Bassi Maestro
Hate

Every self-respecting artist has reflective works, where they put everything aside to indulge in introspection and search for answers within themselves, their art, and their stage. This is the case of Bassi Maestro, veteran and king of Milanese hip hop, a hyper-productive rapper releasing an average of one CD per year.

He's made many records, and in my opinion, the best ones have been: Contro Gli Estimatori, Background, Classe '73, and this masterpiece: Hate. Bassi, every so often, dedicates a work to reflection: Background is an example, but this Hate is evident. The rapper, who's around 33, dedicates an entire CD to Italian hip hop and beyond, celebrating it from within. In the backdrop of his introspective events, the fate of Italian hip hop unfolds, increasingly drifting towards commercial exploitation and a feud between rappers that, from being a skirmish, risks gradually becoming an annoying issue in our local hip hop scene. Amid these situations unfold the life, death, and miracles of the old Bassi. This is the plot of Hate, where there are no features and the titles are all in English.

Bassi’s "Hate" is the lifeblood for his lyrical breathing, the fuel for his musical fire. A bit of American, gangsta beats, sometimes recalling the old school (as in "Dedicated") perfectly accompany the Maestro's technique. Among the various, splendid are "Dedicated", dedicated, as stated, to hip hop, where Bassi retraces black culture in Italy and his own birth and career as a rapper, naming sacred monsters of our local and USA-made HH; also dedicated to hip hop is the splendid "B. Y. H. (Bang Ya Head)"; also splendid is the intimate "What I Am", the track that gives the album "Hate" its title and meaning, "Keep Ya Head" is bitter and dedicated to an anonymous young rapper who left the hip hop scene to sell out, leaving a bitter taste to those who really respected him artistically like Bassi and "Fibroga, Supa and the whole committee" (is this a reference to Mondo Marcio?). The highlight of the album is "Pop Music", tough lyrics, masterful lyricism, and powerful beat, they speak of the Italian music industry, which is nothing but a poor copy of the American music industry, in the hands of a mafia of very few to the detriment of the art of many. The track is one of the best of recent times: sincere, even self-critical, polemical, inquisitorial, just, and honest. Another great piece is the one that closes the CD: "You", nostalgic and more melodic base, splendid, there are no adjectives to describe it: perfect lyrics, wonderful text. Still bitter, it speaks of a broken dream, a decayed friendship, a crappy world, and the strength of friendship that keeps a man tied to his life, all those you's and we's that keep us alive, that give us strength, passion, anger, or hate. Love and much more, all consumable for art, pure, raw, and intimate art. The art of Bassi Maestro. Lighter tracks add a touch of smile to the album (like "The Crib", "Pass The MIC", and "Rap Phenomenon"), the yet unnamed tracks, and the instrumental and non-instrumental skits (especially "2XCHECK" and "Call It That") are also beautiful.

In short, a great album, bitter, angry, intimate, pure, and nostalgic; but also positive and vibrant. A wonderful contribution to hip hop. Listen to it.