History and character
The 1980s: the origins
Hip hop culture arrived in Italy with American films ("Wild Style", "Beat Street") and Afrika Bambaataa's tour; breakdancing, writing and DJing grew in the contests of Rome and Milan. Among the first records: the Raptus (1986); Jovanotti brought rap to the general public ("Jovanotti for President", 1988), but in English and in a pop vein.
The 1990s: posse and golden age
The posse were born in the centri sociali (occupied social centers), with political lyrics and social protest: the Onda Rossa Posse (from which Assalti Frontali would emerge) recorded the first Italian rap vinyl in 1990; the Isola Posse All Stars released "Stop al panico" (1991); Sud Sound System (Salento, rap and raggamuffin in dialect), 99 Posse and Almamegretta (Naples), Lou X, Papa Ricky. In 1993 Frankie hi-nrg mc ("Verba manent") became the first rapper to release a record in Italian with a major label; Articolo 31 (J-Ax and DJ Jad) passed 90,000 copies with "Strade di città" (1993) and with "Così com'è" (1996) made the best-selling Italian rap record (over 600,000 copies). Sangue Misto (Neffa, Deda, DJ Gruff) with "SxM" (1994) created the cult album of the golden age; Neffa, Kaos ("Fastidio"), Sottotono, Colle der Fomento, Otierre, Joe Cassano, Sacre Scuole (Gué, Jake La Furia, Dargen D'Amico) complete the picture.
The 2000s: underground and major labels
After a commercial slump, the underground held on thanks to independent labels; in 2003 Caparezza ("Verità supposte") had success and the freestyle contest 2theBeat was born (later Tecniche Perfette, MTV Spit). In 2006 Mondo Marcio, Inoki, Fabri Fibra ("Tradimento") and the Club Dogo (Gué Pequeno, Jake La Furia, Don Joe) signed with the majors; Marracash debuted in 2008; in Rome the TruceKlan (Noyz Narcos, Chicoria, Metal Carter) brought a horror-hardcore rap.
The 2010s: mainstream
Fabri Fibra's "Tranne te" (2010) opened the mainstream phenomenon; Emis Killa, Clementino, Fedez, Gemitaiz and MadMan debuted or broke out, along with Rocco Hunt (winner of Sanremo New Proposals 2014), Salmo, Gué Pequeno as a solo artist, Ensi, Mezzosangue, Caparezza, and Murubutu (literary rap). From 2015–2016 trap (Sfera Ebbasta, Dark Polo Gang, Ghali) became dominant; around 2020 drill arrived (Rondodasosa, Paky, Shiva, Baby Gang, Simba La Rue). Marracash ("Persona", 2019), Salmo, Lazza, Madame, Geolier, Tedua, Kid Yugi and Nayt represent contemporary auteur rap.
Aesthetics
Rap in Italian (and in dialect: Neapolitan, Salentino, Romanesco), flow adapted to Italian meter, boom bap or electronic beats, themes ranging from the politics of the centri sociali to suburban storytelling, from introspective rap to egotrip.
Scales and keys
Natural minor (Aeolian)
- Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 (2-1-2-2-1-2-2).
- Example in D: D E F G A Bb C.
- Chords: Dm – Edim – F – Gm – Am – Bb – C (i ii° III iv v VI VII).
- Use: dark loops of 1990s Italian rap (Sangue Misto, Kaos, Colle der Fomento) and of modern rap.
Dorian
- In A: A B C D E F# G; characteristic note F# (major IV: D7).
- Use: jazz and soul samples of Italian boom bap (Neffa, DJ Gruff, Fritz da Cat).
Harmonic minor
- In C: C D Eb F G Ab B; the leading tone B and the dominant G7.
- Use: cinematic and dramatic beats (Fabri Fibra, Club Dogo, Marracash, Salmo), strings and piano; it also draws on the Italian melodic tradition.
Phrygian and Phrygian dominant
- E Phrygian: E F G A B C D; Phrygian dominant: E F G# A B C D.
- Use: horror rap (TruceKlan), "Mediterranean" beats of the South (Clementino, Rocco Hunt, Geolier) with Neapolitan colors.
Major
- In F: F G A Bb C D E.
