2024 is the year that solidified a trend we’ve been waiting to see for years: that country music and hip-hop can, in fact, work together. Shaboozey already proved this nationwide, and even in Lawrence our own Silent Ave set his place in that realm the moment he stomped his cowboy boot onto the Bottleneck stage. So when Gangstagrass stopped by Lucia for a surprise set, it felt natural.

There’s something about the way the band mixes bluegrass and hip-hop that just feels right. The vibes were on point at their pop-up show at Lucia on Saturday night. They had a concert the night before at the Folly in Kansas City, so they decided to make the most of their day by announcing a bonus show in Lawrence.

When you think about it, outlaw country and gangsta rap really should have vibed from the get go (they’ve got the same “fuck the police” goals). Gangstagrass saw the opportunity, and what we saw was a crowd from all parts of the scene coming together. The Brooklyn-based group already made waves with the theme song for the show “Justified” on FX (they also auditioned for “America’s Got Talent”).

Though we mentioned earlier that 2024 is the year we’re seeing this type of genre-blending trend, the band has actually been in formation since 2007 with several studio albums under their belts. So, less trend… more trendsetters. Their set at Lucia was met with massive support and enthusiasm, and you can watch a clip below.