Hip-hop and hardcore have had a strange relationship over the years; some will say the two don’t mix yet others proudly mix the styles into some of the most endearing records in the scene, Kings At Crime comes to mind for me.
In any case, it’s 2024 and musical lines are being obscured everyday, hardcore needs some fresh ideas thrown into the mix. Hard Ca$h hail from Boston, ME (Boston x Maine, get it?) and their songwriting style is an abrasive blend of hip-hop and hardcore.
After dropping the singles “Cross Me” and “Drive-By” early last year, Hard Ca$h took their anger out on a string of shows along the East Coast opening for C.O.A., Terror, and Shattered Realm, at a sold-out event with Mindforce, and a run of dates with Kaonashi and Wisdom & War. Showing that they meant business in both their sound and their live sets, the quintet quickly garnered attention for their heaving guitar riffs that back Bone’s intolerant raves against those who’ve done him wrong.
Last month, Hard Ca$h released Bloodhound, showcasing the tasty riffage courtesy of Matt, Jake, and Joey, backed with the brick layered rhythm section courtesy of Brad on bass and Koomey on drums (he's an unofficial member, hence not being in the photo above). Bones soon comes in with threats of violence against a transgressor: “Smoked out/no hiding now/set fire to your house just to draw you out/ bloodhound/we gon’ track you down/another dirty rat in the fucking ground.”
Just these opening lines remind me of the first time I heard Mobb Deep’s Prodigy say “There’s a war going on outside no man is safe from." It’s the lyrical equivalent to being locked in a dark warehouse knowing you’re being hunted but not knowing where the hunter is:
Talking to the band about their humble beginnings, Bone’s stated: “This had been an idea we’ve had for about a few years now. All of us have toured in various bands and I have had a solo hip-hop career for a while. We really wanted to blend hip hop and hardcore in a different way. Planning out this band we really wanted to have high quality recordings/merchandise and to make the music heavier, more aggressive, more pissed off and have that old school hip hop feel as well. Our first song, 'Cross Me,' is a great representation of that blend.”
Hard Ca$h's music video for the song “Moses” released a few weeks ago sees the band accosting a person off the street into a U-Haul and dousing him with gasoline in a warehouse. It fits their style and the influence of gangsta rap is apparent but there’s no glorification of what’s going on, just the grim reality of street life:
When I do see hip-hop influences in modern hardcore bands, they tend to draw from the rap music that I grew up with, artists like Nas, DMX, and the aformentioned Mobb Deep, and I think the lyrical prowess of such rappers can create some of the most intriguing hardcore music. Hard Ca$h takes the influence of such groups in all angles of their music, as Bones said they wanted to create high-quality recordings and merch with it and they also produce engaging music videos, a hallmark of the 2000s gangsta rap era.
Touching on his lyrics, Bones told me about some inspirations behind his lyrics: “The people who have crossed me, the dude that cut me off in traffic, the friends that turned, and overzealous security guards." The never-ending battle between how much the world pisses us off really is what holds up hardcore, like Atlas holding up the Heavens in Greek mythos. It’s what’s made Pain of Truth such a force in the hardcore scene right now.
Looking forward towards the rest of 2024, Hard Ca$h have a few heavy-hitter shows coming up, and they're also planning some tours, Bones also stated that that they plan on making “more hip-hop-driven songs,” which I’m excited to see.
Their next two shows will take place April 12th and 14th in Maine at the Windham Fight Center “If you know you know” with Risk, Hard Target and Opposition. Then they will be playing at Worcester PNI Club with Death Before Dishonor, Full Blown Chaos, Hate Still Burns, Clock Out and Watch Your Back.
As we see more bands like The World, Gridiron, and Hard Ca$h melding hip-hop and hardcore, we still see that the genre remains tied to its urban roots. We don’t call it "hardcore" just for shits and giggles, it’s hardcore because of the people who live that way and the music they make isn’t supposed to sit right with a certain kind of folks.
Hard Ca$h would like to shout out: FUBU, Smith & Wesson, Boston, and Maine. Hit the band up on Instagram for more info.
Tagged: hard cash
