The 12th edition of Insane Clown Posse’s own festival will take place in Cave-in-Rock, Illinois August 11-14 and feature the usual Psycopathic Records heavy-hitters: Twiztid, Dark Lotus, Anybody Killa, Blaze Ya Dead Homie, Psycopathic Rydas, Marz, and of course ICP themselves will be performing at the festival.

As if that weren’t enough (what are you, crazy?), the Gathering will be graced by the presence of several big-name outsiders as usual. Get ready for a list of names that will blow away your inner 1999. Confirmed for the Gathering are Busta Rhymes, Ice Cube, Mystikal, Juvenile, DJ Quik, Kottonmouth Kings, Kittie, Dope, and Saliva. Also, not only do they have Ice Cube, but they got Vanilla Ice!

The music lineup is rounded out by George Clinton and the P-Funk All Stars, Xzibit, MC Hammer, E-40, Paris, DJ Clay, Lil Wyte, CKY, Tech N9ne, The Dayton Family, and more, including “two huge surprise names” that will not be revealed until the weekend of. We’re banking on Kid Rock and Kris Kross.

Of course, no juggalo gathering would be complete without a bunch of other random shit to distract ticket-buyers from the fact that all the musicians they came to see are washed up. Thus, the Gathering will feature ladies’ oil wrestling, open mics, karaoke, freestyle battles, a Faygo wet t-shirt contest, a “Miss Juggalette” contest, helicopter rides, astro jumps, the neden game (don’t ask), comedy, and of course wrasslin’.

There will be Oddball (hardcore) wrestling and Legends of Wrestling, featuring names from Terry Funk and Jerry “The King” Lawler to Rhino and one-legged Zach Gowen. There will also be Juggalo Championship Wrestling tryouts, so fans who dream of one day falling backwards through a flaming table onto thumbtacks for next to nothing can have their shot at the Gathering.

What might be the most intriguing aspect of this year’s gathering is the comedy lineup. Bonnaroo, you’ve been outdone. Not only will there be names like Brian Posehn, Big Money Hustlas‘ Harland Williams, and Jimmie “J.J.” Walker of Good Times, but the Gathering will provide a forum for several wrestlers to try their hand out at comedy! The Iron Sheik, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Raven, King Kong Bundy, Colt Cabana, and Mick “Cactus Sac” Foley will all unlace the boots and grace the stage. That’s right, Tom Green in 2010, Dude Love in 2011.

If, somehow, this doesn’t knock your fuckin’ wigs off, maybe a corny video featuring Violent J, Vanilla Ice, DJ Clay, and some obnoxious chick (we’ll call her Tila Tequila 2011) will better accomplish that. In the video below, which varies between intentionally and unintentionally hilarious, Vanilla Ice describes the juggalos as the “greatest, most open-minded people on Earth” and, apparently not recognizing any irony whatsoever, he describes the Gathering as “completely void of staleness.” The infomercial’s narrator later champions the phenomenon by which “total strangers become your brothers and sisters” and wonders aloud why it’s so easy to get laid at the Gathering. Let’s hope that question answers itself.

Tickets are available at the Gathering’s website and at select Hot Topic stores. Of course, be warned — this is no Coachella, and as the infomercial suggests, “If you have a problem with juggalos, then you can stay home sitting on your dumb bitch ass!” Or you can go to Outside Lands, if that’s more your speed.

Collins first began work on the forthcoming 16-track LP in 2008 during the sessions of a James Brown tribute album. “That [project] really got me thinking about all these great cats who are no longer around and how people are just forgetting about them.” Collins told Billboard.com. “Since I’m still here, I really wanted to connect those dots…so young people can see that what they think is so new isn’t so new.”

Never one to be subtle, Collins has linked together some world class dots. Tha Funk Capitol of the World features Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube and Chuck D, on “Hip Hop @ Funk U”, Bobby Womack and “Catfish” Collins on “Don’t Take My Funk”, plus George Clinton, Buckethead, Bela Fleck, and non-musical talents like Samuel L. Jackson and Rev. Al Sharpton. And just in case that wasn’t enough, Jimi Hendrix can be heard speaking on “Mirrors Tell Lies”.

