F.T.F.O.
The facepaint gets you first, but the real threat’s in his eyes. It's the confidence of a dozen years runnin’ the underground. It's the cockiness of a young punk who never had to settle down. It’s character of a true individual, dominating a musical niche he helped create. It’s the class of a man who knows where he’s at. It’s all 2 Dope, now step back or you might get hurt.This is a guy who knows what he’s doing. His skills are so honed, his delivery so natural, that every rhyme feels reflexive, every verse sounds unrehearsed, yet his words still pump like bullets from an angry gun. And you won’t miss him on stage—whether he’s lobbing pop bottles, leaping from ledges, or whipping the pit into a sloppy froth, the fans and the spotlight are there for 2 Dope. He’s the King of the Crowd, don’t make him show you his crown.Shaggy 2 Dope is a hip-hop anomaly. He’s ruthless but smooth, outlandish but accessible. A big baller and a scrub thug. He’s a painted madman, and an iced-out pimp. He’s an Insane Clown with a unique sound, and now he’s got a full-length album that’s all Shaggy, all solo, and all shameless. Prepare yourselves.Joey "Shaggy 2 Dope" Utsler entered the music industry with a bang. Literally, the sound of gunfire erupting from the gang turf of Southwest Detroit. His first album was an EP self produced in Detroit with his brother and a long-time friend, Joe "Violent J" Bruce. They rapped under their gang name, The Inner City Posse, and the now notorious EP was called Dog Beats. Shaggy was just a teenager then, and now, fifteen years later, his first album is a collectible sought by legions of fans.F.T.F.O. comes at the cusp of a career loaded with amazing conquests and accomplishments. With his rap partner, Violent J, he co-wrote the seminal, phenomenal "Joker’s Card Saga," a decade-spanning, six-album epic which has left its platinum mark on the music world. Even the projects he worked on between Joker’s Cards have brought him success, with a collection of rarities certified gold, and a two-album release holding two spots on the Billboard Top 20 simultaneously.Like the chains around his neck, everything he touches turns to bling. He starred in a movie, the DVD went gold. He wanted to wrestle; he worked with every major federation. He wanted to be in a video game; play Backyard Wrestling and he’ll whip your ass. He wanted to be on the radio; now he gets personal calls from Howard Stern. He wanted to party; come see him host a four day music festival, known as the Annual Gathering of the Juggalos. He put his name on a T-shirt; now he co-owns one of the largest music merchandising empires in the world, with clothes and collectibles in hundreds of store nationwide. He even loves his mother. How’s that for diverse?