We got that ticket for you, so jump up, jump on it.
The Tempest is a 2007 album by the Hip-Hop act Insane Clown Posse. It was their third album to not be connected to their Joker's Cards Concept Album cycle (after Bizaar and Bizzar), and marked a return to working with producer Mike E. Clark, who had worked with ICP on most of their albums up until Bizaar and Bizzar, departing over a disagreement over the artistic direction of The Wraith: Shangri-La and Hells Pit, which were instead produced by Mike Puwal. It's one of ICP's few albums (along with Hell's Pit, Carnival of Carnage and The Marvelous Missing Link (Lost)) to not use the word "Juggalo".It has no relation to the play by William Shakespeare.
Track listing
- "The Sky Is Falling"
- "Ride the Tempest"
- "Alley Rat"
- "Haunted Bumps"
- "Growing Again"
- "Hum Drum Boogie"
- "I Do This!"
- "What About Now?"
- "Watch My Ride"
- "News at 6 O'Clock"
- "The Tower"
- "The Party" (feat. DJ Clay)
- "Bitch, I Lied"
- "Play My Song"
- "Mexico City"
- "If I Was a Serial Killer"
Ride The Tropes:
- Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: In "Growing Again", which ends with him getting so big that he actually floats off into space.
- The Cameo: James Mitchell performs the carnival barker Introduction for the song "Ride the Tempest".
- Concept Album: Although not part of the Joker's Cards saga, The Tempest is a Concept Album in it's own right, according to
Word of God. The album uses a rollercoaster ride as a metaphor for a violent storm that turns into a tornado and pulls people into it. -
Condemned by History: The album sold well and was initially seen as being a return to form, due to ICP working with Mike E. Clark again. However, today it's seen as one of ICP's worst albums, and Hells Pit, the album proceeding this produced by Mike Puwal, is seen as one of ICP's best albums. - Critical Dissonance: In an inversion from other ICP albums, The Tempest received generally favorable reviews from critics, but fans consider it one of their weaker albums.
- Easter Egg: Violent J and Shaggy are riding the roller coaster on the cover art.
- Haunted Technology: On "Haunted Bumps", J's secret for his car's amazing sound system is that it's possessed by something from the beyond.
- List Song: "I Do This!" is a list of things the rappers will do for their Homies, up to and including Disposing of a Body.
- Location Song: "Mexico City", a song about partying too hard, waking up in Mexico and deciding to relocate there so the U.S. law enforcement doesn't catch up with your crimes.
- New Sound Album: After the Darker and Edgier Hell's Pit, a serious Horrorcore album in a minimalist Hip-Hop musical style with minimal Sampling and hardly any electric guitar playing, The Tempest is a Lighter and Softer album with a Pop Rap and Rap Rock sound and very little of the Horror of their past albums. It also doesn't contain any Take That! towards other rappers or music industry figures.
- Nightmare Fuel: "The Tower" is about a war veteran who spends his last moments shooting random civilians due to neglect from his years of service. Made worse by the fact it is based on an actual event
. - Power Ballad: "If I Was a Serial Killer" is a Power Ballad about what ICP would do if they were actually Serial Killers.
- The Red Stapler: "SPAAAAAAAAAAZMATIC", the energy drink advertised after "Hum Drum Boogie", actually went up for sale on ICP's online store after only existing as a fictional product made up for the skit.
- Sampling: "Mexico City" samples sounds of crashing and people cheering from Roller Coaster Tycoon 2.
- Shout-Out: The phrase "jump up, jump on it" comes from The Sugarhill Gang's "Apache (Jump On It)".
- Similarly Named Works: It has the same name as one of Shakespeare's plays, but has no references to the play.
- Special Guest: DJ Clay appears on "The Party", in a DJ scratch competition with Shaggy 2 Dope.
