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Highly celebrated among those who are well-versed in Italian Hip Hop, this record deserves to be considered a milestone of the genre.
At the turntables is DJ Gruff, known, among other things, for later overseeing the productions of CRX from Casino Royale. Powerful rhythms, beats like slaps, cuts, and scratches worthy of the Alien Army member.
The productions are exquisitely refined and polished to a manic level, despite the seemingly "raw" aspect.
Together with Gruff, the other two members of Sangue Misto, Neffa and Deda, rhyme: simply magnificent. Their style is unparalleled: original, powerful, and edgy lyrics that also indulge in some non-instrumentalized political critique, but generally alien and "out there" (Lo straniero, Cani sciolti, Clima di tensione).
The record works and is delightful to listen to if you love the genre (incredibly powerful beats and basses, like a vibromassage, lyrics that are at times serious, at times hallucinated, but never cliché). The style of the productions is closer to the US East Coast sound than to the West; all of it is blended with the expertise and originality of Gruff, giving the whole a very distinctive sound, unique and unmistakable.
Even today, nearly nine years later, listening to this vinyl published by Century Vox (a label that did so much during the gestational period of Italian hip hop) inspires admiration, for the linguistic effort, the creativity in using the metrics, the irony, the extreme care in productions.
Seek desperately, buy and listen endlessly to this masterpiece, both a birth certificate and an epitaph of Italian hip hop's short-lived era. No one in Italy has subsequently managed to reproduce anything comparable to SXM. No compromises, to love or hate.
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Other reviews
By omegabass
"Amidst butts, boobs, and big cars, people show-off but do not express. Neffa, Deda, and DJ Gruff, however, had plenty to say."
"‘La porra’, almost seven minutes of ode to hemp, is where Sangue Misto give their best, mixing influences with surprising musical depth."
By R13567727
SxM simultaneously marks the end of an era and the beginning of another, blending the spirits of these together.
Gruff composes perfect bases, seemingly simple and bare, but actually very elaborate and aimed at creating a precise atmosphere that perfectly merges with the rhymes of Deda and Neffa.
By Il Tarantiniano
"If since 1994, the year the album came out, this work still manages to spark discussions among enthusiasts and non-fans alike, there must be a reason."
"Overall, SxM is one of the ultimate cornerstones of Italian hip hop, a precious gem of the genre, which has influenced practically anyone who ventured into rap in the last 20 years."
