Death Grips, for the brutally uninitiated, was an ‘industrial-punk hip-hop’ trio from Sacramento, California. The music scene saw Death Grips climb to critical acclaim, yet seemingly just as fast; they completely disappeared, mysteriously announcing their retirement on Facebook only weeks after releasing just half of their fifth album. Who exactly were Death Grips? How profound was their effect on a music scene that they seemed to reject entirely?
Death Grips released their debut, Exmilitary, in 2011. Their seemingly obsessive and twisted nature snatched eyes and ears with vicious intensity, they suddenly were on the radar. The group was composed of vocalist MC Ride, drummer Zach Hill, and producer Andy Morin. Quickly the three were recognized as a tour de force. A group that delivered a uniquely captivating musical experience. Death Grips went past being just a band, they formed a unique persona through their extremely conceptual music and videos.
The ‘Death Grips experience’ is an intense one. Ferocious barking vocals, screwed samples of songs crunched into frantic drum patterns and very questionable melodies. Most of their songs come accompanied by disturbing music videos that you can’t fully wrap your head around. At their height, Death Grips seemed to be the shot in the arm so many people desperately needed. They were “punk”. They did things their own way. They had a selfish honesty that it seems so many artists disingenuously play off nowadays.
Then they signed to Epic Records. Seemingly flipping from their independent debut, they now found their home on the same label that signed Michael Jackson. But it was punk, wasn’t it? Isn’t the truest conceptualization of not giving a damn simply defying the public’s perception and doing whatever you want? Death Grips did whatever they wanted. They delivered 2 albums in 2012, releasing The Money Store through Epic, before later leaking NO LOVE DEEP WEB against the label’s wishes, a move which ultimately got them dropped from Epic’s roster. Death Grips’ singular thesis of ‘not giving a damn’ worked, relatively speaking. They were popular, they were punk, and they had a couple more things up their sleeves.
Some say Death Grips’ final moments were marred by disappointment. They set-up extensive tour dates only to abruptly not show up, or cancel at the last minute. Everybody seemed to be waiting for what was going to happen ‘next’. Government Plates, their fourth release, was received by many as their weakest to date. The nuances that kept fans captivated for almost 3 years were starting to wane, but it always seemed like Death Grips would be lurking. The sudden release of their final project, The Powers That B, and their equally sudden disbandment raises questions that will probably never be answered. Death Grips’ legacy is forever cemented in their music, and for what they seemed to be, perhaps they fit better in the past.
