Articolo 31
Così Com'è

THE REVIEW

 "Articolo 31? Yes, cheerful kids, commercial...nothing more..."

                                                                                              Average listener 

We all have 2 faces.

We have a public facade, the smiling and friendly one, that people like and that helps us socialize. And then we have the more intimate and turbulent side, our problems, OUR INTERNAL TANGLES, fears, grudges...

This doesn't just happen with people, but also with other things, like art, and the discography of Articolo 31 is a clear example of this.

Let's take the flagship album of the former Milanese hip hop/crossover duo: "Così com'è".

"Così com'è" was released in 1996 and was the third album of J-Ax and Dj Jad. The two rappers had already had a fair amount of success with their first work and achieved something more concrete with the second one, but it was with "Così com'è" that the two artists brazenly entered the Olympus of Italian music with as many as 600,000 copies sold. But how did they do it?  Obviously, they conquered the radios, which played their songs extensively, and so people went to buy the record.

But let's try to examine the singles extracted: "Tranqui funky", a playful song, very American way, made for the discos; "Domani", a sentimental track with a melodic refrain and very deep lyrics, the classic rap song "for the whole family"; "Così e cosà", catchy music and a funny and quirky text, too much not to like; and in the same vibe, "Il funkitarro", a perfectly fitting generational anthem. 

Perhaps only "2030" and "Un urlo" allowed the average Italian to glimpse another side of Ax and Jad's personality. A more furious, more rebellious, more true side. A side that remained in that wonderful album, in the form of songs so beautiful and unique that they don't tire you, even after years. There's "Fatti un giro", with that melancholic guitar riff that seems to come directly from the concrete of the Neighborhood, a perfect backdrop for Ax's rap that gives voice to those who live there and often have no voice; there's "Non c'è rimedio", with its defiant anger, its dark base that sets the mood and a single explicit message "F**K YOU ALL!"; there's "Tocca a me", melancholic but full of strength and with lyrics that often verge on poetry; there's "Sono fuori", an autobiographical piece that retraces Ax's life and makes anyone dream who hopes to make their dreams come true.

Don't get me wrong, the singles shouldn't be thrown away, but they only show a part of Articolo, the more pleasant side, without too much thought or INTERNAL TANGLES.

The singles were necessary because they added many shades to the album (something not everyone can do) and made that fantastic record the greatest success (and the best work) hip hop made in Italy of all time, prompting people to buy it and listen to the masterpieces contained therein.

A bit like when you act smart with a girl, encourage her to be with you just to screw her and then give her the good farewell...

Nice.