JOE CASSANO – Praise God

Lanz/Cd Club (1999) - Joe Cassano (2020)

Dlong announced here comes Joe Cassano's posthumous album. For the more distracted, it is worth mentioning that it consists of ten songs, one accapella and one instrumental, with built-in refrain for an hour of music, emotions and memories. A lineup of famous and not-so-famous guests, known and unknown, a delicate and laborious work of recovery and assembly, all to be able to officially present to all of Italy a mc perhaps still unknown to many but who had already made a lot of talk about himself. Here you will find a good part of the features of the past year and for those who had never even heard a rhyme, what better opportunity to confront a new, stimulating, cryptic and at the same time engaging flow. The beginning, with “Intro,” is really peculiar, a tribal loop invaded by different vocal samples, irresistible and all to dance to, will immediately take you into the heart of Joe's most cherished atmospheres. Among the unreleased epic and touching “Dio Lodato” excellent as a manifesto of the protagonist's abilities “...with machete blows the jungle is aroused, top jewel to the scene gives an addition”, backed by a good production the mc rattles off three raw stanzas with a clear biographical flavor “You fucked up if you think sto’ mc is flipped, God praised for this chance he gave me”, perfect also for the tracks instead “Teach'm'Right” with a nice loop and a great chorus in English: definitely my favorite. Special mention should be made of the two tributes, “Low Frequencies” and “Tribute,” which take up a good twenty minutes of the record, stanzas chasing each other, mentions, quotations and some history finds. Perhaps it would not be fair to mention just a few of them (this is not just about technique, flow and whatnot), perhaps it may seem absurd and lacking in consideration to reduce it to ‘things to listen to’... but I suggest you stop for a moment and be won over by these two gems... the emotions flow through the speakers and even for those who had never met Joe here is what you needed to know... the love of his people!

By Vez
AL 42 December 1999 - January 2000