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86-445: In 1995, Insane Clown Posse signed a contract with the short-lived Jive Records subsidiary label Battery Records . Anticipating the album to be their first national release, the duo began work on Riddle Box . Member Joseph Bruce recalled thinking that working on the album would be "all the records we had done … rolled into one single effort." Recording for Riddle Box occurred in producer Mike E. Clark ’s personal studio. The group

172-599: A billion people) and the significant number of native and immigrant influences. Mainstream American culinary arts are similar to those in other Western countries. Wheat and corn are the primary cereal grains . Traditional American cuisine uses ingredients such as turkey , potatoes, sweet potatoes , corn (maize), squash , and maple syrup , as well as indigenous foods employed by American Indians and early European settlers, African slaves, and their descendants. Iconic American dishes such as apple pie , donuts , fried chicken , pizza , hamburgers , and hot dogs derive from

258-410: A hideous reflection of their demented souls." The floor falls from underneath them, casting the doomed into the bottomless pit of Hell. " Chicken Huntin' ", which was remixed for Riddle Box , was previously released on Insane Clown Posse's 1994 album Ringmaster . "Dead Body Man" was previously released in 1994, on the group's second EP The Terror Wheel , in a slightly lower key. Finally, "3 Rings"

344-491: A minority share of the label and began to distribute its records directly. Weiss became chief executive of Jive Records that year. Jive opened branches in Chicago and had also become a premier label in the genres of hip hop and R&B with the success of acts like D-Nice , E-40 , UGK , A Tribe Called Quest , Hi-Five , KRS-One / Boogie Down Productions , R. Kelly and Aaliyah . In 1996, BMG deepened its relationship with

430-402: A part of American naming traditions and names have been used to express personality, cultural identity, and values. Naming trends vary by race, geographic area, and socioeconomic status. African Americans, for instance, have developed a very distinct naming culture. Both religious names and those inspired by popular culture are common. A few restrictions do exist, varying by state, mostly for

516-435: A performer and songwriter. The article reported Clive Calder had been warned about Kelly’s behavior as early as 1994; it quoted him: "Clearly, we missed something." Former Jive president Barry Weiss told the newspaper that during his 20 years with the label, he never concerned himself with Kelly's private life, and was unaware of two lawsuits filed against Kelly and the label by women alleging sexual misconduct, suits in which

602-645: A profound impact on American cuisine, especially Midwestern cuisine; potatoes, noodles, roasts, stews, cakes, and other pastries are the most iconic ingredients in both cuisines. Dishes such as the hamburger, pot roast, baked ham, and hot dogs are examples of American dishes derived from German cuisine. Different regions of the United States have their own cuisine and styles of cooking. The states of Louisiana and Mississippi, for example, are known for their Cajun and Creole cooking . Cajun and Creole cooking are influenced by French, Acadian, and Haitian cooking, although

688-469: A result. Jason Anderson from Allmusic stated that "Perhaps ICP's more dynamic delivery and second-rate Cypress Hill aesthetic elevates Riddle Box just above its predecessors, but all of the group's musical work is so far below any reasonable rap/rock standard that it hardly matters." and picked "Chicken Huntin' (Slaughter House Mix)", "The Joker's Wild" and "Ol' Evil Eye" the best tracks of the album. A music video for "Chicken Huntin' (Slaughter House Mix)"

774-473: A series of albums called the six Joker's Cards . Each of the six Joker's Cards relate to a specific character — an entity of the Dark Carnival — that tries to "save the human soul" by showing the wicked inside of one's self. Riddle Box is one of several entities used to determine the fate of the dead. Upon death, a soul enters a dark chamber containing a jack-in-the-box on an old wooden table. The front of

860-451: A single week. Soul food , mostly the same as food eaten by white southerners, developed by southern African slaves, and their free descendants, is popular around the South and among many African Americans elsewhere. Syncretic cuisines such as Louisiana Creole, Cajun, Pennsylvania Dutch , and Tex-Mex are regionally important. Americans generally prefer coffee over tea, and more than half

