Some rappers are considered unusual because their personas or their lyrical content goes beyond the pale of mainstream hip-hop. In rap's early days, this included Gangsta Rap, but as tastes changed, yesterday's controversy became today's mainstream. Today's Unusual Rap includes the sexualized schizophrenia of Kool Keith/Dr. Octagon/Dr. Dooom, the evil clown rantings of the Insane Clown Posse, the genre- blending skits of Prince Paul, and the horror-core rapping of Tha Gravediggaz. They and other Unusual Rap artists continue to push the boundaries of acceptable content, inspiring the ire of conservative critics. They often encounter censorship and economic pressure to tone down their lyrics or personalities, yet for the most part they persevere, preferring controversy to compromise.
