Gangstagrass - Lightning on the Strings, Thunder on the Mic Review

Artist: Gangstagrass
Album: Lightning On The Strings, Thunder On The Mic
Label: Rench Audio
Executive Producer: Rench

Brooklyn musician Rench has been known for mixing country and blue grass sounds with scratches and hip hop beats in his music, but that style took on an even further change when he formed the group/band Gangstagrass with fellow New York (Bronx) rapper T.O.N.E.-z. Together they created a completely new genre of music fusing the very different styles of hip hop and blue grass/country into something that incredibly sounded great. Their song “Long Hard Times” was selected as the theme song for the hit FX show “Justified” and led to them earning a Grammy nomination for the song. Following the popularity of that song Gangstagrass released their debut album “Lighting On The Strings, Thunder On The Mic” in 2010. Rench handles the production and sings as well as playing guitar while T.O.N.E.-z does the rhymes. Musicians Matt Check (vocals and banjo), Todd Livingston (guitar), Jason Cade (fiddle), Roy Shimmyo (bass guitar), Prepmode (turntables/scratches), and Jen Larson (vocals) also contribute to the group. Brooklyn rapper Tomasia also appears on the album.

The album kicks off with “That’s Right I’m Good” featuring heavy scratches mixed with banjos and T.O.N.E.-z witty rhymes. Gangstagrass doesn’t ease you into their fusion of music as they throw the listener right into it neck deep. T.O.N.E.-z shines over the unique production:

“well maybe if you stayed off my nuts and get ya’ hustle on/
you could get out ya’ rut/
time is precious, you suspended in mine/
its like ya, clock is broke and it just won’t wind/
I cant explain how I rip these lines/
I’m blessed with the skill to come straight from the mind/
every rapper’s cocky, y’all, it aint just me/
so don’t hate me, hate them because they not me/
bounce to shots like *gun shots*/
but no one can stop me, imma BAD BAD man/
if the bullets couldn’t do it these f*ckers could never do it/
keep my name on ya lips and I will live forever/
respect the kid, my word is gospel/
stare in the mirror and fleer up ya nostrils/
and think mean things about the “Bronx Bomber”/
but when I see ya face to face it’s like “TONE-Z! UHHH IM SORRY!/"

We go from braggadocios to threatening on “I’m Gonna Put You Down.” T.O.N.E.-z uses the backdrop of banjos, fiddles, and a thumping beat to promise anyone that messes with him that he’ll “put you down” and then Rench adds an accompany chorus which emphasizes T.O.N.E.-z threats. This is about as perfect as the hip hop/country fusion gets here with T.O.N.E.-z raps mixed with Rench’s country-esqe chorus and of course the mixes in the beat. T.O.N.E.-z uses his final verse in the song to defend hip hop from people that claim it leads to violence as well.

A duet of singing from Jen Larson & Rench open up the next song, “Trouble Everywhere I Go”, making you think this may be a turn into a full country song and then T.O.N.E.-z jumps in spitting rhymes about exactly what the title says, finding trouble everywhere he goes. T.O.N.E.-z really reminds me, with his tone and flow, of Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park. T.O.N.E.-z gets personal with his second verse talking about his fallen loved ones and drops this gem:

“I’m so close to wilding out, a half inch away/
from blasting every clown that has something smart to say/
yeah, I know I know, God don’t like ugly/
well I’m handsome, outside or inside/
hate it or love it, you can take it or shove it/
cause no matter what stress comes in my life, I know I’m above it/
some call me cocky, and some say I’m blessed/
I’m both, I show spiritual and lyrical proof/”

“Click Ol’ Gun” is a instrumental showcase of Rench’s country/hip hop fusion and then we go right into “I Go Hard” another Gangstagrass masterpiece. T.O.N.E.-z spits his syrupy flow over the fiddles, violins, and thumping Rench production. Rench also adds his vocals to the song with his excellent chorus. On “Nobody Gonna Miss Me” T.O.N.E.-z rips the track up spitting a “f*ck the world” type of song.

Next up Brooklyn female MC Tomasia joins in and shines over Rench’s production on “Big Branch” as she tells a story so descriptive that it’s damn near a movie. Tomasia tells a story of being the daughter of a coal miner in the town “Big Branch” and how that kills her father and then how she had no options but to start cooking Crystal Meth. The Meth blows up her hands and then she hears the explosion from the Big Branch mine (which actually did explode in the 1970’s after a quick Wikipedia search).

Jen Larson adds her country vocals on “In My Aching Heart Shadows Linger” as T.O.N.E.-z gets deep in his lyrics talking about losing his brother to a shooting. This is another highlight of the album, definitely one of the most personal songs from Gangstagrass. “My enemies Lay Beneath The Prairie” is another chance for Rench to show off his production skills with the instrumental track. Rench flawlessly mixes the snaps and kicks over the strings and fiddles.

The album closes with “Put Your Hands Up High”, T.O.N.E.-z leaves his mark with another stellar song full of tight rhymes over Rench’s incredible production. On this song T.O.N.E.-z spits that “hip hop was never dead, it just needed some life support” which T.O.N.E.-z is providing. A perfect close to the album which sounds like it would be an amazing song to see played live.

To say that Gangstagrass is unique or original is an understatement and T.O.N.E.-z sounds like a rapper that just simply shouldn’t be able to ride these beats as perfectly as he does. I’ve listened to T.O.N.E.-z’s solo material and you rarely here him on anything remotely similar to this Gangstagrass music which makes this all that much more amazing. Rench found the perfect rapper for his fusion of hip hop and Bluegrass Country and T.O.N.E.-z definitely did not let him down. If this album is only the start I can’t wait to see what the future holds for this group or band or whatever you want to call it! The only set back here would be that clocking in at just under 40 minutes it’s not entirely long but then again there is absolutely no filler either here.