Emanuele Frasca, aka Noyz Narcos, is an Italian rapper and producer, born in Rome on December 15, 1979. His is a hardcore, violent, grim type of rap. He is better known as gangstarap, in fact his records of him are surrounded by his street slang and his speeches. In his records he elevates his role in society, claiming rights and pleasures, of which his generation has been deprived. Speaking of the street, he also touches on many delicate topics, rebelling against the institutions. Drug dealing or violence on his records is a constant. But let’s talk about a particular record. For now he has released 7 albums, all under the same label or Propaganda Records. Monster is the fourth album recorded by Noyz Narcos, released on April 9, 2013. Unlike his previous albums in collaboration with Truceklan, this one has more sophisticated, more introspective themes, in which Emanuele gets naked in front of a large audience speaking of himself. His defects, his mistakes, his addictions are all elements that bring the pieces of him to the generations, in which many young people recognize themselves for the realities they live. Monster runs for 52 minutes and includes 16 tracks. This is the official tracklist: 1. Alfa alfa 2. Game Over 3. Attica 4. Via con me 5. Monster 6. Notte insonne 7. My love song 8. Hasta la muerte 9. Drive solo 10. 11. Molotov 12. Strategia del terrore 13. Dope boys 14. Rome calling 15. Zona d’ombra 16. Ogni volta. This record was produced by more than ten producers: Denny the Cool, Frenetik Beat, Don Joe, Fritz da Cat, Fuzzy, Kiquè Velasquez, Mace, Shablo, DJ Sine and The Ortopedic. Alpha alpha is the first song on the album, it’s the one that makes you think this record is rocking. It has a very hardcore sound. In this piece Noyz enhances his character, foments himself and tells what happens to him in his neighborhood life. Alpha alpha is a piece full of references, which Noyz often does in his songs. In this piece, for example, he talks about a mechanism that turns in the orange, comparing it to his violent and perverse mind. It is a reference to Stanley Kubrick’s film, “A clockwork orange”. Many of these pieces have challenging and complex metaphors, morals to understand on first listen and which cannot be fully understood by a third person’s opinion. Talking about themes that may seem so grim and violent is not easy, especially for the opinion of others who can judge the more real and sensitive side of this artist. From his declarations of him, no resentment has ever been perceived for the role he has had up to now, although he admits that he has always used music as an outlet together with his group, and never in search of fame. “Via con me” is a very particular track, of great introspection, in which he speaks of the efforts and sacrifices he had to make to rise in a degrading world which is its periphery, Centocelle. He tells neighborhood stories, stating that every story he tells is not beautiful, but macabre, dark and cruel. Over the course of his life he has been condemned several times, even unfairly, with respect to his previous crimes, but speaking of them in a very different way, with a sort of resentment for his criminal past. Hasta la muerte is another very famous song, in which he swears hatred to the death for the institutions, which have never been on the side of his people, leaving whole generations of children alone, who lived on the street, committing thefts and crimes for support themselves. Having friends, parents, siblings or someone in these realities is hard, because you can’t blame them. Everyone would like a peaceful life, an easier life, but when you are an enemy of yourself, when you do not feel accepted, the risk of falling in certain laps is high, due to acquaintances that then become everyday life. My love song is the song on the record addressed to his girlfriend, describing their relationship as an addiction to each other. Her relationship with her is something very grim, which pushes both of them to pure enjoyment, mixing drugs and alcohol, admitting that she likes him mostly because of her life at the extreme of her. Sex is something that he always puts in pieces, the hardcore of his life makes it so even in his relationship, making explicit contents that are aimed at a basically large audience. His conception of love is different from the “normal” one because of his gestures, his crude and scurrilous phrases, which however have a much stronger impact than sweet and tender phrases. Despite being a soldier rapper (as he defines himself) he can also be external to himself, trusting fears, outspoken feelings. In my humble opinion, I don’t know how to recognize a deep and true artist like him, especially in this album he gave light to all his hidden forms, showing good and bad mood, with malice and passion. I think this is the best album of him, without a shadow of a doubt. It’s pure outlet, pure life as he is, with no fun or distractions. He aims only at the public who already love and cheer him, without shame. This pleases his listeners, the harsh truth, in which many find themselves given the situation in which they live or because of wrong knowledge. Who was born in Rome, listens to underground rap and sees himself in what he says, already knows that he is the son of the culture of the prince of Centocelle (Noyz Narcos), who has now become a progenitor of Italian rap.
Federico Zene 4N
