Emis Killa, Jake La Furia
17

2020 is that year when so many absurd things happened that in the end, Emis Killa and Jake La Furia are allowed to make an album together without being punished with a megaphone blasting Mario Giordano’s voice into their ears every time they rhyme and enjoy themselves. If we try to forget about the absence of Chadia Rodriguez in the tracklist and the fact that Lazza’s part strikes the bunch in two pieces, in the end, "17" turns out to be something better than the package of Kinder Brios we were entitled to expect. It wasn't predictable; the launch single "Malandrino" made ears whimper like a pressure cooker, and the cover is there for all to see. But then the full album arrived, and, give or take a piece, in the end, it kicks ass properly.

The first track is called "Broken Language," and it hammers down on the usual crappy clichés, but it works well because it sets the mood. Then the time bombs come into play, like "Sparami," where Fibra sings the big refrain, and then Salmo machine-guns properly, and "L'ultima mossa" with Massimo Pericolo, which not only has one of the year’s most beautiful instrumentals but also reminds us how Vane has few equals in terms of #BARS. In general, Jake is very inspired and, even if his voice is poorly equalized, he’s a master of timing and fitting, and as far as flow goes, he leaves everyone behind. Emis is hyper-excited and does his thing; in the long run, he gets annoying, but overall, the album's balances are there. Just kidding, often he's crap, but in the end, what are two rappers supposed to do? Anyway, I say yes, because if nothing else, we have an album that repositions two substantial artists on the map for the scene right at the moment when their transformation into human cases was about to be finalized, and, even though Italian rap deserves leaner stuff than this, every now and then a couple of slaps in the face outside the kebab shop do nothing but good. Zarro vincit omnia.