The new album from Brooklyn-based bluegrass/hip-hop-fusion outfit Gangstagrass, titled No Time For Enemies, arrives on streaming platforms via AntiFragile Music on Friday, August 14th. With its inspiring messages of solidarity and struggle, No Time For Enemies offers a fresh take on the topics of social, racial, musical, and economic divisions that have only intensified over recent months.
Initially founded by Brooklyn producer Rench in 2006, Gangstagrass released their first full length album, Lighting On The Strings, Thunder On The Mic, in 2010. Now comprised of Rench (vocals/guitar/beats), Dan Whitener (banjo/vocals), Brian Farrow (fiddle/vocals), R-Son The Voice of Reason (vocals), Dolio The Sleuth (vocals), and DJ Leecy T (turntables), the group has put together a more politically-focused studio effort than albums past.
Inspired by their individual life experiences and fueled by current state of affairs, Gangstagrass used this album to provide a glimpse at the kinds of conversations about race and power so desperately needed—and did so while maintaining the same unique marriage of hip-hop and the music of Appalachia for which they’re known and loved. Furthermore, the band partnered with Chicago-based artist Faheem Majeed, who has constantly used his platform to influence activism and social justice, to design the album’s cover art. Today, Live For Live Music is proud to present a first listen to No Time For Enemies.
“As a multi-racial band, that bridges American musical cultures, we walk the walk when we sing about getting real on the subject of racism,” the band explained.
That sentiment could not be any more clear on NTFE‘s opening track and second single, “Freedom”. Dolio’s first verse speaks of slaves ready to rise up and break free from their chains. “No more will our pleas to the sky be forsaken/All praises due there’ll be much celebration/Plantation will be gone by the day’s end,” he sings, before the chorus repeats the song’s refrain, “Ain’t gonna wait no more to get this freedom.” Throughout the next two verses, Dolio and R-Son rhyme about the internal struggle they face when contemplating the ineffectiveness of keeping “it peaceful in the midst of this evil,” and then suggest a full rebuild of the system that has created so many disenfranchised populations throughout history.
The next few songs, “Affirmative”, “Ain’t No Crime”, “Go You One Hundred” (ft. Demeanor), and “Ride With You”, see the band take a less overtly-political path. “Affirmative” focuses more on uniting people of all genders, races, and religions with lines like “Peace to my melanated mellows/Everybody all the femmes and the fellows/All the colors the reds, the brown, the yellows/All my white folks too y’all I’m saying hello.”
“Ain’t No Crime” and “Go You One Hundred” seemingly stray from the social and economic issues altogether, instead focusing more on clever rhymes, danceable beats, and choruses with catchy vocal harmonies. The former contains funky choruses à la Bruno Mars‘ “Uptown Funk” and exciting verses reminiscent of OutKast.
“Ride With You” then closes out the first half of the album and reaffirms the themes of solidarity present on “Affirmative”. Here, Dolio and R-Son speak of the social and economic struggles so many face and the difficult challenges ahead. On the chorus, however, the band doubles down on their commitment to unity with lines like, “Yeah, the future is a bumpy ride—I wanna ride with you/We’ll be fighting fighting monsters till we die—I wanna ride with you/Just as long as you’re by my side—I wanna ride with you.”
“Nickel and Dime Blues“, which Gangstagrass released as the album’s first single back in May, comes next and sets up a string of songs that return to the more conscious and activism-based themes present earlier on the record. After “Working on that Chain” comes “Hard Times”, featuring Kaia Kater. Slowing the tempo down here, “Hard Times” emphasizes Kater’s sublime and moving vocals and nearly abandons the hip-hop sound. “Let us pause in life’s pleasures and count its many tears/While we all sup sorrow with the poor,” she sings to open the song. “There’s a song that will linger forever in our ears/Oh, hard times, come again no more,” she continues, evoking critical reflection from the listener.
NTFE picks the tempo up again towards the end of the album with “Do Better”, featuring Randall Wyatt, and “What I Am”. Here, themes of economic injustice and loving oneself appear once again. Together, the two tracks work together to stress the importance of community engagement, helping one’s fellow humans, and the self-confidence necessary for effective action.
Gangstagrass then caps the album with one of the most compelling songs of all, “Your Land”. A reinterpretation of Woody Guthrie‘s “This Land Is Your Land”, “Your Land” features Branjae and puts a spotlight on the impact exploited communities have had on the growth of the United States. Lines like “Think about a place for your fam/Will your grandkids find a better place in this land?/Don’t find out that you ended up wasting a chance/To make a path to eradicating hate in this land,” help to spark a conversation about the need for harmony, closing the album in an appropriately uplifting manner.
Take a “First Listen” to the new Gangstagrass album below and scroll down for a full listing of album credits. No Time For Enemies, the new album from Gangstagrass, arrives on all major streaming platforms on Friday, August 14th. To pre-save the album on the platform of your choice, head here.
Gangstagrass – No Time For Enemies – Full Album (First Listen)
[Album Artwork: Faheem Majeed]