Gangstagrass proves genre blending works
What do bluegrass and hip-hop have to do with each other? According to Gangstagrass, quite a lot.
What inspired this unique blend of bluegrass and hip-hop? When Rench (Oscar Owens) put the project together, he drew from his own musical upbringing. Growing up in the 1980s, he was exposed to plenty of country and honky-tonk music at the same time that hip-hop was beginning to explode in popularity. For him, combining the two felt completely natural. He sought out people who were passionate about both genres and cultures. The fusion worked because both styles are remarkably open to experimentation. In some ways, bluegrass benefits from added percussion, while hip-hop gains melodies and live instrumental textures. The two genres complement each other surprisingly well.
Founded in 2006 around Rench’s groundbreaking vision, the band quickly gained attention when their song “Long Hard Times To Come” was selected as the theme song for the FX series “Justified”. The track later earned an Emmy nomination, further increasing the band’s visibility. More albums followed, and the fan base steadily grew. However, their appearance on “America’s Got Talent” provided an additional boost, helping them regain momentum after the pandemic brought touring around the world to a halt.
After a brief stage reset, Gangstagrass took the stage and launched into “Bound To Ride,” followed by “Barnburning” and “Long Hard Times.” The lineup consisted of two vocalists, acoustic guitar, fiddle, and banjo, augmented by pedal-generated bass and drums.
The rhythm was infectious, and anyone who enjoys music that exists beyond strict genre boundaries could hardly have found a better place to be. The concept itself is not entirely new—Snoop Dogg’s “My Medicine” featuring Willie Nelson had already demonstrated that country influences and hip-hop could blend together seamlessly—but Gangstagrass takes the idea much further, building an entire musical identity around the fusion.
The band also delivered a cover of “Man of Constant Sorrow.” Among the evening’s standout songs were: “The Only Way Out Is Through”,“Appalachia Love”,“Red Sky Morning”, “Up High Do Or Die”,“Ante Up”.
The combination of bluegrass virtuosity, hip-hop rhythms, and energetic stage presence made for a memorable performance and a fitting end to a surprisingly cool evening in temperature as well music, in the middle of a summer heatwave.
Also published to: CountryMusicNews.de