946-1004: A spectrum of Inuit languages . (See Indigenous languages of the Americas for a fuller listing, plus Chamorro , and Carolinian in the Pacific territories.) Ethnic Samoans are a majority in American Samoa ; Chamorro are still the largest ethnic group in Guam (though a minority), and along with Refaluwasch are smaller minorities in the Northern Mariana Islands . American culture includes both conservative and liberal elements, scientific and religious competitiveness, political structures, risk taking and free expression, materialist and moral elements. Despite certain consistent ideological principles (e.g. individualism , egalitarianism , and faith in freedom and republicanism ), American culture has

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1032-592: A subsidiary of the Zomba Group . In the US , the label had offices in New York City and Chicago . Jive was best known for its successes with hip hop , R&B, and dance acts in the 1980s and 1990s, along with teen pop and boy bands during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Jive was acquired by Bertelsmann Music Group in 2002. In 2008, BMG itself was bought out by Sony Music Entertainment . Jive Records thereupon remained

1118-473: A temporary advisory role as Zomba was integrated into BMG. Weiss succeeded Calder as the new head of Zomba. In 2004, BMG merged with Sony Music Entertainment to form Sony BMG . During this time, Jive's management and distribution were restructured under the newly formed Zomba Label Group . Artists who had previously been on LaFace and Arista Records were subsequently absorbed under the Zomba group and placed under

1204-451: A third featured reversed colors on the disc, and a fourth was a remastered version. Battery/Jive Records showed little interest in promoting the album, and only released it limitedly nationwide. Insane Clown Posse then funded its own promotion of Riddle Box independently in Dallas, Texas , where it persuaded several music retail stores to stock the album. Sales averaged 1,500 copies per week as

1290-557: A type of music that originated in South Africa. Clive Davis had hoped that Zomba's connection with Mutt Lange would help alleviate the difficulties Arista was having with launching rock acts to success. By 1982, Calder was introduced to Barry Weiss , a young college graduate who took Calder out to hip-hop clubs in New York City for his job interview with Zomba. Weiss and Calder began grooming musicians for what would eventually become

1376-512: A unit wholly owned by Sony up until the label’s dissolution in 2011, when Jive was absorbed into RCA Records . In 1971, South African businessmen Clive Calder and Ralph Simon began a publishing and management company. It was named Zomba Records and relocated to London , England, four years later; their first client was a young Robert "Mutt" Lange . Zomba originally wanted to avoid record labels to instead focus on their songwriters and producers while allowing other established labels to release

1462-540: A variety of subcultures . The United States exerts major cultural influence on a global scale and is considered a cultural superpower . The European roots of the United States originate with the English and Spanish settlers of colonial North America during British and Spanish rule . The varieties of English people, as opposed to the other peoples on the British Isles, were the overwhelming majority ethnic group in

1548-433: A variety of expressions due to its geographical scale and demographics. As a melting pot of cultures and ethnicities , the U.S. has been shaped by the world's largest immigrant population . The country is home to a wide variety of ethnic groups, traditions, and values, and exerts major cultural influence on a global scale, with the phenomenon being termed Americanization . Semi-distinct cultural regions of

1634-549: Is a jack-in-the-box that decides whether one's soul is sent to Shangri-La or Hell's Pit in the afterlife. The album's themes revolve around death and judgement , and reveal that the fate determined by the Riddle Box can be found by looking deep within yourself, and can be changed with righteous actions. In " Chicken Huntin' ," the group raps about killing multiple racist rednecks, referred to as 'Chickens'. The song "3 Rings" speaks against social excommunication . "Joker's Wild"

1720-512: Is a gameshow in Hell where a police officer , a judge, and a redneck are all sentenced to be tortured. The song "12" tells of a misplaced execution in which the person killed takes vengeance on 12 jurors who were involved in sentencing him to death. The second to last song on the album, "The Killing Fields," tells of a part of Hell where the wicked are perpetually tortured. The album also makes several references to American popular culture . The title of

1806-507: Is a holiday of diverse origins. It has become a holiday that is celebrated by children and teens who traditionally dress up in costumes and go door to door trick-or-treating for candy. It also brings about an emphasis on eerie and frightening urban legends and movies. Mardi Gras , which evolved from the Catholic tradition of Carnival , is observed in the state of Louisiana . The United States has few laws governing given names . Traditionally,

