Italian hip hop
Encyclopedia
The rap was born in Italy between the years 80 and 90, first of all just evolved as a form of expression, based loosely on the copy of rappers Americans.
The first real Italian rapper was Kaos One and his Radical Stuff, but rap in English.
In a few years between 80 and 90 of the first groups were formed and the first hip-hop posse, especially in Bologna.
In Bologna formed the Sangue Misto, historic Italian group that will produce the album album "SXM" still considered the bible of Italian rap.
n raggamuffin, especially in centri sociali, alternative centers where several left-wing young people regularly meet. The first star, however, was Jovanotti
, who used rapping
in otherwise traditional Italian pop. Some of his tracks were however pure hip hop, e.g. "Il rap" which sampled Public Enemy's Chuck D. Hip hop is especially characteristic of southern Italy, a fact which some observers have contributed to the southern concept of rispetto (respect, honor), a form of verbal jousting; both facts have helped identify southern Italian music with the African American hip hop style.
Articolo 31
started out as a mainly East Coast rap-inspired hip hop duo, but changed to a more commercial style during their career and eventually evolved into a punk/pop/crossover group. Articolo 31 split up and J-Ax, the singer, has begun a solo career. Other important crews and rappers include Bologna
's Camelz in Effect with their unforgettable early hit "Slega la Lega", Sangue Misto
with their 1994 album SMX, the political crew 99 Posse
whose music have influences from world music to trip hop. Gangsta rap
crews include Sa Razza
, La Fossa
from Sardinia
and Flaminio Maphia from Rome. Probably the most famous Italian rappers apart from Articolo 31 are Sottotono from Varese
, Neffa from Napoli
and Piotta who represents Rome and became famous through an ironic interpretation of the coatto (The stereotypical Italian boy with an attitude). Caparezza
is often referred to as the Italian Eminem because his records sold many copies from 2000 on. Frankie Hi-NRG MC
is often referred to as the Italian NAS, since his rhymes are very complex and intellectual. Turi from Calabria and Colle der Fomento from Rome are considered hardcore rappers by many. Italian hip hop also has a tradition of political-minded lyrics, e.g. 99 Posse and Assalti Frontali. Fabri Fibra has also become a very popular rap artist and has collaborated with Italian super stars Gianna Nannini and Pino Daniele as well as others.
In the last few years new groups like Cor Veleno and Truceklan from Rome, Club Dogo
, Marracash
, Fabri Fibra
and Vacca
from Milan, Co'Sang from Naples or Stokka
& Madbuddy from Palermo have emerged in the Italian hip hop scene.
The first real Italian rapper was Kaos One and his Radical Stuff, but rap in English.
In a few years between 80 and 90 of the first groups were formed and the first hip-hop posse, especially in Bologna.
In Bologna formed the Sangue Misto, historic Italian group that will produce the album album "SXM" still considered the bible of Italian rap.
Overview
In the early '80s, hip hop spread to Italy from JamaicaJamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n raggamuffin, especially in centri sociali, alternative centers where several left-wing young people regularly meet. The first star, however, was Jovanotti
Jovanotti
Lorenzo Cherubini, better known as Jovanotti, is an Italian singer-songwriter and rapper.The name Jovanotti derives from the plural form of the Italian word giovanotto , i.e. giovanotti. Lorenzo Cherubini originally auditioned a band with the name "I Giovanotti", but the record producer only was...
, who used rapping
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
in otherwise traditional Italian pop. Some of his tracks were however pure hip hop, e.g. "Il rap" which sampled Public Enemy's Chuck D. Hip hop is especially characteristic of southern Italy, a fact which some observers have contributed to the southern concept of rispetto (respect, honor), a form of verbal jousting; both facts have helped identify southern Italian music with the African American hip hop style.
Articolo 31
Articolo 31
Articolo 31 is a popular band from Milan, Italy, melding hip hop, funk, pop and traditional Italian musical forms. They are one of the most popular Italian rock/hip hop groups.-Band history:...
started out as a mainly East Coast rap-inspired hip hop duo, but changed to a more commercial style during their career and eventually evolved into a punk/pop/crossover group. Articolo 31 split up and J-Ax, the singer, has begun a solo career. Other important crews and rappers include Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
's Camelz in Effect with their unforgettable early hit "Slega la Lega", Sangue Misto
Sangue Misto
Sangue Misto was an Italian band, one of the first groups of Italian hip hop. It was formed in Bologna in the early 1990s. Its members included Neffa and Deda , and DJ Gruff...
