Sometimes the most unlikely of ingredients can make for an absolutely masterful recipe.
Gangstagrass, a Brooklyn born group of artists, blend the sweet, sweet bars and beats of Hip-Hop and the banjos and beauty of Bluegrasss. Their sound is a beautiful amalgam of two American musical stalwarts that transcends genre and classification. Their music is an experience that is so richly layered that you find yourself completely immersed in the artistry of what you’re hearing. Simply put … run, don’t walk to listen to Gangstagrass.
Pop Break caught up with Rench, Josh Russo and Dolio the Sleuth of Gangstagrass to talk about their most recent release The Blackest Thing on the Menu and its absolutely bizarre Grammys odyssey. They also spoke at length about performing the theme song for FX’s Justified, their stint on America’s Got Talent and the albums that define their sound.
The Blackest Thing on the Menu is your most recent album. Can you talk about this record and how it stands out from the rest of your catalog in terms of musicality and writing?
Rench: This album was a longer process of collaboration and development, as we explored lots of sonic territory and didn’t rush to get it out, allowing us to really curate what made the final cut. There is definitely a certain Hip-Hop and R&B flavor that is more present for this collection, but the country flavor still comes in hard.
Dolio the Sleuth: We also got into some spaces that inspired that energy, in New Jersey, Memphis, and Nashville. Memphis in particular, (Royal Studios) gave us the chance to not only play with some historic instruments but in the very spaces where some generational classics were made.
There was a four year gap between this album and 2020’s No Time for Enemies. How much of The Blackest Things on the Menu was inspired by those unfortunately unprecedented times that we all lived through?
Rench: We don’t generally write songs as specific reactions, we go for a more global view about our world and our country past and present. So the messages in this album are similar to what we have been expressing before. Deep down, the issues haven’t changed. We are too divided and fearful of each other and don’t recognize the common ground that is right under our feet. The rich are too powerful, racism is still affecting our lives deeply, and we need to listen to each other and find a way to have solidarity. Also let’s party.
The album debuted #1 on the Bluegrass charts. Some artists I’ve spoken with shrug off the charts, but how do you feel about your album debuting this high?
Rench: It’s true that the charts don’t mean what they used to, but there is a special significance for us because our legitimacy and authenticity as a Bluegrass act is often not recognized within the community. So being at the top of the bluegrass chart is one of many things that we can point to for anyone who doesn’t recognize that we belong there. The legendary Jerry Douglas is on the album. We’ve been joined on stage by Dan Tyminski, Molly Tuttle, and many other important names in Bluegrass. We don’t have to prove anything to anyone, but it’s still fun to do so anyway.
Dolio the Sleuth: For me, especially in the streaming age, it serves as proof that folks are really joining on the ride, as we’ve noticed that the charting really happens for us due to people actively buying our albums in physical form, because they want to experience what we’ve been cultivating for so long.
Oddly enough, despite the album debuting #1 on the bluegrass charts, the album was put into consideration for Best Rap Album and Best Rap Song. How did this happen? And can you talk about your emotions about this really weird situation?
Rench: We knew that there are purists in the selection committee for bluegrass, since 2019 when we submitted our live album Pocket Full Of Fire for best bluegrass album and they moved it to “Americana” – but this year they provide a space for artists to explain their albums merits. We used that space to point out the many reasons this should count as a bluegrass album, and I thought that would make a difference, plus the fact that Beyonce had just generated so much attention to the continuing contributions of Black musicians while releasing an album that was proudly country while also blurring genre lines.
So we were surprised when we got the notification that our album is STILL not allowed in the bluegrass category and would be under “Best Rap Album” – it was so frustrating and disappointing. The Recording Academy will not discuss the process, or how it was decided, so we are in the dark about it. It feels to us that there is still an element of bigotry at work that an album with some rap disqualifies it from being a bluegrass album, but an album with some bluegrass is not disqualified from being a rap album. It’s like they are trying to protect the purity of one genre, and haven’t learned that the idea of purity in genre is an illusion that in this country has been entwined with the way we have racially segregated our genres since the start of the recording industry.
