Uomini di mare
Sindrome di fine millennio

This demo (which, with a whopping 18 songs, is not a demo at all!) was one of the first sonic experiments of the now-famous and much-hated Fabri Fibra. Wait! Don't turn up your nose! It's important to point out that the Fibra of 1998-99 was very different from what it is today…

The "rhymic" formula (can you say that?!?) he uses nowadays (namely cazzo-spiazzo-razzo-mazzo), which makes a hip-hop enthusiast immediately change the CD, was not even remotely considered in the mind of the old Fabri Fibra. His metrics, in fact, were a roller coaster of assonances, palindromes, and vocal acrobatics, making him one of the best rappers on the Italian level.
With this (necessary) clarification made, let's move on to analyze Fibra's partner, N. Latini, known as Lato. Profession: beatmaker. And what a beatmaker! His bases reveal an accurate stylistic and sonic research that, in my opinion, should serve as an example for today's productions, now too contaminated by American bases.

Ready, go: "Sindrome" serves as an introduction to the album ("pugiLato in production presents Fabri Fill, and this here is the syndrome of the end of the millenniumooooo!"), and at the end of the track, there is also room for a very nice feature by Esa.
"Dove sei" is a song with an engaging bass, helped by a particularly inspired and swift Fibra metric. A milestone.
"Da che mondo e mondo", thanks to a wonderful retro-style base, rocks the listener until the end. One rhyme is enough to show the skill of the Marchigian rapper: "Minimo elimino ogni tuo sibilo che incrimino, dal mio mini oblò che è più si che no". Genius.
"Il domani è oggi" reminds me of a base from Eminem's Marshall Mathers LP, although I can't remember the name. However, in my opinion, it is a negligible track.
Press 5 on the player and you'll find the track you wouldn't expect: "Teste Mobil pt. 1", in my opinion, one of the best on the album (if not the best). Introduced by a probably drunk Fritz da Cat who can't say "Sindrome di fine millennio" but only "Fine di sindrome millennio," a mean and wonderful base starts, on which Fabri glides with ease with his rhymes. Also featured are a guest appearance from his little brother Nesli (very good here) and even a "phone-in" with Joe Cassano. Really very beautiful.
"Gratta e gratta" tells the story of a Saturday that never begins but, at the same time, never ends. The lyrics of Sindrome are always very enigmatic, leaving free space for interpretation. The base is cute, and I'd give the song a 7.
Track 7 is perhaps the most intimate: "Non dimentico" is a rare gem in the hip-hop world, seasoned with a sung (not rapped!) chorus of infinite sweetness, with the help of a brilliant guitar and organ riff. It's a song that talks about life in general, and Nesli also wants to give his two cents (and he does well, definitely).
"Sempre volgare sgamatissimo, zero rotardi, ti piace? Si vede da come la guardi!": this is the intro of "Lei che", a song that simply talks about the couple's relationship. Here Fibra doesn't seem to talk about women in his typical cynical, disillusioned, and accusatory way, but rather lashes out against fake friends who cheat on girls. As we say here in Vicenza, it rocks!
In track 9, "Monomania", there's an excellent duet with MC Word (aka Burd'L, Tagadà Nolchalance). The Rimini rapper has a very particular voice, the accent is heavy, and it may or may not be appreciated. I like the track quite a lot. The base, accompanied by a sax and an organ, is fine. And the chorus catches on…
"Intorno al suono" is perhaps the track I liked the least. The base is flat, and the rhymes are common. But already, you can glimpse the rapper from Mr. Simpatia: "Passo il tempo con Lato ad annullare i lingotti, gli sputo nella faccia del regista di Trainspotting!". Spiteful!
"I sogni persi" starts as a nasty song, but then a piano sneaks in to ease the base, very beautiful. The rhymes are borderline incomprehensible, but there is a certain melancholy (the title, after all, is explanatory). "In everything you see or do in life, there is a percentage of success". A disillusioned song.
Song 12 is the least committed, the most carefree: "Entro il 2000" with Inoki (yes, they were still friends!). Fibra does somersaults ("Rime in conserva cruciverba ed erba, stile che smerda spero si disperda quanto è larga!") and Inoki is no less ("Tematica su tematica, questa è la crew fanatica, di metrica aerostatica e di lirica acrobatica!"). Unmissable, two great rappers showing what they can do; a pity that the friendship was later ruined…
"Benvenuti nel violento" is introduced by a heavy-duty scratch and talks about how to start rapping, and the hip hop situation in Italy. Word MC also does a feature at the end, negligible. "Ladies & gentlemen: welcome to violence!"
"Muffa ad etti" is a good track. The base is very dark, intangible. Introduced by Shezan il Ragio, Fibra raps about mold, disgusting, sad situations. Shezan's feature is powerful, spiced with expressions from Romagna.
Introduced by various snippets of more or less recent appearances of Uomini di Mare for the radios, comes "Il turno di guardia". Fabri raps at an incredible speed, but brother Nesli delivers better rhymes. The base is wonderful, old school, and it's no wonder it even opened concerts of the Mr. Simpatia era (2004-2005!). A gem.
"Vorrei" is a very sweet song in which there's even room for a sample of (presumably) Ornella Vanoni. It talks about summer, about how you lose yourself doing nothing on vacation, and you can't wait to get back to your friends to share the summer news. The base is perfect for representing the sense of sultriness and warmth…
"Uno su 10" talks about Italy's situation at the dawn of the new millennium: we were (and still are) very backward, mentally and physically. Fabri tells us "One in ten projected into the future and the remaining nine are still with the Greeks". However, a sense of helplessness remains in the song, very carefully crafted and impeccable.
The album concludes with "Verso altri lidi", the final masterpiece. Praised by many as the best of the album, it is indeed wonderful. The guitar chord base is perfect, and the lyrics too. "Take me away with you until I feel there's harmony, heading towards other shores…" . Poetry.

Summing up, we are faced with one of the best Italian hip-hop albums ever, and no one can call themselves a true fan if they have never listened to this album. A masterpiece to be found at all costs, even though it suffers from poor audio quality. But those who love music will undoubtedly be able to appreciate it anyway.