tedua
Orange County California

Of humble origins, Mario Molinari was born in Cogoleto, just outside Genoa, in February '94. A competitive boxer in his early teens, he soon became passionate about so-called "street poetry," rap, founding a collective (Wild Bandana) with some friends, including the now well-known Izi. Initially known by the name Duate and eventually by Tedua, the young rapper, however, lived a delicate family situation, which led Mario to change both homes and foster families multiple times, oscillating between Cogoleto and Calvairate, a suburb of Milan where he would share an apartment with Mirko Martorana, better known today by his stage name Rkomi.

The first glimmers of fame began to emerge in early 2015, when, alongside Izi, he appeared as a guest on the track "Mercedes nero," contained in the first mixtape by Sfera Ebbasta, an absolute rising star of Italian trap; for Tedua, it was the opportunity to get known outside of Genoa. The song became a good springboard for him, allowing him to land his first gigs in small venues around Northern Italy. In 2016, the mixtape Orange County was released, re-released at the beginning of 2017 in a revamped edition, in album format, under the name Orange County California.

Produced by some of the most talented producers of the new Italian trap scene, with the Milanese Charlie Charles at the forefront (not forgetting the equally promising Chris Nolan), Orange County California is a solid and enjoyable rap album. Tedua identifies with Ryan Atwood, the protagonist of the TV series The O.C., who, just like him, lived the life of a wanderer even before reaching adulthood. But this album also somehow recaptures the atmospheres of California, thanks to warm and melancholic, sunny and introspective productions at the same time. On these instrumentals, Tedua strikes with the energy of a boxer, engaging in a torrential rap, rich in suggestions, often exaggerated, yet bold and innovative. A continuous flow of words that is rarely an end in itself, but instead, generates multiple narrative layers that interpenetrate each other to define lyrics where nostalgia, anger, tenderness, frivolity, and a desire for redemption are mixed in a so far unprecedented formula.

But it's also true that we've encountered countless rappers "with something to say." What, therefore, allows Tedua to stand out? Simple: the genuine melodic talent, the ability to invent catchy choruses, without them becoming cloying. "Buste della spesa" is a real hit, a perfect compendium of a successful beat, a memorable chorus, and incisive lyrics. "Wasaby Freestyle" is another of the album's brightest tracks, where Tedua displays a melodic flow that sees no equal in Italy. The ability to combine rap and melody has always been the biggest obstacle Italian rappers of the past have faced in their climb to success, a hindrance that often forced them to rely on unlikely and poorly executed collaborations with pop stars. For Tedua, however, everything feels absolutely natural, and this works entirely to his advantage. The melodic instinct, moreover, is something Mario shares with the already mentioned Sfera Ebbasta, not coincidentally featured on the track "Lingerie." But there are many collaborations on this album: worth highlighting for quality are certainly those with Ghali in "Fity Fifty," Rkomi in "00," Bresh in "Step By Step" and especially the long-time friend Izi in "Circonvalley," a romantic ode to the charm of the metropolitan landscape.

Among the unmentioned tracks, there surely are some forgettable episodes, but this doesn't significantly detract from an album whose whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Orange County California is Tedua's first true artistic testament, but it also represents the triumph of the new Italian trap school, all here present like in a parade. This album marks another decisive step toward the complete passing of the torch between the old and new scene. A new movement of young talents is giving a resounding jolt to the stagnant Italian rap: Tedua is certainly among its most promising exponents.