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Rating: When I say Turkey, some might think of the much-mentioned persecution of the Kurds on the news, the boring empires studied and hated in school, or why not, that flop of Hakan Sukur, the famous "Gol-Di-Okan!", Terim & co.'s antics in the final minutes of the last European championship. Others, like me, prefer to fondly recall the final in Istanbul! But perhaps many don't know that such places also boast a vibrant and flourishing Hip Hop scene. The popular Yunus Özyavuz, aka Sagopa Kajmer, rapper-beatmaker from Samsun, is certainly one of its leading names.
Among this man's rich decade-long discography, Ikimizi Anlatan Birsey stands out, a work released by Melankolia Müzik in 2007 (its value rises given the year not particularly favorable to the genre), showcasing a consolidated partnership with his wife Kolera (the great harmony achieved is hard not to notice in episodes like "Fani", the most successful duet), also a prominent name in the Turkish scene, not to mention a talented rapper (far from certain Italian flops like Posi Argento, La Pina), with a fresh tone and good speed in rapping (in this case, the performances on the oriental-dark "Ne Bilirsin" (among the best of the lot), and "Bagli Hayatim Pamuk Ipligine" (incredible melody) are given top marks. Sagopa, on the other hand, has a darker voice, a decidedly fluid and sharp flow (despite the language certainly not being much help), and above all, a great skill with the sequencer, producing very distinctive beats suspended between nu rhythms in the late 90's Premier style (fantastic are the beats of "Kendim Icin" and "Bir Var Bir Yok"), seductive and misty melodies in the Temples Of Boom style by Cypress Hill (the citation is not a coincidence, given the extreme similarity of the covers), oriental sounds and instruments, mystical ambiances (the excellent "Monotonluk Maratonu"), and unsettling ones ("Sampiyonu Sikar Yaris", "Sahit Varsa Konus"). Kajmer also does a great job on the turntables, offering good turntable performances (a discipline he approached in the 90's in the hip hop world) on "Af Benim Isim Degil" and "Emcee Testi", which more than others echo Soul Assassins influences in the lyrical samples, and Oldschool, with the many samples passing under Yunus's expert hands. The most significant moment of the album is undoubtedly represented by the outstanding "Gam Tozu Ve Dunyanin Ninnisi", with Kajmer excelling both in production and on the mic.
The two therefore create an album with a distinctly 90s flavor, full of grace both in the perfect lyrics, and - especially - in the numerous alternative stylistic features (for the genre) in Kajmer's tracks. Old yes, but in respect of the Hip Hop tradition, far from the clumsy copies and poorly executed tributes that some old glories of the US scene occasionally produce (maybe those that now sell out by producing for Madonna and Justin).
The album has some low points, such as the presence of several poor choruses, and the few more "modern" moments, like "Kolaysa Anlat" and "Can Havli", which prove largely disappointing; it's clearly shown that Sagopa fares better when moving on past sounds. Rich and ambitious album, 21 tracks, only 2 skits, which will satisfy enthusiasts who are fed up with Pharrell and co., and who do not shy away from exploring other scenes, which often surpass the dying mother America, where except for rare underground cases, nothing good has come out for about a decade!
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