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1892-462: Is also sometimes referred to as the Left Coast , indicating its left-leaning political orientation and tendency towards social liberalism . The South is sometimes informally called the " Bible Belt " due to socially conservative evangelical Protestantism , which is a significant part of the region's culture. Christian church attendance across all denominations is generally higher there than

1978-916: Is also the most supportive of free expression and the right to use the Internet . The large majority of the United States has a legal system that is based upon English common law . According to the Inglehart–Welzel cultural map , it leans greatly towards " self-expression values ", while also uniquely blending aspects of "secular-rational" (with a strong emphasis on human rights , the individual , and anti-authoritarianism ) and "traditional" (with high fertility rates , religiosity , and patriotism ) values together. Its culture can vary by factors such as region , race and ethnicity , age, religion, socio-economic status , or population density , among others. Different aspects of American culture can be thought of as low culture or high culture , or belonging to any of

2064-727: Is known as American English , which itself consists of numerous regional dialects, but has some shared unifying features that distinguish it from British English and other varieties of English. There are four large dialect regions in the United States—the North , the Midland , the South , and the West —and several dialects more focused within metropolitan areas such as those of New York City , Philadelphia , and Boston . A standard dialect called " General American " (analogous in some respects to

2150-498: Is known worldwide as "fashion's biggest night". Some cities and regions have specialties in certain areas. For example, Miami for swimwear, Boston and the general New England area for formal menswear, Los Angeles for casual attire and womenswear, and cities like Seattle and Portland for eco-conscious fashion. Chicago is known for its sportswear, and is the premier fashion destination in the middle American market. Dallas, Houston , Austin , Nashville , and Atlanta are big markets for

2236-511: Is no longer the most popular sport, it is still referred to as "the national pastime ." Also unlike the professional levels of the other popular spectator sports in the U.S., Major League Baseball teams play almost every day. The Major League Baseball regular season consists of each of the 30 teams playing 162 games from late March to early October. The season ends with the postseason and World Series in October. Unlike most other major sports in

2322-587: Is the fourth-leading professional team sport. Always a mainstay of Great Lakes and New England -area culture, the sport gained tenuous footholds in regions like the American South since the early 1990s, as the National Hockey League pursued a policy of expansion. Lacrosse is a team sport of American and Canadian Native American origin and is most popular on the East Coast. NLL and MLL are

2408-508: Is the principal traditionally-American holiday, evolving from the English Pilgrim's custom of giving thanks for one's welfare. Thanksgiving is generally celebrated as a family reunion with a large afternoon feast. Independence Day (or the Fourth of July) celebrates the anniversary of the country's Declaration of Independence from Great Britain, and is generally observed by parades throughout

2494-463: The American Civil War . Although the United States has no official language at the federal level, 28 states have passed legislation making English the official language, and it is considered to be the de facto national language. According to the 2000 U.S. Census , more than 97% of Americans can speak English well, and for 81%, it is the only language spoken at home. The national dialect

2580-673: The South , Midwest , Southwest , Mountain West , and Pacific Northwest . Politically, the country takes its values from the American Revolution and American Enlightenment , with an emphasis on liberty , individualism , and limited government , as well as the Bill of Rights and Reconstruction Amendments . Under the First Amendment , the United States has the strongest protections of free speech of any country . American popular opinion

2666-556: The received pronunciation elsewhere in the English-speaking world ), lacking the distinctive noticeable features of any particular region, is believed by some to exist as well; it is sometimes regionally associated with the Midwest. American Sign Language , used mainly by the deaf, is also native to the United States. More than 300 languages nationwide, and up to 800 languages in New York City , besides English, have native speakers in

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2752-423: The 17th century (the population of the colonies in 1700 was 250,000) and were 47.9% of percent of the total population of 3.9 million. They constituted 60% of the whites at the first census in 1790 (%: 3.5 Welsh, 8.5 Scotch Irish , 4.3 Scots, 4.7 Irish, 7.2 German, 2.7 Dutch, 1.7 French, and 2 Swedish). The English ethnic group contributed to the major cultural and social mindset and attitudes that evolved into

