Frankie Hi-Nrg Mc
Ero Un Autarchico

THE REVIEW

This album marks the highly anticipated return of one of the few survivors from the massive wave of Rappers that, years ago, crowded the Italian music scene, which is now desolately devoid of talented artists (excluding Caparezza, who is somewhat difficult to categorize as a Rapper). But the truth is that Francesco di Gesù, known as Frankie Hi-Nrg, is such a skilled musician/lyricist that he transcends the genre he engages with, whether Rap or not Rap: "Ero un autarchico" is an intelligent album filled with ingenious ideas, both in terms of lyrics and music.

And it's also an uncomfortable album. Because the playful introduction (featuring the unmistakable voice of Franca Valeri) should not be misleading: the song lyrics are all imbued with a corrosive, lucid, and ruthless irony, with which Frankie draws a pessimistic portrait of contemporary Italy, freely discussing omnipresent television, politicians growing increasingly similar to football players, car accidents, rampant consumerism, and "de Filippiche" (listen to "Gli accontentabili", Track no. 4, and you'll understand).

And the beauty is that he manages to put everything perfectly into meter, successfully giving the lyrics their own rhythm and cadence, regardless of the music: just listen, for example, to the compelling chorus of the appetizer single, "Chiedi Chiedi". Nonetheless, the bases are excellent as well, with "Rap Lamento" standing out - the second single, built on an amusing parallel between politics and football - where it even features a sample of the "90° minuto" theme!

Among excellent collaborations (a duet with Paola Cortellesi that is hilarious and alone worth the price of the CD), ingenious samples (Arnoldo Foà, the aforementioned Franca Valeri, Antonio Rezza), and few tonal missteps, Frankie Hi-Nrg has created a masterpiece à la Giorgio Gaber, an album that truly makes you reflect on the ills of our world and whose main drawback is being too "spoken" rather than sung, which, at least in my regard, slightly limits its replayability. But a masterpiece it is and remains.

P.S.: the 4 represents a four and a half.