Heltah Skeltah
Nocturnal

THE REVIEW

The now distant '90s were a formidable and intense decade, during which musical evolution seemed to have reached levels previously unexpected. Undeniably, the past decade, alongside the boom of Grunge and club culture, witnessed the incredible and global spread of Hip-Hop culture and its musical component, Rap, which transformed from a simple pastime to a conscious voice of minorities and the marginalized, those "vanquished" who finally seemed to have found ways to express their dissatisfaction and denounce abuses and injustices they endured.

Over the years, music and Rap have undergone radical changes, but many thirty-somethings today feel nostalgia for those typical sounds made of powerful beats and raw, engaging samples that, in the mid-'90s, characterized almost all of the New York production and the East Coast of the USA. Heltah Skeltah can be rightly included in this extraordinary mix: members of the mythical Boot Camp Clik, originally from Brooklyn, MC Ruck, and MC Rock (how original!) stood out right from the start for their rich and effective sound, ready to receive praise from every self-respecting Hip-Hop Head. 1996 is the year of the release of their magnificent debut, the beautiful and compact "Nocturnal", a timeless gem that still shines even 10 years later.

The album is structured in 16 hypnotic and nocturnal tracks (as the title suggests), entirely produced by the Beatminerz in full underground style and without excessive frills, where the infinite capabilities and skills of the two New York MCs fully manifest themselves on hard-hitting bases with no concessions to easy listening. It starts with the intro "Here We Come" and immediately you encounter two gems like "Letha Brainz Blo", full of ultra-pumped bass and explosive lyrics, and the magnificent "Undastand", where Ruck and Rock's rhymes blend perfectly with the impressive vibraphone loop of the base. Truly remarkable. After the interlude "Who Dat" and the healthy self-celebration of "Sean Price" there is space for two other small masterpieces, the street anthem "Clans, Posses, Crews & Clicks", with its apocalyptic atmosphere, and the softer "Therapy", enhanced by the magnificent chorus sung by the talented vocalist Vinia Mojica. The album continues in these tones until the end, passing through the jazzy mood of "Place To Be", the magnificent introspection of "Soldiers Gone Psyco", the street appeal of "Tha Square (Triple H)" with the Representativz, finally reaching the absolute darkness of "Da Wiggy" and "Leflaur Leflah Eshkoshka" (a title for real Ganja-Addicted, kudos!) and the disorienting and well-known single "Operation Lock Down" (a beautiful video, with the entire Boot Camp Clik dressed as an Indian tribe, halfway between kitsch and esoteric).

A meditative and cerebral album "Nocturnal", therefore, a superb work that perfectly mixes atmospheres of modern urban periphery and mysticism, in an engaging crescendo that will satisfy everyone: 4/4 fanatics, Black Music enthusiasts, and even simple curious listeners, who can find new stimuli and attractions in "Nocturnal" to delve deeper into a world, like that of Rap, too often concealed by bling-heavy stars like 50 Cent and supposed MTV celebrities. Passed with flying colors.