Johnny Marsiglia & Big Joe
Memory

THE REVIEW

There are few artists in the Italian rap scene who, in my opinion, although savvy in navigating market laws, deserve to be remembered both by genre enthusiasts and those outside looking for quality. One of these is Johnny Marsiglia, the stage name of Giovanni Marsiglia, straight from Palermo, one of the strong points (perhaps the strongest) of "Unlimited Struggle," a label that has hosted names like Ghemon, Mecna, and Mistaman. Johnny Marsiglia could be, in some respects, the perfect rapper: warm and noble flow, but also capable of evolving into a stunning metric, through a technique never necessarily an end in itself. The technique is the vehicle that allows Johnny to communicate at his full potential, making him appear as fresh and stylish as possible track after track. Whether for better or worse, he is a hip hop artist, and hip hop also requires this.

Accompanied by his trusted partner and friend Big Joe, a highly respected producer among the best of our rap scene, he produces two albums: "Orgoglio" and "Fantastica illusione", both great works where Johnny's talent starts making a name for itself. But in this "Memory", the inspiration is at its peak. An album that, taken as it is, wins from every point of view, primarily on the contextual level: the album follows a well-defined concept, which can be summarized in one simple word: NOSTALGIA. The emotion flowing through the album is a sort of unique snapshot of some pieces of Johnny’s life. And so he paints a picture of his childhood in Palermo in "Retrogame" and "Tempi d'oro", two tracks where you breathe that New York Golden Age hip hop, but the themes are distinctly Italian. No pimps, gangsters, or drug dealers, but rather family, teenage crushes, the local barber, and friends with whom to share first sexual experiences. But everything avoids falling into predictable storytelling fit for the market, aiming instead to create a somewhat "Felliniesque" portrait (allow me the term). It is a work living off memories in the form of images. No saccharine phrases from Baci Perugina, no rhetoric. Just a raw and unvarnished slice of the life of an ordinary guy with a dream, recounting his humble reality where he was born and raised, acquiring the values that led him to fight daily for his unbridled passion for music. The album is certainly supported by a well-thought-out rhythm: the more introspective tracks are interspersed with more technical ones brimming with devastating punchlines. Just think of "O.L.G.A.", where the beat halfway through changes into a more urgent and frenetic sound, while Johnny’s flow chases it with disarming ease. Johnny has studied; he likes Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole, and it shows! "48 Ore" is another bombshell, perhaps the highest point of the work on the technical level. Big Joe directs everything with masterful touches (the last beat is spectacular).

He does not forget to talk about his passion for hip hop in the album's "hit", the beautiful "La pioggia, gli applausi", accompanied by a precious chorus by Peter Bass, the only guest on the album alongside David Shorty, who sings in the opening track "Clessidra", a classy intro, and "L'amore causa", the most jazz-infused track of the work. There are also more trap episodes, as the rapper accepts the challenge of not confining himself to a single sound. Thus "Storie", with a nod to Drake, pumps powerfully through the speakers, held back by Johnny's acrobatic and hypnotic flow. But the most successful moments are found in the more intimate tracks: "Fan", a dedication to his number one fan, his father; the touching and delicate "Passione" (perhaps the best episode of the album), up to the final "Slot1", opened by a sweet piano that emerges from afar creating an almost dreamlike atmosphere. A gem.

Overall, "Memory" is one of the best works of Italian rap in recent years, one of those that entered the scene with gentleness but determination, without loud promos or contrived advertising stunts. An album that expresses the soul and purity of the rapper and the producer. Let yourself be carried away in the journey of Johnny Marsiglia and Big Joe, where you will breathe in small exciting life fragments, but above all, so much wholesome hip hop done as God commands.