Steve Albini Defends Juggalos, Says They’re ‘Less Annoying’ Than Deadheads

In a series of tweets this week, a Twitter user reported to be the singular rock and punk producer Steve Albini came to the defense of Juggalos, the collective name for fans of horrorcore mainstays Insane Clown Posse, according to BrooklynVegan.

It all started on Sunday (Feb. 6) when Albini retweeted someone who shared a portion of a 2020 Stereogum interview with Insane Clown Posse's Violent J, one-half of the Detroit hip-hop duo. In that interview, the musician spoke about his regrets for using homophobic language in ICP's music in the past. The producer compared it to the recent controversy surrounding Spotify's The Joe Rogan Experience.

Albini remarked, "This is absolutely model owning-your-shit behavior, and if a goddamn fucking Juggalo can manage it, a nine-figure podcaster can step the fuck up without whining."

But that wasn't all the producer, who also fronts the experimental rock band Shellac, had to say about Juggalos. He went on to commend the care found in ICP's community while opining that they're less irritating than Deadheads, the followers of Grateful Dead.

The producer elaborated, "Yes, I'm saying the Juggalos are good. A non-judgmental, inclusive community for people on the fringe, built on a beautiful communion they call 'family.' They remind me of punk/queer chosen families and I love them. I haven't heard much of the music, it's atrocious. Who cares."

Albini continued, "Less annoying than Deadheads by an order of magnitude. Very few lawyers and CEOs for a start. A lot about the Juggalos is dumb/laughable. So what, your life isn't? Get over yourself. The part that matters to them [is] that they are there for each other in material ways other communities fail."

The Violent J interview that kicked off Albini's remarks found the ICP member illustrating how he tells his daughter his homophobic views were inexcusable and no longer represent his ideas.

J said, "The amount of gay Juggalos out there is really surprising. I think about them doing their research and getting the old records, getting excited about it, and getting their hearts broke or something, you know? I tell my daughter, 'For the rest of your life, when your friends ask why your dad said that, say it's because your dad was a fool. Don't defend me. Say I was a fool then, but I'm not now.'"

The ICP member added, "There's no excuse. I was going with the flow, and that's the very thing we preach against — being a sheep. And that's what I was doing."

Albini works out of his Electrical Audio studio in Chicago and last released an album with Shellac, Dude Incredible, in 2014. Insane Clown Posse issued their latest LP, Yum Yum Bedlam, last year.

See the tweets ascribed to Albini below.