Jack White has produced a new single from Insane Clown Posse, backed by Nashville rock band Jeff the Brotherhood, of the rapping duo tackling a lesser-known Mozart song. The track is literally called “Leck Mich Im Arsch,” which translates to “Lick Me in the Ass.” This is a real thing.
White’s Third Man Records label is releasing the 7″ on Sept. 13. It will be backed by a B-side called “Mountain Girl,” which is a series of “tall tales about a shotgun wedding, meth problems and moonshine,” according to a release.
Stream “Arsch” below.
Aside from my initial reactions of “I just fell out my chair,” “Jimmy Page is laughing somewhere” and “You’re f*cking kidding me,” I actually don’t feel all that kidded. Judging from the promotional photos for the single, the joke isn’t lost on White. And Jack White has never been one to shy away from comedy, considering the spoken-word output from Third Man, and his appearance on Stephen Colbert with his little witchy band the Black Belles.
And White doesn’t mind that there’s a flag down on the field for shark jumpage. I actually believe White legitimately likes ICP, though for what reasons I don’t know — is it “Miracles” meta-commentary? A comedy troupe? An unflinching, unthwarted pursuit of personal expression regardless of trend or decade? Performance art?
Personally, listening to ICP is akin to listening to a curdling Tubercular cough on scratchy tape loop. I’d just rather not. But I was talking to an industry friend last night about how the Posse’s Gathering of the Juggalos has somehow begun to transcend national punchline status, though its attendees are still ripe for LOLcat-level derision. For instance, that festival — held in the middle of nowhere — boasts an enviable hip-hop lineup; Chris Weingarten’s MTV Hive pieces do a pretty good job of summarizing.
I don’t think this particular collaboration will breed too many think-pieces on ICP post-irony or anything, but it certainly got a reaction out of me. White has thrown his weight behind unknowns, lesser-knowns and forgottens. He’s a fan on the fringe. This is just fringe in clown makeup.
Insane Clown Posse – Leck Mich Im Arsch by Third Man Records