- Use: pop and radio rap (Articolo 31, J-Ax, Fedez), sung choruses.
How to choose
| Style | Scale |
|---|---|
| Posse, raggamuffin | Aeolian, Dorian, Mixolydian (reggae) |
| Golden age boom bap | Aeolian, Dorian (jazz and soul samples) |
| Mainstream 2006–2015 | harmonic minor, Aeolian |
| Pop rap | major |
| Hardcore / horror | Phrygian |
| South / Naples | harmonic minor, Phrygian dominant |
Harmony
Sampled loops
As in American hip hop: loops of 1–4 chords from samples (jazz, soul, Italian film scores of the 1960s–70s: Morricone, Piccioni, Umiliani and the Italian library repertoire are heavily sampled).
Italian melody
Mainstream Italian rap integrates sung choruses with more "classical" tonal harmony (cadences with V7, modulations): the pop-rap chorus with a singer (Neffa, Fibra with Gianna Nannini, Marracash with pop singers).
Harmonic rhythm
Slow in the verses (one chord per 1–2 bars), medium in the choruses.
Voicing
Film-score piano and strings, Rhodes, filtered samples; in modern beats, synths and pads.
Typical progressions
| Name | Key | Chords | Degrees | How to use it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Italian boom bap | D minor | Dm7 Gm7 | i7 iv7 | The minor vamp of jazz and Italian library samples, the basis of the 1990s golden age. |
| Cinematic | C minor (harmonic) | Cm Ab Fm G7 | i VI iv V7 | Piano and strings in the style of 1970s Italian film scores, much loved by producers. |
| Jazz Dorian | A minor (Dorian) | Am9 D9 | i9 IV9 | The jazzy vamp of 'conscious' rap and of the boom bap of Rome and Bologna. |
| Pop-rap chorus | F major | F C Dm Bb | I V vi IV | The pop progression for the sung choruses of radio tracks. |
| Phrygian horror | E minor (Phrygian) | Em F | i bII | Two chords a semitone apart: Rome's hardcore/horror rap. |
| Mediterranean South | A minor | Am G F E | i VII VI V | Andalusian cadence with the major V: Neapolitan and Southern rap. |
Rhythm and groove
Groove
- Posse: hip hop, raggamuffin and dub (Jamaican influence), 85–100 BPM.
- Golden age: swung boom bap (MPC 54–62%), 85–95 BPM.
- Mainstream 2006–2015: straighter electronic beats (90–100), dubstep and electro influences (Salmo), sung choruses.
- Trap and drill (2015–present): see Italian trap.
Flow and meter
Italian meter (many paroxytone and proparoxytone words, final vowels) requires adaptations: rhymes on vowels (assonances), truncations (apocopes), use of English and slang; the best Italian rappers play with interlocking patterns and multisyllabic rhymes.
Drums
Boom bap
Kick on 1, 8, 11; heavy snare on 2 and 4; swung hats; sampled breaks.
Posse and raggamuffin
Reggae/dub patterns (one drop), offbeat snare, dub effects (delay, reverbs).
Mainstream
Punchy electronic drums, straighter kick, clap on 2 and 4, sixteenth-note hats; dubstep/electro influences (Salmo) with the snare on 3.
Interaction
Kick and bass locked together; simple drums under dense verses; the sung chorus brings in more elements.
Typical mistakes
Quantized boom bap; drums that are too full under the rap; American "preset" sounds with no character.
Bass
- Filtered sampled bass or sub in boom bap.
- Deep dub bass in the posse tracks (raggamuffin, Sud Sound System, Almamegretta).
- Synth bass and 808 in the mainstream.
- Notes: root and fifth; they follow the kick.
Harmonic instruments
- Samples of jazz, soul, funk and above all Italian film scores and library music of the 1960s–70s (Morricone, Umiliani, Piccioni, Alessandroni).
- Piano, strings, Rhodes, organ.
- Synth and pads in the mainstream; guitars in rap-rock (Articolo 31, Salmo).
Melody and vocals
- Rap: in Italian or dialect; flow adapted to Italian meter; storytelling, egotrip, social criticism, irony.