2838-402: The 1800s, colleges were encouraged to focus on intramural sports, particularly track and field , and, in the late 1800s, American football. Physical education was incorporated into primary school curriculums in the 20th century. Baseball is the oldest of the major American team sports. Professional baseball dates from 1869 and had no close rivals in popularity until the 1960s. Though baseball

2924-742: The 1850s by merchant Levi Strauss , a German-Jewish immigrant in San Francisco, and adopted by many American teenagers a century later. They are worn in every state by people of all ages and social classes. Along with mass-marketed informal wear in general, blue jeans are arguably one of US culture's primary contributions to global fashion. Though the informal dress is more common, certain professionals, such as bankers and lawyers , traditionally dress formally for work, and some occasions, such as weddings , funerals , dances , and some parties, typically call for formal wear . The annual Met Gala in Manhattan

3010-594: The 2000s when a video tape surfaced allegedly showing Kelly engaging in sexual acts with a minor and when Kelly was arrested for possession of child pornography . Despite the scandals, Kelly remained signed to Jive’s roster and continued to release albums with the label up to its merger with RCA in 2011. In 2018, the Washington Post ran a lengthy article alleging industry executives at Jive had been aware of Kelly's sexually abusive behavior towards young women for years, but did nothing about them due to his success as

3096-735: The American character. Of the total population in each colony, they numbered from 30% in Pennsylvania to 85% in Massachusetts. Large non-English immigrant populations from the 1720s to 1775, such as the Germans (100,000 or more), Scotch Irish (250,000), added enriched and modified the English cultural substrate. The religious outlook was some versions of Protestantism (1.6% of the population comprised English, German, and Irish Catholics). Jeffersonian democracy

3182-564: The Bible Belt state of Alabama . Strong cultural differences have a long history in the U.S., with the southern slave society in the antebellum period serving as a prime example. Social and economic tensions between the Northern and Southern states were so severe that they eventually caused the South to declare itself an independent nation, the Confederate States of America ; thus initiating

3268-565: The Caribbean has been the source of the earliest and largest Black immigrant group, a significant source of growth of the Black population in the U.S. and has made major cultural impacts in education, music, sports and entertainment. Indigenous cultures remains strong in both reservation and urban communities, including traditional government and communal organization of property now legally managed by Indian reservations (large reservations are mostly in

3354-521: The Deep South from the Carolinas to Florida and west to Texas. In the west, there is the southwestern "El Norte" areas originally colonized by Spain, the "Left Coast" colonized quickly on the 19th century by a mix of Yankees and upper Appalachians, and the large but sparsely populated interior West. The west coast of the continental United States, consisting of California, Oregon , and Washington state,

3440-526: The Sony Music France division under the name Jive Epic in France until 2019, when it was absorbed into RCA Records France. On September 27, 2021, singer R. Kelly was found guilty by a federal jury of acts including bribery and sexual exploitation of a child. Allegations of Kelly’s sexual misconduct had long followed the singer since his early career with Jive in the early 1990s, as well as throughout

3526-996: The United States The culture of the United States encompasses various social behaviors , institutions, and norms in the United States , including forms of speech , literature , music , visual arts , performing arts , food , sports , religion , law , technology , as well as other customs, beliefs, and forms of knowledge. American culture has been shaped by the history of the United States , its geography , and various internal and external forces and migrations. America's foundations were initially Western -based, and primarily English-influenced , but also with prominent French , German , Greek , Irish , Italian , Jewish , Polish , Scandinavian , and Spanish regional influences. However, non-Western influences, including African and Indigenous cultures, and more recently, Asian cultures , have firmly established themselves in

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3612-798: The United States include New England , the Mid-Atlantic , the South , the Midwest , the Southwest , and the West —an area that can be further subdivided into the Pacific States and the Mountain States . According to cultural geographer Colin Woodward there are as many as eleven cultural areas of the United States, which spring from their settlement history. In the east, from north to south: there are Puritan areas ("Yankeedom") of New England which spread across

3698-551: The United States—some are spoken by indigenous peoples (about 150 living languages ) and others imported by immigrants. English is not the first language of most immigrants in the US, though many do arrive knowing how to speak it, especially from countries where English is broadly used. This not only includes immigrants from countries such as Canada , Jamaica , and the UK , where English is

