Fabri Fibra
Squallor

Arriving as a surprise, on the night of April 7th, is Fabri Fibra's tenth solo release, and his eighth studio album. The "bomb" was dropped with the single "Il Rap nel mio paese," which caused quite a bit of controversy due to the "dissing" or provocation (call it what you will) aimed at Fedez.
In perfect Fibra style, it is a work that is not easy to analyze, even if on first listen the album may seem superficial and predictable: it is here that one must pause to truly reflect on a message (does it exist?) that this CD with an apparently nonsensical name wants to convey, and to connect the dots that outline the artistic and communicative path of the album, it is imperative to inevitably exclude some songs.
With more than respectable collaborations (primarily Guè Pequeno and Clementino), Sfiber tells us from his point of view, the two sides of the same coin called success: a journey already begun in his book "Dietrologia: i soldi non finiscono mai,” which describes the system seen from the inside in its positive and negative aspects between success, luxury, and the frustrations of an artist who must adapt to the (sometimes squalid) rules of the market.

"Il Rap nel mio paese" is a regurgitation towards the hip hop scene and more generally the Italian society, attracted by artists built at the table by the market and the major labels, through which they manage to gain a significant amount of visibility. The same artists, built up through talent shows, instores, and more, then turn out to be devoid of any technique or content, yet manage to hypnotize the masses thanks to their continuous presence in the media.

"E tu ci convivi" is an interesting collaboration with Guè, who seems to occasionally remember having great technique. Fibra's part, despite its originality, is insufficient, while the rapper from Dogo offers a clear analysis of the Italian people, lulled into complacency amidst their myriad problems.

"E.U.R.O" is a clear explanation of market logic, of the money-artist relationship in which Fibra ironically seems to confess to having "sold out" to money; Clementino contributes but not at a content level.

Beyond these songs, which I consider the most important in terms of concepts, Fibra's journey is completed with excellent bonus tracks, especially the outstanding "Voglio Sapere," one of the most serious songs of the current Fibra, where he seems to pour his thoughts onto the page, unfiltered.
Ultimately, Squallor succeeds in communicating non-trivial concepts related to the previously discussed theme (success-money-squalor) and also aided by excellent instrumentals, almost all the songs are catchy, decidedly improved compared to the previous work "Guerra e Pace." The collaborations further enhance the album, whose only flaw is the presence of decidedly bad songs I would have gladly spared: however, this is a minority to which Fibra's listeners are already accustomed, so those tracks automatically fall to the second tier compared to other successfully realized works. A good return for Fibra.