Interview with DJ Nio: Italy’s Top Global Hip-Hop Producer and DJ
January 16, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Interview with DJ Nio (Italy)
Interviewed by Mikal Amin Lee (aka Hired Gun)
1. Please tell the people a little bit about Dj Nio, how you came into the culture, and a quick description of where you are at currently?
I’m from Genoa (Genova), Italy, and I’m a dj, mc, producer and Hip-Hop Activist. I started spinning records and writing my first rap in 1993, after listening to Cypress Hill, Public Enemy and the very first Italian rap groups. I felt in love with Hip-Hop Culture and I started buying records, rapping, making “graffiti” and even b-boyin’ a little. As a dj, I’ve been performing everywhere in my city and in many other towns in Italy since 1996, and I’ve been part of or worked with a lot of groups such Zena Art Core, maybe one of the most important crew in our country. I founded my group, Zero Plastica, in 2001 with my man Lure and since then we made a record, hundred gigs and so many mixtapes… so much music! Actually we’re recording our 2nd cd, while I’m working also with NYC underground label Nomadic Wax and many great artists. In these months I’m working with Ben Herson on “Mo’Glo”, a show on 91.5 New York Radio, where basically I mix world wide rap and reggae music.
2. What is Triburbana? What is its importance to the hip hop community? Its importance to the community at large?
TribUrbana is a non-profit cultural association I found in 2006 with other hip-hop and reggae artists. Basically we promote Hip-Hop Culture and Reggae good values through events, records and workshops. We made the biggest hip-hop event in Liguria -our region- ever; and we had some very good workshops with teens and youth workers since last year, when Mr.B a.k.a. berlusconi’s government cut almost any kind of financial resources to social activities like these.
We kept on building anway, and now we have a new office and a new studio that is considered the best place to make a hip-hop or a reggae record in our city; plus, we’re planning some big events for 2010.
3. Give us from your perspective the state of the italian hip hop community? Is it unified? What are the styles/themes going on? How similar or different is it from the American hip hop scene from your view?
Actually, Italy is living one of its worst moment in its history, not only due to berlusoni’s dictatorshit, but also due to people who still believe him and his bullshit. The state of Italian Hip-Hop community reflects the greatest part of the Italian society and it’s a product of a fiction-propaganda going on in the last 30 years through mr.b’s medias: not only the HH heads, but all the Italian community has definitely never been so divided and confused as in this moment. Too many people here aren’t able to see the whole big pitcure we’re living because they’re focused just on themselves as they were into the “Big Brother” TV series; at the same way, Italian rap is basically about braggadocio style, battling, posing, or self-mental-masturbation, and when rap is a little bit conscious and speaks about social problems, it’s seen as “communist”, “populist” or ignorant definitions like these. I know it’s incomprehensible, but it’s like that: after I’ve been travelling so much world wide, I can sadly tell you Italy is the 3rd world of hip-hop. Yo, we had and has very good mainstream and underground rap too, anyway, but it’s so damn rare!
Any kind of comparison between Italian and American Hip-Hop should be inappropriate because here it’s often seen/lived not as a culture but as a fashion or a teen-agers hobby, while there in the U.S. it’s a mass phenomenon, obviously. Well, we def could laugh at that, telling Italian rap is like the worst American soccer team!!!
4. Can you give us a brief history of the italian hip hop scene? When did it start? Name a few pioneers?
Hip-Hop Culture went to Italy with films like “Wild Style” and “Beat Street” in the early 80’s. Some Old School pioneers were The Next One a.k.a. Maurizio, Emilio & Marcella (Battle Squad), Dj Enzo, Dj Gruff, Mc Shark, Ice One; some of them are still pretty active. In the first 90’s Italian Rap music became a little bit mainstream thanks to artists like Frankie Hi-NRG Mc, Articolo 31 and Sottotono, but maintaining deep roots with punk mentality and the “posse movement” born in squat social centers. Due to Eminem’s “8 Mile”, Italian medias and major labels revamped interests in rap music, but actually our music business is just “floating”, I guess.
5. Who are some of your personal influences in the culture?
I’ve been influenced by so many artists, dj’s, mc’s and producers! The list is too long, but If you need some American names I can say: Cypress Hill, Public Enemy, Tony Touch, the whole Native Tongues, Gangstarr, Nas, the Dungeon Family, Reflection Eternal, Common, dead prez, KRS One, Non-Phixion, Scarface, Rakim, Wu-Tang, etc. I’ve def been influenced by SensaSciou (that means “Out of breath”), the very first rap/raggamuffin group of my city, who where the first to rap and sing in Italian and in genovese dialect, in the first 90’s.
6. From your perspective what is the relationship between hip hop from around the globe and America?
Hip-Hop gives voice to people and has been saving so many guys and girls everywhere. U.S.A. are Hip-Hop’s father, but wherever you go around the globe you can see different and beautiful sons growing up! I think that in the beginning Hip-Hop is very tied to the Old School original values wherever it lands, but if and when come the money, any kind of problems follow. HH’s is a philosophy and a way of living, and everywhere there’re scientists and dumb folks, poets and prostitutes, if you know what i mean.