Tha Funk Capitol of the World is set for release April 26th via Mascot Records. A tracklist, with featured artists, can be found below. While no live dates have currently been set, all the featured acts are reportedly on board and a future tour is just a matter of scheduling. But with so many huge names, that may take some time.

Tha Funk Capitol of the World Tracklist:
01. Intro
02. Hip Hop @ Funk U (feat. Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, & Chuck D)
03. Mirrors Tell Lies (feat Jimi Hendrix)
04. JB-Still the Man (feat. Rev. Al Sharpton)
05. Freedumb (feat. Dr. Cornel West)
06. After These Messages (feat. Samuel L. Jackson)
07. Kool Whip (feat. Phil Ade & iCandice)
08. The Real Deal (feat. Sheila E. & iCandice)
09. Don’t Take My Funk (feat. Catfish Collins & Bobby Womack)
10. If Looks Could Kill (feat. Bela Fleck, Zionplanet10, & Dennis Chambers)
11. Minds Under Construction (feat. Buckethead & (Z-Class))
12. Siento Bombo (ftfeat Olvido Ruiz & Ouiwey)
13. Garry Shider Tribute (feat. George Clinton & Linda Shider)
14. Stars Have No Names (They Just Shine) (feat. Nick Arnold & Chrissy Dunn)
15. Chocolate Caramel Angel (feat. Faith Daniels, Ronnie Racket, & Casper)
16. Yummy, I Got the Munchies (feat. Musiq Soulchild, Razzberry Hershey & Tom Joyner)

From the very first scene of this film, you can tell that hip-hop and gangster rap is going to play a huge part in this film. Cut to the nerdiest looking white guy you can imagine, named Michael Bolton (portrayed by David Herman) mind you, blasting “No Tears” from Scarface while sitting in traffic on the way to work. A morning jam session is always necessary.

Even at a young age, I could appreciate the humor of Mike Judge’s film. Peter Gibbons, played brilliantly by Ron Livingston, a regular guy like all of us, hates his job. I mean, he really hates it. He hates getting up in the morning to go there, he hates the traffic, and he loathes his boss. It really takes a toll on his personal life. Because of this, he goes to see a occupational hypnotherapist, which I still don’t know if these even really exist, and he basically gets brainwashed enough to shed off every ounce of stress in his life. Him and his buddies, Michael Bolton and Samir Naga…Naga…not-gonna-work-here-anymore, attempt to rip off their company for a large sum of money. This doesn’t end well.

Some of the movie’s most memorable scenes are sold by its soundtrack. When Peter arrives to work after a long, relaxing hiatus, the Geto Boys’ “Damn It Feels Good to Be a Gangsta” sets the perfect tone for the moment. Without it, we’d be left with just another movie montage. Well, not just any montage. When was the last time you saw a film where its main character guts a fish in an office cubicle? Exactly. Later on, the Geto Boys return, this time with the much heavier and more threatening “Still”, which plays over the now infamous printer-bashing scene. There’s a reason this scene is so iconic. The music fuels the over-the-top aggression, furthering the parody and taking it to higher levels of perversion. To see these mundane characters interact with such a hardcore anthem behind them is just, well, classic.

Speaking of classic, who could forget Ice Cube’s “Down for Whatever” when the nerds-turned-bad boys do “the deed”, making the necessary trade-offs and completing the otherwise underwhelming actions of their Superman 3 gameplan to rip off the company. Stepping aside from the gangsta rap, there’s also the colorful sounds of Perez Prado, whose tracks “Mambo #8″ and “The Peanut Vendor” juxtapose this tropical vibe with the setting’s awful bland tones. Again, it’s an awkward pairing, but it works wonders. In fact, without these sonic inclusions, the scenes probably wouldn’t work. At all. So, a huge nod goes out to Judge for creating not one, not two, not even three, but several matches made in editing heaven.

Without a doubt, the movie and the soundtrack go hand in hand. On paper, it would seem like such an odd pairing – and it is – but yet that’s why it’s so good. Everything about the soundtrack is contradictory to the corporate world this movie parodies. Prior to 1999, you would never think of Ice Cube or Scarface and think of an office, a suit, a fax machine, etc. But now, you almost can’t imagine one without the other. Ah, the subliminal powers of filmmaking.

