Club Dogo

After the experience of Sacre Scuole, the trio made up of Guè Pequeno, Jake La Furia and Dargen D'Amico, authors of the short but cult "3 Mc's al cubo" (1999), the third member leaves to pursue an imaginative solo career. With Don Joe added to the lineup, Club Dogo is born, taking its name from the Argentine hunting dog breed. While Jake La Furia and Guè Pequeno had already shown excellent potential, with their debut "Mi Fist" (2003) they achieve an effective dynamism that turns the tracklist into a continuous stream of invention on the theme of hardcore hip-hop, transformed into a bold, modern language that doesn't shy away from gangsta references, helped along by Don Joe's imaginative, funky productions. More than a calling card, it's a declaration of war: they've come to conquer everything, and they have the weapons to pull off the mission.

Confirmation comes with "Penna capitale" (2006), where Club Dogo becomes a recognizable sound destined to spawn numerous imitators. It's an immersion into urban despair, the ideal mutation of early Sangue Misto that lends itself to the trashiest kitsch, as in "Don't Test". The time is ripe to move to major-label distribution with Virgin/EMI for "Vile denaro" (2007, an ironic title), which leans toward a more radio-friendly sound, giving greater weight to choruses. "Dogocrazia" (2009), "Che bello essere noi" (2010) and "Noi siamo il club" (2012) follow. "Non siamo più quelli di Mi Fist" (2014) is honest from the title onward, a collection of pop-rap that temporarily closes out the band's discography. From 2003 to 2011 Club Dogo led the Dogo Gang, a collective that was fundamental to the rebirth of Italian hip-hop at the start of the millennium. In 2023 they announce their return, and so "Club Dogo" (2024) becomes one of the most talked-about and anticipated albums of the early year.

(Antonio Silvestri)