3784-660: The West, especially Oklahoma , Arizona and South Dakota ). The fate of indigenous cultures after contact with Europeans is quite varied. For example, Taíno culture in U.S. Caribbean territories is undergoing cultural revitalization and like many Native American languages, the Taíno language is no longer spoken. By contrast, the Hawaiian language and culture of the Native Hawaiians has survived in Hawaii alongside that of immigrants from

3870-627: The activities vary. However, they usually consist of a football game, played on the school's home football field, activities for students and alumni, a parade featuring the school's marching band and sports teams, and the coronation of a Homecoming Queen . American high schools commonly field football, basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, soccer, golf, swimming, track and field, and cross-country teams as well. The United States observes holidays derived from events in American history , Christian traditions , and national patriarchs . Thanksgiving

3956-490: The adult population drinks at least one cup of coffee per day. Marketing by U.S. industries is largely responsible for making orange juice and milk (now often fat-reduced) ubiquitous breakfast beverages. During the 1980s and 1990s, the caloric intake of Americans rose by 24%; and frequent dining at fast food outlets is associated with what health officials call the American " obesity epidemic ." Highly sweetened soft drinks are popular; sugared beverages account for 9% of

4042-409: The album at the last minute, but remixed versions were later released on Forgotten Freshness and Forgotten Freshness 1 & 2 . In 2002, the track "Riddle Box" was featured in the film Solaris . According to Insane Clown Posse, the group has not received any financial compensation from the filmmakers. On December 16, 2008, Riddle Box was re-released on vinyl double LP format. This album

4128-405: The average American's daily caloric intake. The American fast food industry, the world's first and largest, is also often viewed as being a symbol of U.S. marketing dominance. Companies such as McDonald's , Burger King , Pizza Hut , Kentucky Fried Chicken , and Domino's Pizza among others, have numerous outlets around the world, and pioneered the drive-through format in the 1940s. In

4214-434: The box has a "painted question mark faded with time," representing the mystery of your own afterlife. As the handle is turned, a melodic tune begins to play, and when the music stops, the choice is made. The pure see a vision of God, warming their souls as they enter eternal peace. The wicked see an immense fog seeping from the box, "stripping their sanity, as they witness an image of hell, spawned and formed from their own evil;

4300-538: The country as well. Bilingual speakers may use both English and Spanish reasonably well and may code-switch according to their dialog partner or context, a phenomenon known as Spanglish . Indigenous languages of the United States include the Native-American languages (including Navajo , Yupik , Dakota , and Apache ), which are spoken on the country's numerous Indian reservations and at cultural events such as pow wows ; Hawaiian , which has official status in

4386-571: The country, Ireland and Italy in the Northeast , and Japan in Hawaii . Latin American culture is especially pronounced in former Spanish areas but has also been introduced by immigration, as have Asian American cultures (especially in the Northeast and West Coast regions). Caribbean culture has been increasingly introduced by immigration and is pronounced in many urban areas. Since the abolition of slavery,

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4472-481: The country, professional baseball draws most of its players from a "minor league" system, rather than from university athletics . American football , known in the United States as simply "football", now attracts more television viewers than any other sport and is considered to be the most popular sport in the United States. The 32-team National Football League (NFL) is the most popular professional American football league. The National Football League differs from

4558-644: The crowd at halftime . Basketball is another major sport, represented professionally by the National Basketball Association . It was invented in Springfield, Massachusetts , in 1891, by Canadian-born physical education teacher James Naismith . College basketball is also popular, due in large part to the NCAA men's Division I basketball tournament in March, colloquially known as "March Madness". Ice hockey

4644-456: The day and the shooting of fireworks at night. Christmas Day , celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ , is widely celebrated and a federal holiday, though a fair amount of its current cultural importance is due to secular reasons. European colonization has led to some other Christian holidays such as Easter and St. Patrick's Day to be observed, though with varying degrees of religious fidelity. Halloween , also known as All Hallows' Eve,

