Retard River (Banjo Hip Hop - Newgrass/Bluegrass) from Down Under

Dylan O'Donnell is a talented multi-instrumentalist from Byron Bay, Australia. Pretty much any genre seems to be within reach  for Dylan using just about any stringed instrument. And oh yeah, he makes a pretty good video using just an i-phone. Check out his YouTube channel. There's lots of cool stuff there. Among the influences he sites for this one are Gangsta Grass. They're pretty cool as well but while they're pretty good bluegrass musicians and lay down a good Gangsta rhyme, I think Dylan takes the genre way further as a composer.

Banjo Heavy Metal (Hick Metal)

More Dylan O'Donnell, this time taking a whack at metal.

Carolina Chocolate Drops

I think I'm a little late on this one, so very quickly let me say that I can remember and count on one hand the number of times a band has dropped my jaw like this. In over 400 live shows and who knows how many singles and review copies I've hardly ever been blown away like this and never has it happened with a recorded rather than live performance. What a beautiful mix of styles and just first rate talent to create something truly original and at the same time familiar and welcoming. I typically don't care for covers of songs and wasn't a fan of the original "Hit 'em Up Style". This is so far beyond what the original ever aspired to be that I think it's safe to say that the Carolina Chocolate Drops have permanently and irrevocably hi-jacked this tune as their own. Nobody else deserves it anymore. Wow.