Predictably, Jason Aldean’s song “Try That in a Small Town” quickly rose to the top of the charts in response to accusations from liberals regarding its promotion of vigilantism and racism. While reasonable people can debate Mr. Aldean’s intent, one thing is evident – when half the country condemns something, the other half rushes to praise it. This controversy resulted in a significant increase in record sales, thanks to the free publicity and even a supportive online post from Donald Trump. In a polarized era, division sells.
However, rather than further dividing an already fractured society, music should aim to create social cohesion. Recently, I had the opportunity to spend two days with the band Gangstagrass, a group that is making music that genuinely unifies us. They combine hip-hop and bluegrass genres in a strangely addictive manner. In fact, they even produced the theme song for the TV drama “Justified,” which earned them an Emmy nomination in 2010.
This multiracial band, established by the Brooklyn-based musician and producer Rench, consists of members like R-SON the Voice of Reason, who proudly donned a Phillies baseball cap onstage as a tribute to his hometown; Dolio the Sleuth, an M.C. hailing from Pensacola, Fla., dressed entirely in white; Dan Whitener, a banjo player from New Jersey who sported a shirt resembling the American flag, and B.E. Farrow, a fiddler from Omaha who wore a straw hat. Despite their name, Gangstagrass members are anything but gangsters. Mr. Whitener, for example, is a stay-at-home dad when he’s not making music, while R-SON comes from a family of police officers, and Dolio attended M.I.T.
At first glance, it may be tempting to dismiss Gangstagrass as a gimmick or novelty act, but those fortunate enough to attend their live shows quickly become captivated by their unique energy. They boast a dedicated following who initially arrived for the bluegrass but ultimately stayed for the rap, and vice versa. Unlike Mr. Aldean’s song, which pits rural America against urban America, Gangstagrass strives to appeal to both demographics simultaneously.
Rench expressed his hope that their music helps alleviate people’s fear of one another, as the rise of authoritarianism and fascism thrives on division. Their shows provide a rare space where individuals from across the political spectrum can come together, enjoy themselves, and even form friendships. Rench, during an audition for NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” in 2021, shared his vision of using music to unite America and find common ground.
In July, Gangstagrass served as artists in residence at Braver Angels’ national convention, which focuses on “depolarizing” the country by fostering honest conversations and debate. Attending parts of the convention and moderating a panel on the media, I was struck by the undeniable positivity radiating from both Gangstagrass and Braver Angels – a stark contrast to the prevailing trends in the rest of America.
Braver Angels hopes to spark a social movement that will keep the country together amidst the challenging times that lie ahead with presidential campaigns and beyond. Rather than trying to change deeply entrenched beliefs or pushing for a “mushy middle” compromise, their goal is to ensure that disagreements are based on reality rather than lazy stereotypes, and that people see the humanity in those they disagree with. They aim to provide individuals with the tools to coexist and foster a safe space for interaction with those from the “other side.” During the convention, delegates wore colored lanyards to advertise their political leanings, yet at lunchtime, individuals with different-colored lanyards sat together, showcasing the potential for unity.
Gangstagrass and other musicians were invited to the convention in the hopes of attracting a younger and more diverse audience to the cause. Braver Angels President David Blankenhorn was initially skeptical, believing that people didn’t attend for performances. However, younger staff members convinced him that music can touch people’s hearts in ways that debates and dialogues cannot. After all, every movement needs an anthem to spread its message. It is inconceivable to imagine the civil rights movement without “We Shall Overcome” or the labor movement without “Which Side Are You On?” Music has the power to bring people together on an emotional level.
For Gangstagrass, the convention marked their first foray into explicitly political spaces as a band. When Rench initially began blending fiddle music and rap in 2006, politics was the furthest thing from his mind. He found the idea of combining two seemingly opposite genres intriguing, but mostly, he thought it sounded cool.
Over time, Rench realized that hip-hop and bluegrass are not as opposed as they appear. Underneath the surface of American music, these genres share common themes such as poverty, incarceration, and the quest for strength. They embody the spirit of improvisation and one-upmanship found on front porches and street corners. These genres are the music of marginalized communities, particularly poor whites and poor Blacks, who powerful forces throughout history have tried to keep apart.
During the convention, Gangstagrass conducted a workshop on depolarizing American music. They shed light on how the music industry artificially created genres during the era of Jim Crow to segregate “hillbilly” from “race” music for marketing purposes. Previously, Black and white musicians in the South played many of the same songs, according to Karl Hagstrom Miller’s book “Segregating Sound: Inventing Folk and Pop Music in the Age of Jim Crow.” This artificial separation persists to this day, with algorithms suggesting more hip-hop to hip-hop fans and more bluegrass to bluegrass fans. Consequently, versatile bands like Gangstagrass often go unnoticed.
Our two-party political system operates in a similar manner, effectively compartmentalizing individuals into specific categories for marketing purposes. Unless a news item stokes the outrage of one side or the other, it runs the risk of being completely ignored. This process fails to serve voters who do not fit neatly into existing categories – misfits who make up half of the American population.
It remains uncertain whether Braver Angels and Gangstagrass, who strive to break the toxic cycle of polarization, will achieve household name recognition. Both rely on personal contact, such as live shows and one-on-one conversations, to spread their message. In a country with over 335 million people, their efforts can feel Quixotic at times.
One of the most fascinating aspects of the convention was when Braver Angels brought together about two dozen musicians from across the country – half liberal, half conservative – to collaborate with Gangstagrass in writing songs about education, healthcare, and representative democracy. These songs were to be performed onstage the following night. This exercise tasked them with quickly distilling the essence of their shared beliefs.
The group focused on the notion that everyone deserves a voice and a vote. Susanna Laird, a mother of four from Frederick, Md., penned lyrics about a voter turned away at the polls. R-SON contributed additional lyrics, and others suggested beats and chords. In the healthcare group, discussions about policy transitioned to personal experiences in hospitals, and they discovered a common sentiment – that “the system is not navigable; it’s a maze,” as described by Amy Teutenberg of Milwaukee. By the next morning, they were rehearsing a deeply personal song about feeling lost in the system, with the refrain “I feel like something’s broken” that lingered in my mind for days.
Struggling the most to find common ground was the education group. During a fishbowl exercise, conservatives sat in the…
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