Neffa
Neffa & I Messaggeri Della Dopa

I'm walking around the music store looking for something that intrigues me, I'm in the mood for a rap CD, since lately it's a genre that's getting to me quite a bit. And on the shelf, next to "Penna Capitale" by Club Dogo and "Turbe Giovanili" by Fabri Fibra, I find this "Neffa & I Messaggeri Della Dopa".

Without hesitating too much, I buy it, go home, put the disc in the stereo and...here come the speakers pumping out a piece of heaven: Neffa, Deda, Dj Gruff (I Sangue Misto, let's be clear), 99 Posse, Kaos One, Fritz Da Cat, Joe Cassano, the early Articolo 31, Lord Bean, Frankie Hi-Nrg MC...in my opinion, the great "monsters" of the scene that have made our country proud in this field (which everyone knows will never be comparable to the American one, of course, because artists like Public Enemy, Run Dmc, or even Tupac are something we can only dream of here, partially.)

But now, after this very personal and (hopefully) shareable thought, I return to the album. I won't waste too many words, I'll just say it's terrifying not to have found even a review or comment on one of the greatest hip-hop masterpieces ever made in Italy, epic already from the cover where Neffa is depicted with a joint in his mouth (or what it vaguely looks like), in a 1940s gangster style (cool). But it's the sound of the album that strikes: powerful bass, excellent sampling (mostly by the magical Deda), legendary collaborations, and pure, raw, and healthy RAP. Sure, Neffa might not be the best writer (there are much better ones around), but one cannot deny that he has contributed a lot to the underground scene, offering a hard and dark hip-hop, but often also romantic, light, dreamy yet never banal.

The first track "In Linea" is already a masterpiece: a street hip-hop beat that seems to start an American hip-hop album, up to the chorus sampled from "Piglia Male" (a historic piece by Sangue Misto, Neffa's former group). It is followed by "Aspettando Il Sole", the most famous of the album and perhaps the most known of Neffa the rapper: a magnificent beat, chilling lyrics, and a beautiful chorus sung by Giuliano Palma (before he ended up playing PES with Gue, Jake La Furia, and company). Also worth mentioning are "Puoi Sentire Il Funk", with an excellent funky beat that vaguely recalls Stevie Wonder, the melancholic "Solo Un Altro Giorno" and the violent duo "I Messaggeri", featuring artists like Sean and an inspired Kaos One (who would respond with "Fastidio" in '96, another emblem of hip-hop made in Italy); effective, although not outstanding, are the catchy "La Ballotta" and the hypnotic "El Chico Loco", which partly refers to "La Porra", especially in the chorus.

So....an amazing, epic, very hot album, still holding its ground today against all the "novelties" (bleaah) in the Italian rap scene, which cannot be missing from the collection of a hip-hop lover.