In 2021, the band appeared on America’s Got Talent and advanced to the quarterfinals. Can you talk about the decision to go on the show?
Rench: We were still not able to tour, and had spent the previous year with all tours cancelled, which was a huge blow to our work. We love playing live. Usually we might not consider the move to go on a talent show, but in this case we weren’t able to do what we would choose to be doing, and here was a chance to perform live again, in front of a huge audience. So we decided if we got to go on TV and share our music with lots of people, bring our message to lots of people, and meet Terry Crews in the process, we would be happy for the opportunity.
Dolio the Sleuth: It definitely did expose us to a host of folks who wouldn’t have come across our music in the wild. In the information age, the algorithms filter out a lot of stuff that steps out of the prescribed boxes. Those short appearances in front of millions of folks sparked interest in places where we hadn’t been before. Also, working with the staff and crew at AGT helped us curate to an enterprise level performance going forward. (Plus getting some cool quotes out of it!) Overall, a great experience.
One of your most famous songs is “Long Hard Times to Come” — which is the theme to FX’s Justified. To many, that song was the absolute perfect song to really set the tone and tempo for the long-running series. Can you talk about how it feels to have a song that will be forever tied to a television show that was watched by millions?
Rench: We don’t think about it so much any more, but that is really cool and that show really was a game changer as Rench was launching a full Gangstagrass band. We are also really glad it was a good show too!
Dolio the Sleuth: If you watch the show closely enough, you’ll also get to see Gangstagrass making cameos in the show.
The sound of Gangstagrass is so rich and I feel like it’s steeped in so many different influences. If someone wanted to really get to know the true essence of Gangstagrass — what songs from your catalog would you recommend people check out?
Rench: We do have many influences at work, which we draw from differently on different songs. Because of that, there is no one true essence. Every song in the catalog is different, but also pure Gangstagrass. Put on the new album The Blackest Thing On The Menu, and it kicks off with “The Only Way Out Is Through’s” searing dobro licks alongside blistering rap verses, so that’s giving you a clear sense of that integration. As the album goes on you will hear influences of honky-tonk, blues, folk, trip-hop, soul, R&B, jazz, funk – various sounds of American music.
In that same vein — can you pick five artists you’d tell people to check out as they were huge inspirations on your sound and/or writing style?
Rench:
- Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys – In the 70s, when the band included Ricky Skaggs and Keith Whitley and Curly Ray Cline.
- Outkast –Â especially the album Aquemini
- The Flying Burrito Brothers – Gram Parson’s visionary melding of hippie rock and outlaw country in the ’60s, with the album Gilded Palace Of Sin.
- Morcheeba – the first few albums were amazing integrations of hip-hop beats, slide guitars, soul organs, turntablism and all so smoothly combined
- Dolly Parton – one of America’s great songwriters and voices, especially funky in the ’60s and ’70s.
- Sly and the Family Stone – an integration of peoples music way ahead of its time.
What is it that you love most about being in Gangstagrass?
Rench: The music, which we get to make in a way nobody has made or heard, to sound just like we like it. When it comes out on record or we start playing it live, it’s a thrill how damn cool it is.
Dolio the Sleuth: Making cool art with my homies, traveling around the world sharing this music we create, and seeing the faces, young and old, and across the spectrum joining in on the party.
Josh: Playing live shows and creating positive experiences that are memorable for both the people who come to the shows and us on stage.
Finally, can you list five things you are most excited for, for Gangstagrass in 2025?
Rench:
- We have some great touring coming up, keep an eye on gangstagrass.com/events
- Some great songs in the works that we will be releasing and it’s hard to keep them to ourselves until then.
- We hope to be engaging and supporting a surge in solidarity across the rural-urban divide, taking action to strengthen and protect our wonderfully diverse communities against the attacks of authoritarianism.
- Maybe jetpacks will finally be a thing.
- We keep getting involved in very weird stuff, and 2025 is likely to be even more weirder.
Gangstagrass performs at The Vogel at The Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, NJ on Sunday February 2. Click here for tickets.
