We all know what an MC is, and could probably list some that are by now household names. But what about MCs in smaller musical genres like horror rap? Do MCs exist in these genres too? The answer is yes. Not only do they exist, but they are plentiful.
ABK
ABK (acronym for Anybody Killa) is a horror rap artist, also from Detroit like ICP, that focuses on spirituality in his music. Being Native American (ABK is quite possibly the only Native American horror rap artist), ABK draws from the legends and spirituality passed down to him by his relatives and ancestors, and ABK has even been quoted as saying that he gets much lyrical content from his dreams.
Where ABK’s style becomes most unique is when he crosses this Native American spirituality with hard core and gangsta rap. Most noticeable in ABK’s delivery is his lisp, something that makes his voice and tone more unique than any other horror rap artist. Visually, ABK’s merchandise represent the rapper as a graphic artist too, a DJ that works well with dj software for windows 7, as many of his clothing designs are inspired by nature.
Boondox
The story of Boondox is a true underdog success story. Boondox was peddling his cassettes outside an ICP concert one night, when Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope somehow came across him. They liked the Boondox material so much that they invited him to join their record label, Psychopathic Records. The Boondox addition to Psychopathic was more unique than just the signing, it was also important for the national expanse of Psychopathic because Boondox was the first southern rapper ever signed to the label. That said, the Boondox sound is one of a kind on Psychopathic, combining elements of not only southern rap, but also country rock and rap rock as well.
Though Boondox does paint his face as an evil clown, the Boondox pattern is markedly different than the trademark ICP facepaint pattern. For an example, just look on any Boondox merch item – it’s plastered all over them.
DJ Clay
I can hear you saying, “But DJ Clay is a DJ!” OK, so DJ Clay might not be an MC, but the men providing beats for the MCs are just as important! Known as Michael Velasquez to his mother, DJ Clay was a local star DJ in southwest Detroit (ICP’s stomping grounds) before he was propelled to be the ICP tour DJ. DJ Clay, being a popular spinner in the area, had displayed his turntable skills at a number of Psychopathic events over the years, and DJ had even DJ’d an ICP wrestling competition.
Somewhere along the line Shaggy 2 Dope was impressed so much with DJ Clay’s skills that he asked him to open for him on his F.T.F.O tour. It wasn’t long before DJ Clay was the ICP tour DJ and signed to Psychopathic Records. You can see what DJ Clay’s visual art looks like on the cover of his Book of the Wicked mixtapes,