4730-579: The dishes themselves are original and unique. Examples include Crawfish Étouffée , Red beans and rice , seafood or chicken gumbo , jambalaya , and boudin . Italian, German, Hungarian, and Chinese influences, traditional Native American, Caribbean, Mexican, and Greek dishes have also diffused into the general American repertoire. It is not uncommon for a middle-class family from Middle America to eat, for example, restaurant pizza, home-made pizza, enchiladas con carne, chicken paprikash , beef stroganoff , and bratwurst with sauerkraut for dinner throughout

4816-542: The fabric of American culture as well. Since the United States was established in 1776, its culture has been influenced by successive waves of immigrants , and the resulting " melting pot " of cultures has been a distinguishing feature of its society . Americans pioneered or made great strides in musical genres such as heavy metal , rhythm and blues , jazz , gospel , country , hip hop , and rock 'n' roll . The " big four sports " are American football , baseball , basketball , and ice hockey . In terms of religion ,

4902-457: The former buying out shares of the latter. As a result of Sony's buyout, Jive (along with its BMG sisters RCA and Arista) became a wholly owned unit of a refreshed Sony Music Entertainment . Starting in 2008 Jive was all capital (e.g. JIVE Records), this change started when BMG Label Group was renamed RCA/JIVE Label Group . After two decades as president of Jive, Barry Weiss left for Universal Music Group in March 2011. On October 7, 2011, it

4988-601: The group turned in the album at 70 minutes and 40 seconds long, Fenster was furious. Joseph Bruce told Fenster that the album featured several skits, and convinced him that the length was not an issue. Riddle Box is the third Joker's Card in Insane Clown Posse's Dark Carnival concept album series. The Dark Carnival is a concept of the afterlife in which souls are sent to a form of limbo while waiting to be sent to heaven or hell based on their individual actions . These concepts are related by Insane Clown Posse in

5074-404: The hip hop group Whodini . After two days, the group created and recorded its hit single "Magic's Wand." While the group would eventually leave Jive, the early success allowed the label to focus on hip-hop artists throughout the 1980s. In 1987, Jive cut distribution ties with Arista, effectively separating them from Davis, who eschewed hip hop music at his label. As the 1980s drew to a close,

5160-523: The label by purchasing a 20-percent stake of Jive. By the late 1990s, Jive began signing pop acts Backstreet Boys , NSYNC and Britney Spears . All three acts achieved massive success as the 2000s dawned, becoming the three best-selling acts in the label's history. In 2002, Calder sold Zomba to BMG for US$ 2.74 billion, which at the time was the largest-ever acquisition of an independent label with major-label distribution. Calder then announced his resignation from Zomba, but continued to stay on at Jive in

5246-432: The label entered a distribution deal with Arista's sister label RCA Records , and it continued to sign hip hop acts including DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince , Boogie Down Productions , Too $ hort , Schoolly D , and Kid Rock . In 1990, Calder bought Simon’s stake in Zomba and became the sole owner of Jive Records. Jive's distribution deal with RCA expired in 1991. At this time, Bertelsmann Music Group acquired

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5332-450: The label had successfully argued it was not liable . Larry Khan, another Jive executive who worked closely with the singer even after viewing the sex tape, similarly implied Kelly’s misconduct was not the label's responsibility and pointed to Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis as musicians whose labels also continued to release and promote their records despite public awareness that they were involved with underage girls. Culture of

5418-492: The mainland U.S. (starting before the 1898 annexation ) and to some degree Asian immigrants. Indigenous Hawaiian influences on mainstream American culture include surfing and Hawaiian shirts . Most languages native to what is now U.S. territory are endangered, and the economic and mainstream cultural dominance of the English language threatens the surviving ones in most places. Some of the most common native languages include Samoan , Hawaiian , Navajo , Cherokee , Sioux , and

5504-417: The majority of Americans are Protestant or Catholic . The irreligious element is growing. American cuisine includes popular tastes such as hot dogs , milkshakes , and barbecue , as well as many other class and regional preferences . The most commonly used language is English, though the United States does not have an official language. Distinct cultural regions include New England , Mid-Atlantic ,

5590-424: The material. Later that decade, the company opened offices in the US, where Calder began a business relationship with Clive Davis , whose Arista Records began releasing material by Zomba artists. In 1981, Zomba formed Jive Records, whose operations began with the release of British dance and pop music from groups such as Q-Feel , A Flock of Seagulls , and Tight Fit . Its name was inspired by township Jive ,

