A band that crosses genres like bluegrass and hip-hop with true authenticity, Gangstagrass has always been about breaking through the social and racial divisions between us, and nowhere is that more evident than on The Blackest Thing On The Menu.
Exploration. New territory. Experimentation. These are the guiding principles for Gangstagrass, the band that fuses bluegrass and hip-hop and with that unlikely pairing, found unprecedented success. After becoming the first group to take an album featuring rappers to the top of the Billboard bluegrass charts, the question was… what's next? The answer is The Blackest Thing On The Menu. Rench, the band's mastermind, again pushes the envelope with his writing and producing, while R-SON the Voice Of Reason and Dolio the Sleuth deliver the mind-bending rhymes. Meanwhile, Brian Farrow brings the funk on bass and fiddle, and Dan Whitener’s multi-instrumental skills are showcased throughout the album.
“Gangstagrass fuses string instruments with hip-hop artists, resulting in arguably the best argument yet for a rap and country music marriage.” – Rolling Stone Country
The Blackest Thing On The Menu kicks off with the first single, “The Only Way Out Is Through,” featuring dobro legend Jerry Douglas, adding even more authenticity to their bluegrass roots. However, that clearly wasn’t enough, as the track also introduces the Lowdown Brass Band, whose heavy horn section provides a fresh, new texture. The second single, “Good At Being Bad,” is a spicy neo-soul track featuring Dolio’s smooth vocals on the hook, also proving that mandolin solos have a place in any genre. Co-produced by Grammy-winner Lawrence “Boo” Mitchell (known for his work on “Uptown Funk”) and recorded at the historic Royal Studios in Memphis, the track blends masterful mandolin playing, dynamic production, and energetic vocals with a solid funk foundation. “Working with Gangstagrass was awesome,” says Boo Mitchell. “Mixing bluegrass with hip-hop is quite out-of-the-box thinking. A lot of worlds coming together.”
The album’s title, The Blackest Thing On The Menu, originated from a casual dinner at a blues-themed restaurant. MC and vocalist Dolio the Sleuth recount, “We were handed a Juneteenth-themed menu featuring spicy ‘blackened’ items. One of us asked for ‘the blackest thing on the menu,’ which turned out to be blackened shrimp and cheese grits... naturally, we all ordered it.” With the killer new album, Gangstagrass continue to prove the fusion of bluegrass and hip-hop is far from a gimmick, it's a revolutionary musical movement. And as they continue explore new styles and sounds, they remain true to their roots while forging a path into the unknown, embodying the spirit of experimentation that defines their career.