blog post Hick-hop and hillbilly rap: When country meets hip-hop

Country rapper Colt Ford released his fourth studio album on Aug. 7. It’s called Declaration of Independence and it’s available on his label Average Joes Entertainment. The Athens, Ga., native wrote, or co-wrote, 14 of the disc’s 15 tracks. As well, Ford is joined by other top country artists on this disc – people like Jason Aldean, Darius Rucker, Montgomery Gentry, Kix Brooks and others, lend their vocal talents.

“This album is very real and honest and by far the best record I’ve ever made,” Colt says on his website. The first single is called “Back,” and Jake Owens joins Ford on the track:

Now the marriage of country and hip-hop may be a difficult one for some people to reconcile with, but the genres do have similarities. The use of storytelling is dominant in both hip-hop and country. Also, the two styles demand authenticity and street (or perhaps in country – “dirt”) credibility from their artists. They even share a love of the outlaw lifestyle and the lyrics feature subjects like American life, cars, drugs, guns and girls. So while you may think they are worlds apart, the two are closer than they might appear.

In 1987, the Bellamy Brothers became the first mainstream country group to experiment with hip-hop. In “Country Rap,” the brothers recite their verses over the beat:

In 1991, one of country’s leading ladies, Tammy Wynette, joined forces with British techno band the KLF on the hip-hop-inspired song “Justified and Ancient (Stand by the JAMS).” Together they took the song to number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Nelly was featured with Tim McGraw in 2004 on his song “Over and Over.”

Big & Rich have teamed up with fellow MuzikMafia member, country rapper Cowboy Troy on several songs over the years. Here’s one called “I Play Chicken with the Train.”

Taylor Swift has also jumped on the hick-rap hay wagon. Here she rhymes along with T-Pain in the tongue-in-cheek song, “Thug Story.”

Jason Aldean scored big last year with his “Dirt Road Anthem,” a song that Colt Ford had a hand in writing. Here is Aldean’s performance, along with rapper Ludacris:

Colt Ford has also helped out with fellow label mates and country rappers, the LACS. Here’s a sample of their sound. It’s called “Let Your Country Hang Out.”

While country rap is still in its infancy, the genre is gaining in popularity and Colt Ford is at the leading edge. Once again, country music demonstrates how it’s constantly evolving by absorbing current music culture into its traditional roots.