5676-903: The national box and outdoor lacrosse leagues. Many of the top Division I college lacrosse teams draw upwards of 7–10,000 for a game, especially in the Mid-Atlantic and New England areas. Soccer is very popular as a participation sport, particularly among youth, and the US national teams are competitive internationally. A twenty-six-team (with four more confirmed to be added within the next few years) professional league, Major League Soccer , plays from March to October, but its television audience and overall popularity lag behind other American professional sports. Other popular sports are tennis , softball , rodeo , swimming , water polo , fencing , shooting sports , hunting , volleyball , skiing , snowboarding , skateboarding , ultimate , disc golf , cycling , MMA , roller derby , wrestling , weightlifting , and rugby . Relative to other parts of

5762-513: The national average. This region is usually contrasted with the mainline Protestantism and Catholicism of the Northeast , the religiously diverse Midwest and Great Lakes , the Mormon Corridor in Utah and southern Idaho , and the relatively secular West . The percentage of non-religious people is the highest in the northeastern and New England state of Vermont at 34%, compared to 6% in

5848-601: The northern Great Lakes to the northern reaches of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers ; the New Netherlands area in the densely populated New York metropolitan area ; the Midland area which spread from Pennsylvania to the lower Great Lakes and the trans-Mississippi upper midwest; Greater Appalachia which angles from West Virginia through the lower midwest and upper-south to trans-Mississippi Arkansas, and southern Oklahoma;

5934-841: The other three major pro sports leagues in that each of its 32 teams plays one game a week over 18 weeks, for a total of 17 games with one bye week for each team. The NFL season lasts from September to December, ending with the playoffs and Super Bowl in January and February. Its championship game, the Super Bowl , has often been the highest rated television show, and it has an audience of over 100 million viewers annually. College football also attracts audiences of millions. Some communities, particularly in rural areas, place great emphasis on their local high school football team. American football games usually include cheerleaders and marching bands , which aim to raise school spirit and entertain

6020-532: The primary language, but also countries where English is an official language, such as India , Nigeria , and the Philippines . According to the 2000 census, there were nearly 30 million native speakers of Spanish in the United States . Spanish has official status in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , where it is the primary language spoken, and the state of New Mexico ; numerous Spanish enclaves exist around

6106-453: The purview of Jive Records’ staff. Thus, artists such as Pink , Usher , and Outkast became de facto Jive artists. Though both physical record sales and teen pop had steadily declined since the early 2000s, the output from Jive’s newer artists — particularly Usher’s Confessions album and Outkast’s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below — would prove to be profitable successes for Jive. In addition to releasing Spears’ 2007 album Blackout , Jive

6192-687: The recipes of various immigrants and domestic innovations. French fries , Mexican dishes such as burritos and tacos , and pasta dishes freely adapted from Italian sources are consumed. The types of food served at home vary greatly and depend upon the region of the country and the family's own cultural heritage. Recent immigrants tend to eat food similar to that of their country of origin, and Americanized versions of these cultural foods, such as Chinese American cuisine or Italian American cuisine often eventually appear. Vietnamese cuisine , Korean cuisine , and Thai cuisine in authentic forms are often readily available in large cities. German cuisine has

6278-588: The right to name your child or yourself as you choose has been upheld by court rulings and is rooted in the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment . This freedom, along with the cultural diversity within the United States has given rise to a wide variety of names and naming trends. Creativity has also long been

6364-464: The sake of practicality (e.g., limiting the number of characters due to limitations in record-keeping software). Fashion in the United States is eclectic and predominantly informal. While the diverse cultural roots of Americans are reflected in their clothing, particularly those of recent immigrants, cowboy hats and boots , and leather motorcycle jackets are emblematic of specifically-American styles. Blue jeans were popularized as work clothes in

6450-438: The song "The Joker's Wild" is inspired by the quiz show of the same name . "Ol' Evil Eye" is loosely based around Edgar Allan Poe 's famous short story " The Tell-Tale Heart " and features excerpts from the story being read. Poe was given credit for the track's lyrics. Riddle Box was released in four different versions. One version was the standard pressing, a second contained a bonus track of snippets from four Hed PE songs,