After watching this movie, whether you work in an office or not, you’ll have a deeper appreciation for those who do. And to those who do, you can sit there with me today, take a 15-second break, and put your feet up on your desk and say, “Damn it feels good to be a gangsta.” It certainly does.

That is, unless you subscribe to the entire catalog of Michael Bolton.

According to USA Today, the game’s primary mode of play will see players doing their best to duplicate the flow from a tracklist that will eventually include 40 songs. Already announced for the game are the likes of Tupac, Lil Wayne, Wu Tang Clan, Outkast, Slick Rick, and more; enjoy the partial artist list and songs below.

Other game modes include Battle mode, which pits you and a home in a head-to-head lyrical throwdown, and a Freestyle mode, where you’ve gotta bust out a few lines of your own. If you’re in the mode for sharing, you can upload clips to the Rapstar community. That way, the whole world will know that you know all the words to Salt N Pepa’s “Push It”.

The game will include a wired microphone and will retail for $69.99 for the PS3 and XBox 360 and $59.99 for the Wii. Def Jam Rapstar hits stores on October 5th.

Def Jam Rapstar Partial Tracklist:
01. 2 Pac – “I Get Around”
02. 50 Cent – “I Get Money”
03. Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg – “Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang”
04. Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx – “Gold Digger”
05. Lil’ Wayne – “A Milli”
06. Notorius B.I.G. – “Juicy”
07. Slick Rick – “Children’s Story”
08. T.I. featuring Rihanna – “Live Your Life”
09. Wu Tang Clan – “C.R.E.A.M.”
10. Young Jeezy featuring Kanye West – “Put On”
11. Biz Markie – “Just A Friend”
12. Drake – “Best I Ever Had”
13. Ice Cube – “It Was A Good Day”
14. Outkast – “So Fresh & So Clean”
15. Pete Rock & CL Smooth – “TROY”
16. Redman & Method Man – “Da Rockwilder”
17. Salt N Pepa – “Push It”

As if Ice Cube spontaneously performing “It Was A Good Day” from the guest couch wasn’t enough, there’s this:

Per Prefix Mag, Roots drummer Ahmir Thompson (aka Questlove) posted an MP3 of Ice Cube joining the band to warm up with live version “Stright Outta Compton” from N.W.A.’s classic 1988 album of the same name. By the looks of a recent tweet, it seems like even Thompson was surprised.

“Dude,” he said “When Cube gave us the green light, we ran with it.”

The song starts out over Damon Bryson (aka Tuba Gooding Jr.) literally tooting his horn before Ice Cube blasts into his verse. It’s easy to forget Cube’s role as daddy on Are We There Yet?, when he spits lines like “When I’m called off I got a sawed off/ Squeeze the trigger and bodies are hauled off.” Damn, Cube. Take it easy.

To make things even better Black Thought kills MC Ren’s verse before Roots guitarist “Captain” Kirk Douglas floored everyone on stage by taking on the late Eazy-E’s legendary verse, prompting Black Thought to exclaim “I can’t believe he did that!”

“Kirk warned no one he was taking Eazy’s verse,” said Thompson. At the end of the song Black Thought can he heard saying, “I’m so proud of you Kirk. Eazy-Kirk!”

Listen in on the madness by streaming the song on Questlove’s SwiftFM page, then check out Jimmy Fallon peeing his pants while singing every word (check out the 8:08 mark) of “It Was A Good Day”.

Image via NBC.com

What’s more, speaking recently with MTV News, frontman Fred Durst noted that a few other notable acts will also be joining the tour.

“Method Man and Redman [will be on] on some dates … some other bands too,” Durst said. “We’re excited. We’re just going to keep rocking. Personally, I feel like a lot of rockers don’t necessarily go see the urban artists they like at urban concerts. I think it’d be nice to bring the urban artist to the rock place, so they can be in their comfort zone and see some other type of acts.”

Limp Bizkit, building bridges since 1995. Tour dates below. Stay tuned for more news as it’s announced.

