Co' Sang
Chi More Pe' Mme

In a crowded landscape like the Rap scene of our Beautiful Country, now rich with numerous new releases of varying quality, it seems increasingly difficult to stand out with credible products that go beyond the narrow circle of usual enthusiasts. There is a risk of proposing works that are objectively commercial, filled with overused stereotypes, and difficult to listen to for a more demanding target like those over 20.

It is a true pleasure, therefore, to welcome new artists who, by avoiding the most exploited clichés, succeed in carrying forward a personal narrative, publishing fresh and innovative albums that pleasantly depart from the usual standards of the genre. Among these, the Neapolitans Co' Sang are certainly to be included.

Originating from Marianella, an off-limit area in the outskirts of Naples, 'Nto and Luchè come from a long struggle in the local underground scene, which saw them first debut in '98 on "Spaccanapoli" by Clan Vesuvio (the track was "Paura Che Passa"), patiently awaiting their stylistic and artistic maturation, finally arriving in 2005, the year of the much-anticipated and self-produced debut "Chi More Pe' Mme". In the sixteen tracks of the album, 'Nto and Luchè present us with a varied fresco of life lived on the streets of a metropolis like Naples, full of contradictions and difficult stories, and they do it with a sparse and immediate style, combining their raw rhyming in dialect with sounds that look to the American East Coast and the Big Apple, particularly to Nas and Mobb Deep's Queen's, for an absolutely positive and appreciable result.

After a brief scratchy "Intro," it starts, and you are immediately seduced by the storytelling of "Chello Ca Veco" and the hypnotic atmospheres of the beautiful single "Ind 'O Rione," accompanied by a suggestive and moving video (also downloadable from their website). In the skit "Buonanotte Pt. 1," dedicated to a real radio program from Naples and its surroundings, the protagonists are the families of prisoners, who send greetings to their loved ones, while in the following "Fuje Tanno," suggestive piano loops, heavy drums, and uncomfortable themes return, ready to give way to the reggae vibes of "Underground Faja" and the freestyle rhymes released on the extrabeat of "Niente A Vedè Cu Ll' Ati." Truly remarkable.
With "Pe Chi Nun Crere," one of the darkest and most intense points of the album is reached, in contrast with the melodic title track, filled with melancholy and hope at the same time, and with a suggestive chorus (“Voglio girà 'o munn, ch'e pied o ch'e parol, vedè chi more pe' mme...”). Flashes of Clan Vesuvio return in the warm "'O Spuorc," thanks to the intense featuring by Lucariello, the choruses sung in English in "Pomeriggio Pigro," and "Try Me" enchant the listener, and the second part of the interlude "Buonanotte" continues to remind us that, behind bars, there's someone who's really having a worse time than us. Approaching the end, how better to close than with the incredibly "overseas" flavored sounds of "Povere Mman" (the base would not look out of place on an album by Havoc & Prodigy) and the desolate settings of "Raggie E Tarantelle" and the bonus track "Poesia Cruda" with Fuossera? Add impeccable audio quality and a booklet with all translated lyrics to draw the appropriate conclusions.

Ultimately, Co' Sang hit the mark, giving us one of the best debuts of recent years, complete in every tiny facet, and definitely among the most highly regarded works of recent times. Give them a chance, and you will surely be drawn into their world, undoubtedly challenging, but too close to us to be ignored.