"Hokus Pokus" is a song written by
Insane Clown Posse
Insane Clown Posse, often abbreviated as ICP, is an American hip hop duo. Formed in Detroit in 1989 as a gangsta rap group, ICP's best known lineup consists of rappers Violent J (Joseph Bruce) and Shaggy 2 Dope (originally 2 Dope; Joseph Utsler ...
and
Mike E. Clark
Michael Earl Clark (born December 25, 1962) is an American record producer and DJ from Michigan, best known for working with Kid Rock, Insane Clown Posse, Prozak and Mickey Avalon. Clark has also worked with George Clinton, Patti Smith, R.L. B ...
for the duo's 1997 studio album, ''
The Great Milenko
''The Great Milenko'' is the fourth studio album by American hip hop group Insane Clown Posse, released on June 24, 1997 by Hollywood Records in association with Psychopathic Records. As the fourth Joker's Card in the group's Dark Carnival m ...
''. A
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
was produced for the
Jason Nevins
Jason Nevins (born December 15, 1972) is an American songwriter, record producer and remixer, who is most widely known for his pop and dance productions, including his multi-platinum, multi-million selling production of " It's Like That" by Ameri ...
"Headhunta'z Remix" of the song in 1997. The single peaked at number 53 on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
the following year. The song's chorus uses the "
Streets of Cairo" melody.
Music video
A music video for "Hokus Pokus (Nevins Headhunta'z Mix)" was produced in 1997 after the release of The Great Milenko.
The entire video was filmed during the day, as to avoid
overtime
Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. The term is also used for the pay received for this time. Normal hours may be determined in several ways:
*by custom (what is considered healthy or reasonable by society), ...
costs.
It features a comical portrayal of Insane Clown Posse destroying a shoe store before being pursued by
security guard
A security guard (also known as a security inspector, security officer, or protective agent) is a person employed by a government or private party to protect the employing party's assets (property, people, equipment, money, etc.) from a variety ...
s.
The video also included appearances by hip hop artists
Twiztid
Twiztid is an American hip hop duo from Detroit, Michigan, known for both their horror-themed lyrics and rock influenced sound. Formed in 1997, Twiztid is composed of rappers Jamie "Madrox" Spaniolo and Paul "Monoxide" Methric. Spaniolo and ...
and
Myzery
Nene Encarnacion, also known as Myzery, is a Puerto Rican rapper based out of the Bronx in New York City. He was the first solo act signed with Psychopathic Records, and released his debut EP titled ''Para La Isla'' on the label in 1998. Followi ...
.
Release
"Hokus Pokus" was released in 1998 as the second single from
Insane Clown Posse
Insane Clown Posse, often abbreviated as ICP, is an American hip hop duo. Formed in Detroit in 1989 as a gangsta rap group, ICP's best known lineup consists of rappers Violent J (Joseph Bruce) and Shaggy 2 Dope (originally 2 Dope; Joseph Utsler ...
's studio album ''
The Great Milenko
''The Great Milenko'' is the fourth studio album by American hip hop group Insane Clown Posse, released on June 24, 1997 by Hollywood Records in association with Psychopathic Records. As the fourth Joker's Card in the group's Dark Carnival m ...
''.
The release was exclusive to
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
as a part of
Island Records
Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in 1959 by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in Jamaica, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, anoth ...
' attempt to promote the group internationally.
The single was released in three different versions, with each featuring a remix of the song by
Jason Nevins
Jason Nevins (born December 15, 1972) is an American songwriter, record producer and remixer, who is most widely known for his pop and dance productions, including his multi-platinum, multi-million selling production of " It's Like That" by Ameri ...
entitled "Hokus Pokus (Headhunta'z Remix)".
The single peaked at number 54 on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
that year.
A
vinyl
Vinyl may refer to:
Chemistry
* Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer
* Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation
* Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry
* Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl m ...
version of the single was also released in Europe later that year.
Nevins' "Headhunta'z Remix" was later featured on Insane Clown Posse's
rarities album
A compilation album comprises tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several performers. If by one artist, then generally the tracks were not originally intended for rel ...
''
Forgotten Freshness Volumes 1 & 2''.
Commercial performance
On September 6, 2022, the song certified Gold by the
RIAA
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
, signifying sales of 500,000
equivalent units.
[
]
Track listing
Charts
Charts
Certifications
References
External links
*
{{authority control
Insane Clown Posse songs
Horrorcore songs
1997 songs