Co'Sang
Chi more pe' mme

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The album by Co'Sang ("Con il Sangue") titled "Chi More Pe'mme" ("Chi Muore per me") was released nationwide in 2005, achieving moderate success even beyond the borders of Campania. This is even more commendable considering the album primarily aims to encapsulate the lived experience within its own perimeter, targeting the more "degraded" areas of Naples such as Marianella, Scampia, Secondigliano, and Piscinola (see Fossuera). The skits (Buonanotte Pt. 1 and Pt. 2) are actual recordings from a Neapolitan radio station aiming to relay greetings from relatives to inmates. The group is composed of the young Ntò (MC) and Luchè (MC and producer). Most of the tracks are produced by the latter, except "Nient 'a vedè cu llati", "'O spuorc", and "Try me" produced by O'Red. The two have become a valid alternative, just like Clementino, to the already well-established group "La Famiglia". They burst onto the scene with their first album in a powerful manner, featuring raw but effective beats and a mix of poetry and misery in the lyrics that make the listening experience captivating. Their tracks have the power to make you visualize what they rap about, their album smells of the street and, unlike what is too common with the average Italian MC, what they narrate isn't a figment of imagination following American rapper street standards. The northern area of Naples is exactly like this! Tracks like "Chello ca veco" or "Ind 'O Rione" convey all of this; this is exemplified by Ntò's verse in "Chello che veco":

"What I see today is the result infected from childhood, France postures but there, a system (Camorra) that pays wages doesn't exist and the worst don't hang with those who make the laws/phones, a death order departs from a boat offshore of the harbor, falsified license plates, corrupt escorts"

or again in "Ind 'O Rione":

"If they belong to the neighborhood, those inside dress well, the wife spends and the kid bursts, who is selling in the neighborhood, and you don't know who is real offers you a cut at the barber, then he steals from you, trembles while holding the iron, in his head he holds the shadow"

Still, in this song, Luchè describes the difficulty of living in their contexts, including the well-known uselessness of the police in the vain attempt to curb the criminal phenomenon:

"First they wheelie, then die and burn, and meanwhile our rhymes sound off, they send us 1,500 more cops, they stop none of us because hunger screams shirtless, I know peace is an utopia, that's why I carry anger on the street"

In "Fuje Tanno" again, they speak about life's difficulties associated with music as a source of support to get out: "It's better nothing together than being rich alone, Eyes half-closed - back then - This train passing over our heads, money in poker, it is cold at night for the hands - back then - Professors astonished, life in studies Lord, help us out here - back then - Forget who you were yesterday, inspiration is lost, you feel imprisoned -back then"

The same thread continues in "Poesia Cruda" with the featuring of Fuossera, once more highlighting the music-life connection: "I still hold these pens I still hope for music, when weaknesses take hold cramps in the head when a woman is missing when an iron makes you get out of the car".

The technical and metrical magnificence of Pepp J One's (Fuossera) verse is noteworthy as he introduces himself masterfully with: "Consumerism consumes all forces, races to be first, grows under prejudice, journalists write falsehoods for young people in magazines, lists of nonsense in palimpsests arriving from right to left" not to be outdone, Sir Fernandez (Fuossera) delivers a great line: "Where little girls screw for white stuff and smoke, I only see tired faces while eyes cry tears and blood, heavy stories and the darkest black inspire disagreement and POESIA CRUDA"

The track "Povere Mmano" deserves a mention where the chorus hits the point meant to convey, accompanied by a well-done production by Luchè: "Don't get emotional, it's not a sad piece "This is to greet those who died young, It's dust, not memory, You still touch it with your hands, It helps you for victory, it flows in the things you do". There are three other collaborations besides Fuossera in "Poesia cruda" we find 2bad "Undaground faja" with a clear Reggae style in the chorus, "O spuorc" with Lucariello and finally "Try me" with a feature of Elementree.

In conclusion, to reinforce what I said at the beginning, this is a well-crafted album, although it surely has its flaws, such as sometimes excessively lengthy songs. The fact that it's in dialect might limit the audience to some extent, but this can be mitigated with the booklet featuring the texts translated into Italian. I would venture to say, the excessive exacerbation of the "lived life" concept in their zones. But for a debut album, the final result is more than excellent, and it is hoped that these guys continue on this path, always striving for improvement. However, if a good day starts in the morning, it shouldn't be difficult.