- Choruses: rapped in unison (posse), scratched (golden age), sung by pop or soul voices (mainstream), with Auto-Tune (since 2015).
- Backing vocals: gang vocals; guest singers in the choruses.
- Effects: dry, compressed voice; delay on the tails.
Instruments
Sampler (MPC, SP-1200), turntables, breakbeats, samples of Italian film scores, piano, strings, Rhodes, bass, synths, 808, drum machine, rap vocals, sung vocals.
Drum patterns
Synths and sounds
- Piano V — Cinematic piano: Melancholy piano in harmonic minor for Fibra/Marracash-style beats.
- Augmented Strings — Film-score strings: Morricone/library-style strings for dramatic beats.
- Stage-73 V — Jazz Rhodes: Jazz chords for 'conscious' boom bap.
- Mellotron V — Vintage flutes and choirs: The sound of 1960s–70s Italian film scores (Alessandroni's flutes and choirs).
- Emulator II V — Sampler grit: Sampler dirt for 1990s beats.
- Mini V — Sub and synth bass: Sub under the samples and basses for the mainstream.
Song structure
| Section | Bars | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Intro | 4–8 | sample, scratch or spoken |
| Verse 1 | 16 | |
| Chorus | 8 | rapped, scratched or sung |
| Verse 2 | 16 | |
| Chorus | 8 | |
| Verse 3 / bridge | 16 / 8 | |
| Chorus / outro | 8 + 4 |
Mainstream Italian rap often uses 2 verses of 16 bars and a sung chorus; posse tracks are longer and feature more MCs. Length 3:00–4:30.
Mixing and mastering
Sonic goal
Rap vocal up front and understandable (Italian words have many vowels and double consonants: the diction has to come through), solid drums, a warm sample behind. References: Sangue Misto "SxM" (1994), Fabri Fibra "Tradimento" (2006), Club Dogo "Penna capitale" (2006), Marracash "Persona" (2019). Balance: vocal 0, snare −3/−4, kick −4, bass −5, sample −9/−11.
Kick
HP 30 Hz; body 60–90 Hz; click 3 kHz; FET compression 3–5 dB; mono.
Snare
HP 100 Hz; body 200 Hz; crack 3–5 kHz; compression 4:1 + parallel; short room.
Hi-hat
HP 400 Hz; LP 12–14 kHz; pan +15.
Bass
HP 35 Hz; fundamental 50–90 Hz; compression 3 dB; mono.
Sample / music
HP 120–200 Hz; LP 8 kHz; dynamic EQ 2–4 kHz keyed from the vocal; tape; narrow stereo.
Rap vocal
- EQ: HP 80–90 Hz; −2/−3 dB at 250–300 Hz; +2/+3 dB at 2.5–4 kHz (intelligibility of the Italian consonants); air 10 kHz.
- Compression: 1176 5–7 dB + LA-2A 3 dB.
- De-esser: 5–7 kHz (the "s" and "z" sounds).
- Space: nearly dry; quarter-note delay at −22 dB.
Sung choruses
Sung vocal with plate 1.5 s; wide backing vocals.
Buses, master
Drum bus SSL 2–4 dB; master −10/−8 LUFS (golden age), −9/−7 (mainstream). True peak −1 dBTP.
Common mistakes
Sample that covers the words; vocal with too much reverb; bass that masks the vocal at 200 Hz.
Reference tracks for mixing
- Sangue Misto — Lo straniero (1994)
- Articolo 31 — Tranqi Funky (1996)
- Fabri Fibra — Applausi per Fibra (2006)
- Marracash — Crudelia (2019)
Reference listening
- Onda Rossa Posse — Batti il tuo tempo (1990)
- Frankie hi-nrg mc — Fight da faida (1992)
- Articolo 31 — Tranqi Funky (1996)
- Sangue Misto — Lo straniero (1994)
- Neffa — Aspettando il sole (1996)
- Colle der Fomento — Il cielo su Roma (1999)
- Fabri Fibra — Applausi per Fibra (2006)
- Club Dogo — Puro Bogotà (2009)
- Fabri Fibra — Tranne te (2010)
- Salmo — 1984 (2015)
- Marracash — Crudelia - I nervi (2019)