TY1 - Junkie Music

I was a bastard like everyone else, now even more so
If you're not sitting at the table eating, then you're on the menu

Just like junk food, mainstream music has also become fodder for uncontrolled binges, in an unruly stream of constant releases that leaves us overstimulated, at times even disgusted. And yet, we remain hooked on this substance, junkies chasing the next fix. In Italy, it's hip-hop that sits at the center of this mechanism, amid round-the-clock hits, unbearable clones and special editions of practically every album. The producer album "Junkie Music" ties into this discourse from both sides: on one hand, it strings together 14 tracks that sound like a playlist of ideas and big-name features, on the other it offers relief to fans with tempting new doses of unreleased collaborations, big comebacks and unexpected hybrids.

Gunshot sounds, explicit lyrics and plenty of aggression on the opening "Proiettili" with Noyz Narcos, Guè and Rrari dal Tacco, a fast, dynamic opener that sets the tone for the whole album. Fans go wild for "Kopi Luwak", which even brings together Kid Yugi and Marracash, with filtered vocals and verses that bite hard. It's clear that over these dark, sophisticated yet brutal beats, every rapper tries to leave their mark, and some manage it better than others. It's a thrill to hear Ernia in hardcore mode again, Sayf is a pleasant surprise for his ability to adapt to different sounds, and a dramatic Gemitaiz hits hard over a classic boom bap beat. It's a golden opportunity for up-and-comers like Macello and G.Mineiro, unleashed over the electro-trap of "Rambo", and for the eccentric pairing of Ele A and 18K on the hallucinated, dazed "Oh Nooo!". Caneda's charisma (these days they call it... aura) is as incredible as ever, delivering yet another anthology-worthy verse on "Dammi tutto".
More than the latin flavor of "Panama", it's the blend of Neapolitan, English and Italian on "Sgocciolando" with R3versal and SKT that hits the mark, with an assortment of electronic details in the background.
Writing "Squalo 2", the sequel to Guè's classic, this time with Nerissima Serpe, is a bold move: raw, obsessive, brutal and over the top, just as it should be.

Gianluca Cranco, aka Dj Tayone or TY1, has a career spanning more than twenty years as a producer and turntablist, but he truly hit the mark in his solo career above all with "Djungle" in 2021. Five years on, he's finally managed to bring together top names, new rising talents and outsiders in a whirlwind of multifaceted hip-hop: if you don't know what we're talking about and you're at least somewhat versed in Italian hip-hop, catching up on it is definitely recommended. This "Junkie Music" doesn't replicate that surprise and sounds a bit less sharply focused, with a few somewhat generic stretches, but it works perfectly well as a fix for fans.

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23/10/2026