There’s a straight relationship between hip-hop and food, to me: although I’m Italian, I never eat pasta when I go abroad, I’m always looking for local and traditional cousine because I’m curious, I like to try different flavours; at the same way, I love when rap is mixed with local and traditional music, language, dialect and instruments!! That’s originality! That’s true Hip-Hop!!!
7. Does hip hop in italy play a role in informing/educating the people on issues happening inside the state?
I wish it was like that! If any Italian mc’s spit a little about our reality, probably we wouldn’t have the mafia at the governament!!! I know just some few artists that are pretty conscious and focused on concrete social issues, but unfortunatly they’re totally underground like me and Zero Plastica. Even if Chuck D said that “Rap is the Black CNN”, here it’s seems more an Italian comedy, a bad fiction, an horror b-movie… That’s why I love to deal with International Hip-Hop!
8. Besides your crew of course, who are some of the hip hop artists from Italy we should look out for?
Actually If you want to listen to some good Italian rap, you def have to hear Colle der Fomento, Tormento, Cor Veleno, Groovenauti, Assalti Frontali, Ghemon, Mistaman, Fabri Fibra; there’re also a lot of dope aerosol-artists, b-boys and dj’s -as the Scratch Busters, IDA World Champions 2009-.
Mohammed Yahya Takes On A World Full of Sin
January 16, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Big up to Mozambican/UK MC- Mohammed Yahya – for bringing us this incredible piece !
Mozambican Lyrical Activist Mohammed Yahya teamed up with Global Faction, in Association with Chiraag Parmar to tackle the issues that we tend to avoid in his powerful and insightful music video!
Check it below..
Manhattanites: Taking on the World one Borough at a Time
January 16, 2010 | Leave a Comment
By Camille Gutierrez
When events go wrong in our lives, it is tempting, almost human nature, to blame others. Upon realizing that things haven’t turned out as planned, taking into consideration personal accountability is perhaps the least desirable course of action. What would happen if we took a different route? One answer, among many lies within the tracks of the latest project from rap duo the Manhattentites. Comprised of solid beats, flows and lyrical content, this project revolves around a familiar theme of making a name for oneself. From observing the track titles I could not help but anticipate some inspirational material. What shield these inspirational tracks from predicability is a spirit of proactivity. MCs Mezmerize and Self Suffice don’t just mention changes in the community that need to be made; they urge them, express the dire need for them, become their advocates.
I enjoyed the first track, “Come On In” the most because I found it the strongest. Something about the song’s beginning- a brief “oldies but goodies” feeling melody laid softly over a piano suddenly crescendoes into a full blown beat – renders the track immediately attention grabbing. The verse, laying down disregard for haters considered a threat only amongst themselves, segues into a mind blowing chorus. It turns nearly universally familiar concepts like family, groceries and acts of maintaining the home into tropes of ownership, speaking to the power of self reliance. The narrators are confronted by the outsiders: “They ain’t gotta let us in we gettin in thru the back door/who you think built that back door in the back yard?” and rise to the occasion with certainty.
Granted the opportunity to write to Self, I gained a particular insight into the second track, “Which Way,” a steady jam describing how self conflict manifests into tension with others. The steady, jazz infused melody definitely takes a back seat to the lyrics. Sometimes the varied rhyme scheme and complex stories were difficult to follow, as the question posed is whether to follow the path seeking immediate gratification or stay true to oneself but getting little credit for it, at least initially. One particular line caught my attention: “I remember when Self Sufficient didn’t know he was a sole individual that was in control…” Was it “sole” individual or “soul” individual? So I asked him. It turns out this line plays with double entendre, or utilizing a word that has double meanings or interpretations. It turns out that Self creates a pun with three references- I expected nothing less clever. The first meaning of “He was a sole individual” refers to realizing the control we have over ourselves as we mature. The second meaning of “soul” refers to being a soul spitter, a term for a soulful Hip-Hop artist that Self pinned. The last meaning of sole refers to one of Self’s trademarks, which should be up to listeners to discover themselves. A narrative of such personal dimension could be misconstrued as difficult to relate to or even arrogant by listeners. However the underlying sense of sincerity and careful thought that remain throughout the track make it a meaningful one.
In contrast, “Feel You” engages listeners with universal subject matter- personal RESPONSIBILITY. The ongoing dialogue about people’s unwillingness to be accountable for themselves comes to the forefront and raises social issues: the lack of trust between government and citizens, the wait for justice, and how we ought to turn misfortune into power. I felt a little felt anxious hearing all this overwhelming subject matter brought to the forefront but song is balanced. The melody is pleasant as little chime-like rings mix with traffic noise in the background to create a real familiar sound. The singer’s voice sampled creates a nostalgia-inducing comfort. Overall, the phenomenon of how we often “do ourselves in” that the MCs comment upon is the truth.
In case you’re thinking this album is too heavy to enjoy, the final song is a pleasant surprise. Informed by Self that the song order on the album is worth noting, I found “Angel” a great song to end on because it departs strongly from the rest of the tracks but still has that sincerity that characterizes the rest of the album. As its name implies, the song has some romantic elements to it. My favorite line starts off the hook, “I don’t know why i was attracted to you…” which really represents how unconventional this piece. Unlike other “rap ballads” to which it might be compared “Angel” actually names some substantial characteristics that could make a lover attractive. Take a listen and decide for yourself.
I said this album made me think about personal accountability. We all need some realness in our lives so check it out.
