Artist:     GangstaGrass

Album:     Pocket Full of Fire (live)

Label:     Rench Audio

Release Date:     03.15.2019

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And now for something completely different. Gangstagrass, a Rap/Bluegrass hybrid best known for the theme to FX’s Justified, is an ambitious group who will launch a new summer tour starting later this month. Formed in Brooklyn, NY in 2006 and led by producer Rench, they meld hip-hop and a grab-bag of bluegrass, old-time, and mountain music in a surprisingly successful way. It’s not the first attempt at country rap, and won’t be the last, but it’s definitely the first that seems to keep the intention of both.

Country music and rap have much in common, if you think about it. Deeply personal songs about living a specific lifestyle, wearing their own fashions and not giving a sh*t if you like it or not, along with the swagger that both cowboys and gangsters possess.

Currently performing members are Rench on vocals/guitar/beats, Dan Whitener on banjo/vocals, Landry McMeans on dobro and vocals, and R-Son and Dolio both contribute rap/vocals. This band has garnered critical acclaim and blows away live audiences wherever they play.

Back in 2006, Rench was a Brooklyn country and hip-hop producer and solo artist, but wanted to experiment with his theory that there were lots of people out there with Johnny Cash and Jay-Z on their playlists looking for common ground. Songs like “You Can Never Go Home again” and “All for One” are really well done and will blow your mind. The best song has to be “Will the Circle be Unbroken,” a beautiful cover of the Carter/Cash Family classic. Each song is a live performance at a variety of local shows, ranging from Chicago to Upstate New York to Lexington, KY, capturing all the energy and fun while the live sound is clear as a bell. Great for your workout or just walking around town, you won’t be sorry you grabbed it.

—Laura Sedor