Marracash

When the picture of the main Italian hip-hop releases of 2024 seemed to have settled into its indefinability—because nobody today can dream of having listened to even a tenth of what is published daily online—Marracash’s return arrived as a surprise. The album, released after the "Premio Tenco," after maturing in its themes, and after the rapper’s recognition as an author and musician beyond hip-hop aficionados, risks being crushed by expectations and overwhelmed by the divergent opinions clogging the web where we’re all entangled.

"È finita la pace" is an album by a 45-year-old rapper commenting on the present, from politics to society to music. It features no guest artists, no pre-release singles, and no social media countdown to stoke the hype. If "Persona" (2019) was a rebirth, where Marracash seemed finally capable of changing tone and approach, and "Noi, loro, gli altri" (2021) marked a peak hard to replicate, "È finita la pace," rather than trying to replicate or surpass, veers sideways, crosses some boundaries, and occasionally returns to a simpler, more direct, muscular language. This approach has unsurprisingly disappointed those expecting an even more structured album than its predecessors (haven’t you had enough?). Still, it establishes Marracash’s evolutionary trajectory in a 2024 that has revealed a certain fatigue in the Italian scene.

The exhilarating opener, "Power Slap," is a cannon blast with distorted electronics and a tribal beat where Marracash puts his peers in line, speaking bluntly, biting with purpose rather than mere bravado, and addressing market distortions and listeners who reward rappers lacking ideas and personality.

Clearly, he doesn’t stop at the scene but broadens his critique to the government and system, portraying a horror scenario that feels all too real in "Crash," a bitter and anxiety-laden track over a beat worthy of Noyz Narcos and Salmo’s "Cult."

After two aggressive, hardcore tracks with a contemporary twist, a pop-rap number follows, once again addressing society and attempting to become an (anti-)anthem for his audience. "Gli sbandati hanno perso" is one of the standout Italian songs of the year, one that might even stand the test of time. It’s his way of approaching a "Quelli che benpensano" he’s been chasing for years, here coming close (though not matching it) without imitation.

This heavyweight opening is followed by the slower, sung "È finita la pace," which perhaps takes too big a risk, relying on interpretative skills that still need refinement in this area: "∞ Love" was one thing, but here there’s too little rap replaced by a choral ballad that will probably shine more in live performances.

The language of "Noi, loro e gli altri" returns in the dual "Detox / Rehab" and the poignant "Soli," moving deftly between personal and collective themes.

More original is the pounding beat and the flow full of pauses in "Mi sono innamorato di un AI," channeling the more cyborg-like Kanye West, while the depressive dub of "Factotum" is at least curious.

The idea of a rap-opera, which he has already explored (though not invented), resurfaces in the painful dedication of "Vittima," contrasting with the more audacious and profane "Troi*," a take on misogynistic language set to a mechanical and muscular house beat.

If there must be a sung track, "Pentothal" stands out more than the title track, serving as a litanic or suicidal letter from the depths of the abyss.

The gossip blogs will buzz about "Lei," even though it’s one of the weaker moments on an album that finds closure in "Happy End," marking the end of a chapter in Marracash’s career and, perhaps, a phase in the now long history of Italian hip-hop.

To this writer, "È finita la pace" doesn’t seem like the breakout success of its predecessor, as the rapper has already explored much of its language and themes. Still, it’s capable of suggesting new trajectories, different approaches, and ideas worth further exploration. It’s an ending but not an exhaustion, proof that we can count on Marracash to deliver thoughtful and committed Italian hip-hop without straying from the genre or delving into overly cerebral intellectualism or technical mannerisms behind the mic. More than most, Marracash has proven to be not just a rapper but a talented musician.

(This article’s English version was produced with AI-assisted translation)

01/01/2025