by C. P.
Following on the post on the old glories of the Roman music scene, here’s a quick rundown of who to listen to if you’re looking for more current alternatives also hailing from Rome!
Again, this is not at all an exhaustive list – just an overview of what is out there, and that you can explore if you’re interested in specific genres.
Old school rap & hip-hop have always been a huge part of the Roman cultural milieu.
Whether they waxed poetic in a more politically engaged way or they were more carefree, Roman rappers have been walking the city stages since the early 1990s, thanks to the presence around town of many a centro sociale, abandoned buildings that are appropriated in protest for lack of cultural spaces.
Even when centri sociali started disappearing, a new generation of rappers took the place of the old ones.
We listed four of the most important rap collectives in Rome. Showcasing different degrees of political and social awareness, they have been pioneers in their own right, with a cult following and several offshoots when their respective members have decided to go solo or have different projects.
A veteran who exploded onto the scene with a conscious offering but became famous thanks to his “Supercafone” (“Superredneck” would be an accurate translation) character. A prolific musician, he is also a well-known producer.
One of the few women in the rap/hip-hop scene, this half Singaporean, half Roman artist has progressed towards latin and poppier sounds and made her way onto the charts, with catchier and catchier tunes.
With a pen name alluding to a famous Italian businessman and former mayor of Naples, this Roman rapper has embraced the latest trap genre but is now moving towards punkier and rockier atmospheres, as his latest tour can confirm. Pinpointing him against a single genre is hard!
Proudly born and bred in the Monti district, this collective is one of the most well known in the current rap/trap scene and they have a strong following by teenagers and twentysomethings alike.
Pardon the weird spelling – Roman bands are not known for their foresight when it comes to picking a name. This one band exploded quite suddenly, thanks to its frontman, songwriter extraordinaire Tommaso Paradiso, a wordsmith for basically everyone who is in the same business. Their rise has been so steady that on September 7 you may be able to take a peek at them as they play their largest venue ever – the Circus Maximus – with a number of special guests.
Starting as rappers, these two performed together mixing hip-hop and folk singing. They split in the meantime, but went on to build solid careers as solo singers.
Another “reformed” rapper who has discovered the joys of intelligent pop. A darling of the Italian charts and audience, with sold-out gigs everywhere he shows up.
This guitarist with a dylanesque drawl is actually from Latina, south of Rome, and lives in Bologna. However, his sudden success three years ago has influenced many an A&R, who went looking for the next big singer-songwriter in town. Among those who are more than just his clones you can listen to Giancane, Lucio Leoni, Gazzelle or CLAVDIO (again, weird spellings!).
If you are staying in one of the From…
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