on most of the tracks with an assortment of others a coin toss could determine if I had heard of or not. That said, I am yet to come across a track on any project I’ve checked out that I’d skip on a following listen, with Chemical Threats Phase 4 being my most played album so far.
Young Wicked Mixtape Vol. 2 – Young Wicked
I was very pleasantly surprised when this mixtape was announced as it was only a couple of years ago that Young Wicked / Otis / James Garcia stated they were retiring the Young Wicked moniker and releasing only under James Garcia for the future. What followed was Activated, a bizarrely underwhelming album (aside from Satellite which is fucking incredible) from a rapper with such a strong discography behind them.
Following Activated I didn’t have high expectations for the future of Young Garcia / James Otis Wicked, but after the announcement last year of a new upcoming Axe Murder Boyz album I was already pre-hyped when this mixtape was teased through the Majik Ninja store website ahead of the release of Monoxide’s Chainsmoker 2.
My first impressions were strong, and have only strengthened since, with tracks like Eternal and Resurrected already among my favourite songs of the year. I hope the new AMB record releases this year, but even if it doesn’t I am sated for Young Wicked music by this mixtape.
Anemoia – Ouija Macc & Darby O’trill
It’s safe to say I like most of Ouija’s music, but every now and then one project will really get its hooks into me. This time it was with Anemoia, his joint record with new Chapter 17 signee Darby O’trill.
To say Ouija is prolific with his releases is an understatement, as Anemoia is his 10th album since the beginning of 2022! It is also the first solo release of his since 2022’s Stalewind that I find myself listening to every day without fail, as the haunting beat production with his and Darby’s dark lyrics perfectly captivating me every time I hear it.
I also love the idea of the feeling of Anemoia – ‘Nostalgia for a time or place one has never known’ – though I’d be lying if I said I’ve ever experienced it myself.
Lex the Hex Master Leaving MNE
It’s official, Lex the Hex Master has left Majik Ninja Entertainment and signed with LSP. Personally I’m not a fan of the move but if that’s what’s best for Lex then I’ll try to support it. Along with a new single ‘Murda and Nonsense’, the announcement of a new album coming soon was made in mid April, so hopefully we won’t be waiting too long for more information on the upcoming record.
AND FINALLY, THE MOMENT WE’VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR
The Sixth Joker’s Card of the Second Deck
The Naught – Insane Clown Posse
We might finally have the name for the sixth Joker’s Card of the Second Deck, as alluded to by the Duke of the Wicked Violent J in reply to an Instagram comment (of all places): The Naught. (News credit -Faygoluvers.net)
This was announced a week after Violent J confirmed, also on Instagram, that the living legend that is Mike E. Clarke is producing the next Joker’s Card, which to those unsure, is a huge relief and incredibly good news! Nothing else is known at time of writing but I’ll be back with a whole mess of speculation as soon as we have more to dissect of the next character in the Dark Carnival mythos. I have already posted some light speculation for what I’d like to see the next Card be, which is linked here.
That’ll do it for this week! I keep saying how excited I am about 2024 music and speculating what could be coming next; a feeling that only gets more potent with every passing month. Since the last article I wrote, Bukshot has officially confirmed the next Underground Avengers album is titled ‘Oblivion’ and that it’s coming soon, while Twiztid have announced their new rock album produced by Zeuss is called ‘Welcome To Your Funeral’.
I’ll be back soon with more Juggalo music content, so in the meantime thanks for reading, and let me know in the comments what your album of 2024 so far is!
Written and edited by Alexx.