Mondo Marcio
Solo Un Uomo

THE REVIEW

Aside from the fact that some say I look like him, Mondo Marcio is clearly the new star of Italian Hip Hop. In my opinion, he would have been anyway, even without selling out to the major labels, but after all, his goal is clearly money. I personally don't care about the persona, whether he made it all up or not, well, who cares. Even JT Leroy doesn't exist and was all a commercial ploy, but the books in his name are still beautiful, so, let's analyze the CD.

The first thing that strikes you, with the Intro, are the beats. Very American, between gangsta and melodic, beautiful, they make you move and accompany his warm voice perfectly. DJ Fish (formerly of Sottotono) also collaborated on these, who had already shown he knew his way around beats with Esa. The lyrics. Oh well, what can I say, De Gregori would say, and that's how it is. Mondo Marcio has swift, clear, clean, pure, excellent lyrics. He reaches the level of people like Fabri Fibra, the Truce Boys, Club Dogo, the early Articolo and is second only to Kaos, Chief, Neffa, and Joe Cassano. The themes are the same as the other three CDs: psychiatrists, drug dealing, society, mom, dad. But they're always poignant and effective, even if repeated track after track. The songs: the Intro has a fantastic beat, "Il Mio Mondo" introduces Marcio to a larger audience, "Dentro Alla Scatola" heard on the radio or on MTV seems like an incomprehensible mess, but listen to it carefully from your stereo. It's a masterpiece: Marcio tells us his story (unheard by most, known to those who already knew him) with truly unprecedented lyricism and absoluteness, even for those who (like me) have been following him for a long time. It is surprising that he chose such a beautiful song to commercialize, which perhaps indicates his skill and ambition. "Segui La Stella", stunning. More melodic than the previous ones and poignant. "Dentro Alla Scatola" is tough and hurts you and moves your heart and stomach, "Segui La Stella" is pure heart. The gloomy hope of Mondo, as I already mentioned in another review, is his specialty: the songs are tough, negative, dark, but they always have that glimmer of hope that makes them shine and leaves you with something. A bit like Hrabal for literature or even the good Bukowski: punches to the stomach and immediately after caresses, kisses, and magnolia petals on the hit belly. "Toc toc" is a transition song between "Segui La Stella" and another big one of the CD: "Solo Un Uomo". The themes are autobiographical for the whole CD, so all the songs have the same theme, but "Solo Un Uomo" highlights Marcio's very soulful and very black vocal variety, which in my opinion will do exactly like Neffa did because, even if not like Neffa, he has the right voice to sing and to do soul, unfortunately. "Come Si Fa" is the typical anti-sucker track where Marcio measures these against him, with the clear conclusion that he's better. Gangsta beat by Fish. "Purple Weed" F A N T A S T I C: Marcio talks about Marijuana, obviously against prohibitionism (proverbial for the Italian historical moment), but also distressing when he talks about the mystical disturbing and creative physical-psychological addiction caused by cannabis and its derivatives. Unprecedented voice, rapping, and ritual, Marcio makes us understand how technically and metrically good he is. Beat and choirs do the rest. "Nessuna Via d'Uscita" hope, resignation, social denunciation, and Marcio's life (just for a change) heavy beat, harsh text, unprecedented choirs, excellent.; "Nel Bene e Nel Male" sweet and sentimental track of the CD. Serenade to anonymous in pure Marcio style. After the "Skit" with a beautiful and poignant beat, the thunder and the little Marcio shouting < I am just a man!!>, comes "The Most Wanted" with the big name of local rap: Yoshi Torenaga a.k.a. Tormento (formerly of Sottotono), who is in practically all the CDs from Mistaman, to Primo&Squarta, to Cor Veleno and many others. It follows with "Il Solo Rimasto", Marcio in search of his faith which is "looking up", warns us that he is and still standing. A sort of letter to God with a beautiful beat and a very reflective text. "Come Prima" gangsta beat, a little dark and electro-funk, very beautiful text, one of the best of the CD. After another "Skit" (as beautiful as always... what samples!!!) the tracklist closes "Ancora Qua", with choirs' highs, sweet beat, and Marcio with his troubles. The bonus tracks close with "Fallo Ancora" and "Pazzo", it talks about girls in the first, nice beat and very effective and visual lyrics to be a love theme. With the choir soloist from "Ancora Qua", (could it be Federica? A very popular soloist in the Lombardy-Piedmont-Veneto area? Collaborator of Bassi and Ape among others? Who knows), the second is another nice stylish piece that warns us that < they'll show him> perfect metre, excellent lyrics, beautiful beat as always.

Mondo Marcio, repetitive, lyrically masterful, and sold to EMI remains one of the best Italian rap artists.
Now that he may go to T.O.P., RTL or maybe even to Sanremo and Festival Bar, it doesn't really matter much, because he is getting things done and he's showing us he can, even to me, a sceptic of the commercial scene as I am. And whatever he becomes tomorrow, Mondo Marcio will remain this lyrics and these tracks that will stay vibrating in my brain when I hear his name that I know at Musicfarm.
Very young, talented, pure and clear.
And for what it's worth, I believe in him.

So that the masses understand what's happening below while shaking their asses to the dance beat. Or hum Di Risio.