Oyoshe Review

I reviewed Oyoshe's Bring Da Noise 2 this week at RapReviews.com. He is a rapper/producer from Naples, Italy who teamed up with some of the East Coast's finest to deliver sixteen tracks of true school rap.

Here's the video for "Deal With It" with Blaq Poet, which is shot in bella Napoli.


I was intrigued enough by Oyoshe to check out some of his other projects, including the first volume of "Bring Da Noise," which is all in Italiano/Napolitano. I've only listened to a few tracks, but so far it is good.

I also ran across a crew from Florence who are doing Odd Future-esque stuff, meno lo stupro. I've given Daretta's "Heavy Mental" a few spins, and I'm liking it. I'm trying to bone up on my Italian, so perhaps listening to Italian rap is a good way to go!

Scoop Review/Back from Vacation

My review of Scoop's album Blood, Sweat, and Tears is on RapReviews now. Or rather, has been for two weeks, during which I was on vacation. In Italy. Thus destroying any street cred I may have had. Gangstas don't stay at B&Bs and go wine tasting in the Tuscan countryside. I did check out an Italian hip hop magazine, and my friend told me about an Italian gangsta rap porno movie called Mucchio Selvaggio
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You can see the non-sexual scenes on YouTube here. It's about Italian gangbanging, drug-dealing rappers vs. the ravers. I guess the rappers are real italian rappers like Noyz, who perform "Don't Fuck With Me". I wasn't super convinced by them. The five minutes I watched on YouTube may be about all the effort I'm willing to put into it. It's sort of like one of the street DVDs that American rappers put out, only with the added hardcore sex scenes, which I'm assuming is to make sure that it sells. Cause, hey, boobies. Everyone likes boobies.

Evidently one of the women in the ravers fucked up the equipment of my friend's band when they were playing a squat a few years ago (I think in Bologna, but I could be wrong).

Also, Il Mucchio Selvaggio is the Italian name for Sam Peckinpah's classic film The Wild Bunch, which is one of my favorite Westerns ever.

I didn't listen to much music in Italy, and now I have a ton to catch up on, including the new DOOM album, and two Italian CDs my friend gave me. It was actually nice to have a break from music. It can be exhausting trying to keep up with everything, so a little pausa was in order.

Also, chicken livers rule. And I ate salami made from pig brains. Mmm.