6536-448: The state of Hawaii; Chamorro , which has official status in the commonwealths of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands ; Carolinian , which has official status in the commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands ; and Samoan , which has official status in the commonwealth of American Samoa . The cuisine of the United States is extremely diverse, owing to the vastness of the country, the relatively large population ( 1 ⁄ 3 of

6622-433: The top medal winners. Homecoming is an annual tradition in the United States. People, towns, high schools and colleges come together, usually in late September or early October, to welcome back former residents and alumni . It is built around a central event, such as a banquet , a parade , and most often, a game of American football , or, on occasion, basketball , wrestling or ice hockey . When celebrated by schools,

6708-567: The world, the United States is unusually competitive in women's sports, a fact usually attributed to the Title IX anti-discrimination law, which requires most American colleges to give equal funding to men's and women's sports. Despite that, however, women's sports are not nearly as popular among spectators as men's sports. The United States enjoys a great deal of success both in the Summer Olympics and Winter Olympics , constantly finishing among

6794-548: Was a foundational American cultural innovation, which is still a core part of the country's identity. Thomas Jefferson's Notes on the State of Virginia was perhaps the first influential domestic cultural critique by an American and was written in reaction to the views of some influential Europeans that America's native flora and fauna (including humans) were degenerate . Non-indigenous cultural influences have been brought by historical immigration, especially from Germany in much of

6880-473: Was announced that Jive, along with Arista and J Records , would be retired to refresh and re-brand RCA Records by not confusing or diluting it with other labels. All retained artists on those labels were then moved to RCA Records. The label is currently in hibernation, with the distribution of its back catalog handled by Sony Music's Legacy Recordings . Previously, the Jive brand was being exclusively used under

6966-567: Was looking to make the album more theatrical, so Clark introduced them to local guitarist and vocalist Rich Murrell . Originally a member of the group Coup Detroit, Murrell later left his band to join Insane Clown Posse’s studio band along with Clark. Murrell contributed to the album through guitar and various vocals in songs and skits. Jive Records' Senior Vice President of Artists and repertoire , Jeff Fenster, had told Insane Clown Posse that Riddle Box couldn’t be over one hour long. When

7052-541: Was now also the home of a solo Justin Timberlake , whose FutureSex/LoveSounds also saw high sales. Other Jive artists at that time included Ciara and Chris Brown . By early 2008, the BMG Label Group was said to include RCA Records , J Records , LaFace , Arista , Volcano Entertainment , Verity , GospoCentric and Fo Yo Soul — all overseen by Weiss. Later that year, Sony and BMG dissolved its merger, with

7138-400: Was performed for the video shoot, because their fans were not yet familiar with the remix. This made Jive furious, but there were no editing problems, and Violent J later referred to the video as "our freshest video ever." Songs called "Fat Sweaty Betty" and "Willy Bubba" were originally intended for this album. Insane Clown Posse even released a single of "Fat Sweaty Betty". They were cut from

7224-626: Was previously released on Shaggy 2 Dope's 1994 EP Fuck Off! , with the Riddle Box version featuring a slight change in lyrics. "I'm Coming Home" contains a sample from "Confetti Day" by Hot Chocolate . "Cemetery Girl" contains a sample from the Carnival of Carnage song "Guts on the Ceiling". "Toy Box" samples Gong 's " The Pot Head Pixies " and the Pee-wee's Playhouse theme song. The eponymous Riddle Box

7310-484: Was responsible for expanding the Juggalo fanbase into its own culture, leading Insane Clown Posse to write the songs "What Is A Juggalo?" and "Down With The Clown" for their next album, The Great Milenko . Shipments figures based on certification alone. Jive Records Jive Records (later stylized as JIVE Records ) was a British-American independent record label founded by Clive Calder in 1981 as

7396-575: Was shot at the State Theatre (now called the Fillmore Theatre) during an actual Insane Clown Posse concert. The director of the video, Paris Mayhew, wanted Insane Clown Posse to perform the song several times in order to get the footage from all angles, but the duo refused to repeat the song because it was an actual ICP concert, and not just a video shoot. The video was shot with ICP performing the song only once. The original version of "Chicken Huntin'"

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