Horrorcore dead or alive?

Murder, suicide, horror, serial killers, darkness and death.

These are just some of the main overtones of the rap music genre called horrorcore that has made a name for itself internationally, as well as in Minnesota.

In the past few years, horrorcore music has been blamed for many public monstrosities like the Columbine school shootings and the Red Lake School shooting. Some horrorcore artists, such as the Insane Clown Posse and St. Paul 's own Jimmy Donn, were blamed for these human slayings.

"I never got involved until I was made involved," horrorcore rapper Jimmy Donn, aka The Devil Himself, said. "I made music which some considered horrorcore, then I was blamed for the Red Lake School shooting with Mars, and ever since then I sort of was thrown into it."

Donn and Mars were both thrown on many news networks and bombarded for the lyrical content of their music.

Horrorcore music is rumored to have begun with co-founder of Def Jam Recordings Russell Simmons. It is said that he called one of the original horrorcore groups the Flatlinerz, "a hardcore rap with some horror themes," in the 90s.

After this point, the genre was born.

Groups such as the Gravediggaz, which were parts of the Wu-Tang Clan and Esham, were coming from the darkness to represent their new styles, and soon thereafter the Insane Clown Posse (ICP) stepped into the gory musical arena.

Some rappers are trying to evolve the sound or make their own. Many have tried to switch up the title along the way with sayings such as "horror rap," "wicked sh-t" and "acid rap," all of which connect to the horrorcore mainframe.

"Horrorcore music is a horror story told in song form," Minnesotan based rapper Krow said. "If Steven King, Wes Craven and Clive Barker were hip hop artists, they would be classified as horrorcore. It's basically a gore-ified fantasy land where you can let your imagination run wild. Instead of writing a song about the hot girl next door who you fell in love with, you would write about how she won't talk to you, and what you're going to do about it, usually ending in violence," Krow said.

Krow listened to a lot of ICP when he was growing up along with many other underground artists like Bedlam, Q Strange, Twiztid and Half Breed, which consider themselves horrorcore.

"As I grew up, my style evolved into more than just writing about horror," he said.

ICP and their label Psychopathic records open many doors for underground artists trying to get their feet wet in the realm of horrorcore. In 1990, the label began on the streets of Detroit with the help of their manager Alex Abbiss. Slowly, but surely, it grew into a phenomenon that has caught many up-and-coming MCs' eyes.

Minneapolis based MC, ill e. gal found herself mixed into the scene when ICP began their darkness parade as well.

"They are the kings of horrorcore," ill e. gal said. "I used to be way into them, but not so much anymore. When I first started rapping my material was dark and creepy, but then one day I kinda woke up and realized that I should be making a difference with my music, not saying the same old sh-t about killing people, ya know? Granted, Psychopathic is still doing their thing, but I don't consider it mine anymore."

In Minnesota, many artists began with a solid focus on the genre, but then changed with lyrical growth.

ill e. gal said she feels that horrorcore is a dying genre.

She said she hopes the genre is gone within the next 10 years.

"Not to say it didn't have its place in time, but you can only say the same sh-t so many times, in so many different words," ill e. gal said. "I'm not hating on the genre, I just think it will be something of the past."

Krow also said he feels the genre is a dying breed.

"To be completely honest, I don't think it will go very far," he said. "Right now, it's already in a stage where most horrorcore is mostly rehashed songs done over and over again. You can only kill people so many ways before it gets old."

It is a cross-fire between many artists in the underground hip hop world; some want the genre to die and others want it to thrive.

"It's growing all over," Donn said. "With the help of Necro, Ill Bill, Jedi Mind Tricks, Slaine (of La Coka Nostra) and more of this, its going to grow all over."

Donn said he sees horrorcore as what ever you want it to be, he said.

"Violent, fantasy, reality, insanity," he said.

Minnesota-based rapper M.C. Rentz, one part of the hip hop foursome Ruthless, is stuck between the mix. He said he doesn't consider himself a horrorcore artist, but he touches the genre a bit with his style.

"I make music, and I live here," Rentz said. "I have to be involved to want to get what I want."

Professor Fresh, who is also piece of Minneapolis-based hip hop group Ruthless, said he feels horrorcore has influenced him, but said he does not consider himself a horrorcore artist.

Fresh said the genre is all about shock.

"It's shock value, and as Howard Stern was, it was great for a minute," Fresh said. "Don't get me wrong, some of the best rappers in the world are horrorcore, but they have run that course dry and they know it. It has evolved past the swing chop woopalo era, but at the same time it has not."

Fresh said most of the horrorcore artists who are forming are just ICP knock-offs.

"It's pretty obvious with the pool of horrorcore artists, most of them are pretty bad, to say the least," Fresh said.

In Minnesota, many venues and artists have built an underground wave that some say is depleting as the years go on, and others see it expanding.

"It comes and goes like hos," Rentz said. "They all realize it's the back pack and not what's in it."

ill e. gal said she sees many acts all over the country, including Minnesota, that are doing great things with their music, but she does not see horrorcore prominent anywhere.

"It's not very strong in Minnesota as it is in other areas of the Midwest, like Michigan," Krow said. "It is very difficult to gain a following in Minnesota if you are solely a horrorcore artist."

Rentz said he sees the future of the genre is in a period of consistency.

"Still chuggin' along with its same kind of fan base," he said. "As long as hip hop and horror movies are around, horrorcore will be too."