with their 1994 album SMX, the political crew 99 Posse
99 Posse
99 Posse is an Italian hip hop/reggae group from Naples. It raps both in Italian and in the local Naples dialect. Most of 99 Posse's songs deal with political or social issues, and the group members are considered left-wing hardliners...
whose music have influences from world music to trip hop. Gangsta rap
Gangsta rap
Gangsta Rap is a subgenre of hip hop music that evolved from hardcore hip hop and purports to reflect urban crime and the violent lifestyles of inner-city youths. Lyrics in gangsta rap have varied from accurate reflections to fictionalized accounts. Gangsta is a non-rhotic pronunciation of the word...
crews include Sa Razza
Sa Razza
Sa Razza is one of the first hip hop crews from Sardinia, Italy. Their first track "In sa ia" was the first rap track in Sardinian. On their debut album "Wessisla", they merged influences from G funk, Chicano rap and other Latin styles with their Sardinian and Italian rhymes...
, La Fossa
La Fossa
La Fossa is one of the earlier rap groups from Italy and one of the first from the island of Sardinia. They formed in 1996. Unlike fellow Sardinian rap group Sa Razza, La Fossa usually does not rap in Sardinian, and uses primarily Italian lyrics...
from Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
and Flaminio Maphia from Rome. Probably the most famous Italian rappers apart from Articolo 31 are Sottotono from Varese
Varese
Varese is a town and comune in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 55 km north of Milan.It is the capital of the Province of Varese. The hinterland or urban part of the city is called Varesotto.- Geography :...
, Neffa from Napoli
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
and Piotta who represents Rome and became famous through an ironic interpretation of the coatto (The stereotypical Italian boy with an attitude). Caparezza
Caparezza
Caparezza , pseudonym of Michele Salvemini, born 9 October 1973) is an Italian rapper. Born in Molfetta, Apulia, Caparezza debuted in 1997 at the Sanremo Festival under the name "MikiMix".-Biography and music:...
is often referred to as the Italian Eminem because his records sold many copies from 2000 on. Frankie Hi-NRG MC
Frankie Hi-NRG MC
Frankie HI-NRG MC, born Francesco Di Gesù , is an Italian rapper of Sicilian origins. Frankie HI-NRG has been active since the early stages of the Italian hip hop movement in the early 1990s, and predominantly discusses Politics and Society in his music.- Biography :Born in Turin, Italy, he...
is often referred to as the Italian NAS, since his rhymes are very complex and intellectual. Turi from Calabria and Colle der Fomento from Rome are considered hardcore rappers by many. Italian hip hop also has a tradition of political-minded lyrics, e.g. 99 Posse and Assalti Frontali. Fabri Fibra has also become a very popular rap artist and has collaborated with Italian super stars Gianna Nannini and Pino Daniele as well as others.
In the last few years new groups like Cor Veleno and Truceklan from Rome, Club Dogo
Club Dogo
Club Dogo is an Italian rap group from Milan that consists of the rappers Guè Pequeno and Jake La Furia, and the beatmaker Don Joe.- Sacre Scuole :...
, Marracash
Marracash
Fabio Rizzo , better known by his stage name Marracash, is an Italian rapper. He is also a member of the Milan-based rap group Dogo Gang.-Biography:...
, Fabri Fibra
Fabri Fibra
Fabri Fibra is an Italian rapper.- Biography :Tarducci was born in Senigallia, Marche. He became interested in music from a young age; he wrote and performed his first piece when he was 17 years old....
and Vacca
Vacca
Vacca was a sixth century grammarian who studied and commented on the works of Lucan. Little is known of Vacca other than he wrote Vita Lucani , which is not to be confused with Suetonius' Vita Lucani....
from Milan, Co'Sang from Naples or Stokka
Stokka
Stokka is a suburb of Lura, Sandnes, Norway. Stokka is bordered on the south by Bærheim and Soma, to the east by Lura, to the north by Forus, Stavanger, and to the west by Sola municipality...
& Madbuddy from Palermo have emerged in the Italian hip hop scene.
External links
- GNJ Hip Hop Radio show on Radio Popolare 107.6 FM
- Joe Sciorra 's site about Italian Hip Hop
- Zero-plastica 's site hip hop underground from Italy genova
- Italian based hip hop site supplying international exclusives (news, interviews, audios, videos, gallery)
- Italian Hip Hop Portal which includes a large database of Italian as well as International (mainly US) artists
- Brief overview of Italian Hip Hop
- Hip Hop Selection - Daily news and links about Italian and international Hip Hop