In the contemporary Italian scene, dominated by stratified productions and an often aseptic digital aesthetic, the choice to strip away all electronic frills to return to the essential is a radical act. With “Voce e drums”, Frankie Hi-Nrg Mc makes a systematic subtraction, reducing the sound system to a primordial duel between Donato Stolfi's drums and the scratches of the faithful DJ Stile. An “extreme synthesis”, as defined by the rapper, which is happily viable because the starting songs are generally of excellent workmanship. Author's rereadings of a now classic career.
A heterogeneous group of guests contributes to avoiding self-celebration. If the comparison with the pop or singer-songwriter side (Jovanotti, Tiziano Ferro, Elisa, Emma, Diodato) raises questions about the balance between the hip-hop soul and pop territories, the project maintains its own stylistic coherence thanks to the iron discipline imposed by the rhythm section: everything remains solidly within the cage briefly defined in the title.
In the lineup of rereadings, an “Autodafé e drums” stands out above all with an excellent unpublished verse by Fabri Fibra and the explosive version of “Potere alla parole” with Emma. The dreamlike “Elefante” with Raiz is evocative. However, they are rereadings that often make you want to listen to the originals again, perhaps starting from the masterpiece “The Death of Miracles”.
“Voce e drums” disappoints a bit because it doesn't offer new songs from one of the sharpest pens of our rap, but it is also a successful experiment in returning to the fundamentals. In front of the microphone, one of the pioneers of the scene rekindles his passion for a lively and analogue formula, pulsating and still exciting. There is always time to return to the digital world.
06/20/2026
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