Limp Bizkit 2010 Tour Dates:
05/23 – Columbus, OH @ Rock on the Range
07/03 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
07/05 – Cleveland, OH @ Time Warner Cable Amphitheatre
07/07 – Cincinnati, OH @ PNC Pavilion
07/08 – Charlotte, NC @ Uptown Amphitheatre
07/10 – Biloxi, MS @ Mississippi Coast Coliseum
07/11 – Atlanta, GA @ Aaron’s Amphitheatre *
07/13 – Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live *
07/15 – Tinley Park, IL @ First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre *
07/17 – Noblesville, IN @ Verizon Wireless Music Center
07/18 – Cadott, WI @ Rock Fest
07/20 – Burgettstown, PA @ First Niagara Pavilion
07/21 – Toronto, ON @ Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
07/23 – Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
07/24 – Darien Center, NY @ Darien Lake Performing Arts Center *
07/25 – Manfield, MA @ Comcast Center *
07/27 – Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Bank Center *
07/28 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Virginia Beach Amphitheater *
07/30 – Hartford, CT @ Comcast Theatre
07/31 – Syracuse, NY @ New York State Fairgrounds
08/02 – Maryland Heights, MO @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre *
08/03 – Bonner Springs, KS @ Capitol Federal Park At Sandstone *
08/05 – Englewood, CO @ Comfort Dental Amphitheatre *
08/07 – Phoenix, AZ @ Cricket Wireless Pavilion *
08/08 – Chula Vista, CA @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre *
08/10 – Albuquerque, NM @ The Pavilion *
08/12 – Irvine, CA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater *
08/13 – Wheatland, CA @ Sleep Train Amphitheatre *
08/15 – Auburn, WA @ White River Amphitheatre *
08/24 – Dublin, IE @ Olympia Theatre
08/28 – Leeds, UK @ Leeds Festival
08/29 – Reading, UK @ Reading Festival
08/31 – Frankfurt, DE @ Jahrhunderthalle
09/03 – Stuttgart, DE @ Porsche Arena
09/05 – Dusseldorf, DE @ Philipshalle
09/06 – Amsterdam, NL @ Heineken Music Hall
09/08 – Paris, FR @ Olympia
09/09 – Lyon, FR @ Halle Tony Garnier
09/14 – Lisbon, PT @ Pavilhao Atlantico
09/20 – Munich, DE @ Zenith
09/21 – Lepzig, DE @ Haus Auensee
09/23 – Berlin, DE @ Columbiahalle
09/24 – Hamburg, DE @ Alsterdorfer
09/26 – Frederiksberg, DK @ KB Hallen

* = w/ Ice Cube

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Straight Outta Compton is currently in development for New Line. While we don’t have much in the way of director or a cast listing, the film does have a writer attached: Andrea Berlof. The white lady attached to a project about a bunch of inner-city thugs is most famous for writing Oliver Stone’s World Trade Center. Plus, expect Ice Cube and business partner Matt Alvzarez to produce via their Cube Vision company along with Easy-E’s widow, Tomica Woods.

But even without a whole lot of info, the N.W.A. saga is ripe with juicy bits of drama. The group, headed predominantly by Dr. Dre and Easy-E while heavily featuring Cube, struck a massive chord with their anti-police message. Their subsequent break-up lead to huge solo careers for Cube and Dre, while Easy-E died in 1995 due to complications from AIDS. Couple all that with charges of anti-Semitism and royalty disputes, and you’ve got one heck of a well of source material.

More details on the film as they’re announced.

1. Nas/Damian Marley

Nas has been second on this festival’s bill the last two years. Bringing back a repeat as a headliner is a bit of an underwhelming move, but the collaboration with Damian Marley helps spruce things up a bit. The duo will be performing songs from their upcoming album, Distant Relatives. It’s unclear whether each will perform solo material, but it seems a fairly safe bet. Nas can hold down a stage with the best of them and with Marley in the mix it should be an entertaining set.

