Psychopathic Records, also known as "The Hatchet", is an independent record label founded by Insane Clown Posse which specializes in the rap subgenre known as Horrorcore. Their main audience is ICP's Juggalo fanbase, so you probably won't care for what they put out unless you really like ICP. Psychopathic started in 1991, back when ICP was a struggling Gangsta Rap group known as Inner City Posse, and is part of the reason why Horrorcore is predominately associated with Detroit, Michigan, though the style did not originate in the city.
The label is also known for The Merch, making low-budget comedy movies, and their own wrestling league, Juggalo Championship Wrestling (formally Juggalo Championshit Wrestling). They also had an Internet radio station. Most of the Psychopathic artists performed as the Psychopathic Rydas from time to time, but the Rydas is not a part of the label, due to their use of bootlegged beats, so they release albums through Joe & Joey Records to avoid being sued. Following a massive dispute involving Twiztid signing former Psychopathic artists to their label, Majik Ninja Entertainment, Psychopathic Rydas has been pretty much disbanded, although Majik Ninja's roster released an album under the name The Rydas, with the former Psychopathic artists performing under their Rydas aliases.
Psychopathic has also attempted some subsidiaries that have since been abandoned including Majik Records (an imprint started by Twiztid which released nothing), UMZ Entertainment (an imprint for more urban-oriented music, whose only artist was MC Breed) and Ax & Smash Entertainment (an imprint for rock artists; the only artist signed was Zug Izland). Hatchet House was a testing ground for artists to move on to the main label. All evidence suggests HH is dead.
See also: Psychopathic Radio and Juggalo Championship Wrestling
Current Psychopathic artists:
- Insane Clown Posse
- 1992 - Carnival of Carnage
- 1993 - Beverly Kills 50187
- 1994 - Ringmaster
- 1995 - Riddle Box
- 1996 - Tunnel of Love
- 1997 - The Great Milenko
- 1999 - The Amazing Jeckel Brothers
- 2000 - Bizaar Bizzar
- 2002 - The Wraith: Shangri-La
- 2004 - Hells Pit
- 2009 - Bang Pow Boom
- 2012 - The Mighty Death Pop
- 2015 - The Marvelous Missing Link
- 2019 - Fearless Fred Fury
- 2021 - Yum Yum Bedlam
- Ouija Macc
Former Psychopathic artists:
- Anybody Killa
- Axe Murder Boyz (signed with Majik Ninja after a dispute involving Jumpsteady's daughter—Violent J's niece)
- Big Hoodoo
- Blahzay Roze (first female rapper signed to Psychopathic; was dismissed because the label couldn't market her)
- Blaze Ya Dead Homie (signed with Majik Ninja)
- Boondox (signed with Majik Ninja)
- MC Breed (originally with UMZ Entertainment, then moved to Psychopathic after UMZ was abandoned, but died before releasing anything)
- Mike E. Clark (pretty much retired from music; he released a country-tinged cover of ICP's "Piggie Pie" in 2019)
- DJ Clay
- Dark Lotus (disbanded after ICP had a falling out with Twiztid due to them signing former Psychopathic artists to their label Majik Ninja)
- Legz Diamond
- Chop Shop (a duo which includes Shaggy 2 Dope's younger brother; signed to Hatchet House but didn't release anything on the label)
- Cold 187um (released one album, but wasn't received well by Juggalos in general, even though the album sold well)
- Dayton Family (was on Hatchet House for an album and an EP, hasn't been heard from since)
- Esham (left when his brother got out of prison to reform his own label, but his non-Psychopathic releases didn't sell as well as the two albums he released on the label)
- House Of Krazees (Group comprised of The R.O.C.. Mr. Bones, and Hektic. Bones and Hektic left and reformed into Twiztid)
- Jumpsteady (no longer active as an artist)
- Lyte
- Motown Rage (a Rap Metal band signed to Hatchet House; released one album, but dropped due to poor sales)
- Myzery (released an EP on Psychopathic, but was asked to leave after fighting with two other artists, Twiztid and Blaze Ya Dead Homie; returned in 2018 to release the 20th anniversary expanded edition of his 1998 Psychopathic release, but is no longer listed as part of the Psychopathic roster)
- DJ Paul (released one album on the label in 2015, left soon afterwards)
- Project Born (ICP funded their debut EP hoping that the Flint rap group would replicate the success of Flint's better known rap group, The Dayton Family, but ultimately the EP didn't do well, and they were dropped)
- ROC (via Hatchet House)
- Tali Demon (Psychopathic's first female artist, signed to Hatchet House; left over artistic disagreements with the label)
- Twiztid (formed their own label, Majik Ninja)
- Soopa Villainz (a supergroup consisting of ICP, Esham and ABK's former hypeman Lavel)
- V-Sinizter (signed for a single album, which didn't sell well)
- Vanilla Ice (Yeah, you read that right... was supposed to release an album on Psychopathic, but never did; signed in 2011, and was still listed as being part of the roster for about 8 or 9 years despite never releasing anything)
- Zug Izland (Rejoined in 2013, left the same year)
Films released by Psychopathic Records
- Big Money Hustlas (2000)
- Big Money Rustlas (2010)
"The tropes that run beneath the streets":
- Evil Sounds Deep: Played straight with the original incarnation of Dark Lotus, where the darkest lyrics were delivered by deep, gravelly voiced rapper Marz. The rest of the label averts it:
- Insane Clown Posse: Shaggy 2 Dope, who has a scratchier, higher voice than Violent J, is usually the one to perform the "evil" parts of any given song. He's also more vicious in their wrestling matches. In fact, the fact that his voice ISN'T a stereotypical deep, booming bass makes him just that bit more intimidating.
- Twiztid: Neither Monoxide nor Madrox has a particularly deep voice.
- ABK, who has a prominent lisp.
- Big Hutch (a.k.a., Cold 187um) doesn't really have anything that sounds evil either.
- I Love the Dead: This occurs in a lot of songs by Psychopathic artists, including ICP's "Cemetery Girl"
- Put on a Bus:
- ABK left after a contractual dispute, but came back a few years later.
- AMB were contracted for only one album, left shortly afterward and were resigned with Hatchet House, but Psychopathic didn't renew their contract after it expired, and they left.
- Boondox left because of personal issues, making the announcement on a fan-run site. Psychopathic left his website for a short period, and even left a blank spot on the Psychopathic homepage after deleting his site.
- Twiztid left in 2012.
- The Stoner: Pot smoking comes up a lot in Psychopathic lyrics. Being this seems to be a requirement to be signed to the label.
- Tagline: "The label that runs beneath the streets."
Dedicated to the Butterfly.
