If you thought candy had a monopoly on two great things that go great together, you would be in for a surprise tonight’s America’s Got Talent.
The group performed their original song ‘All for One’ with their unique blend of bluegrass harmony and hip-hop lyricism, getting the audience involved and serving a sound few people not familiar with them have heard.
Your best bet for understanding Gangstagrass is to experience them, and if you’re reading this, you probably have, but it’s worth taking a shot at describing the act. At its core, Gangstagrass blends bluegrass and hip-hop in a way that delivers on the strengths of both.
Gangstagrass made it through the auditions playing an original song called ‘Bound to Ride’ that brought the judges to their feet and won them four yes votes to move on to the live show.
“It was like Hee Haw Hip Hop,” said host Terry Crews of the genre-bending act.
The group is new to America’s Got Talent, but it’s hardly new. It’s best known for the theme song to the FX show Justified.
The New York-based bluegrass and rap outfit has toured internationally, playing venues ranging from the cultural touchstone of the South by Southwest conference to bluegrass venues around the world.
They’ve got a live album stemming from their 2018 tour.
The act is lead by producer, vocalist, and guitarist Rench and has included various performers over the years. Their lineup on America’s Got Talent includes Rench, banjo-man Dan Whitener, fiddler Brian Farrow, and rappers R-Son The Voice of Reason and Dolio the Sleuth.
Rench wanted to bring a band together to “play for America and bring a message that America can find common ground and get over some of the divisions that we’ve been experiencing and come together.” He later added, “there’s no better place for us to come and prove it.”
If nothing else, it looks like the group proved it to Howie. “This is emblematic of what America needs,” the judge said after their audition.
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