2. The Roots

Sure, you’ve seen the Roots 57 times now. We all have. That doesn’t change the fact that they’re still the best live hip hop act going. And now that we are past that pesky nonsense about them not touring anymore (which apparently just meant they will no longer be playing 600 shows a year) we can just sit back and admire ?uestlove’s awesomeness. For the two or three people reading this who have never seen the Roots before, you can probably expect a metric ton of covers (please let one of them be “I’m on a Boat”), an extended jam on “You Got Me”, “The Seed”, and hopefully a Sousaphone solo.

3. Big Boi

It may be time to embrace the reality that we probably aren’t going to see OutKast perform live again. If this is the case, seeing Big Boi perform a bunch of OutKast songs at Rock the Bells may be the next best thing.  He will most likely preview material from his upcoming Sir Luscious Left Foot, an album that has been delayed so many times it may as well be, well, an OutKast album. Regardless, you can expect a sizable helping of the hits, at least enough to make it my most anticipated act of the day.

4. Reflection Eternal

If you’ve been to Rock the Bells before, there is a good chance you saw Talib Kweli. He continues to be a just sort of average performer; entertaining if you’ve never seen him, predictable if you have, with one song that is sure to bring the roof down either way. But with Hi-Tek coming along, this set should be worthwhile for anyone. At best, Kweli and Hi-Tek will delve into deeper material and feature upcoming collaborative work.  At worst, you’ll still hear Kweli perform “Get By”.

5. RZA, GZA and/or Raekwon

It just wouldn’t be Rock the Bells without a sprinkling of Wu-Tang. The collective headlined the 2007 tour, bringing all living members (!) and a sort of unnecessary live band. Last year Method Man tore the roof off the joint. This year, most shows will have at least one member of the Clan (with the notable exception of the show I happen to be attending). GZA will serve up a heap of Liquid Swords cuts. Raekwon will (hopefully) preview material from his (maybe) upcoming Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2. And RZA will do whatever the hell it is RZA does at a live performance. No matter who is at your show you can expect to hear more verses of “Triumph” than you probably should.

6. KRS-One

He may be performing in your city. He may only be hosting. Why on earth he would be in the venue and not be given a set is anyone’s guess, but I’ve stopped trying to figure these things out when it comes to Rock the Bells. Regardless, KRS-One is a true legend of the genre and a performance would be a treat.

7. K’Naan

The up-and-coming Somali rapper is worth catching, if only because he stands out on a lineup packed with backpackers.  K’Naan should be performing with a live band, which is great because his music actually lends itself to live instrumentation, unlike many of the other acts who inexplicably chose to go with a live band at this festival (coughWUTANGcough.)

8. Slaughterhouse

This rap super-group – made up of Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz, Crooked I and Royce Da 5’9″ – may be the best collective of M.C.’s since the Wu-Tang Clan. Slaughterhouse first united on Joe Budden’s appropriately titled “Slaughter House” last year. That song is a seven-minute, hookless, lyrical gangbang that will leave your head spinning. Subsequent leaked tracks have repeated the formula. Rock the Bells will give them a chance to preview material from their upcoming debut LP.

9. It’s Rock the Bells

The lineup pales in comparison to last year’s, the venues are too big, and you can bet the show will be plagued by delays and shortened sets. But it’s still Rock the Bells. As of right now, it is the undisputed, top hip hop festival in the world and until somebody decides to put up an effort to dethrone it, it’s the best festival hip hop fans have. In addition to the eight acts listed, attendees will be able to catch sets by Busta Rhymes, Common, and a host of others who should put on enjoyable greatest hits sets. In L.A. you’ll see Ice Cube. In Calgary (Calgary?), you’ll see Cypress Hill. In Toronto you’ll see EPMD. I don’t have an answer to why these acts aren’t playing more shows, but regardless of where you attend, you are going to get an extremely full day of pretty damn good hip hop that should at least warrant a lawn ticket.

Rock the Bells 2009 Tour Dates:
06/27 – Tinley Park, IL @ First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
06/28 – Clarkson, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
07/05 – Toronto, ON @ Molson Amphitheatre
07/12 – Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
07/18 – Mansfield, MA @ Comcast Center
07/19 – Wantagh, NY @ Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
08/01 – Burnaby, BC @ Deer Lake Park
08/06 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
08/08 – Devore, CA @ San Manuel Amphitheatre
08/09 – Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre