Noi, loro, gli altri is rapper Marracash’s seventh studio album, released in November 2021. The album reprises the themes the artist explored in his previous record, Persona. With Noi, loro, gli altri Marracash reaches his peak of artistic maturity. As a result, the album sounds like a coming of age and the inevitable progression of the discussion started with Persona.

Peculiar times

As many other pieces of work that came out in 2021, Noi, loro, gli altri does not ignore the peculiar times it lives in. The record reflects on the current society. The reflection involes the effect the pandemic had on it. As a result, the record feels like a photograph of a specific moment in time.

Persona, Marracash’s previous album, had gotten the conversation started. The Italian rapper had gone through a long period of isolation. This resulted in the album being born in only a couple of months. The record tells the story of the rapper’s catharsis, and, by doing so, deals with the many facets of everyone’s personality. The listener can immediately relate.

Duality

Ingmar Bergman’s 1966 film Persona inspired Marracash. Both the film and the record deal with the theme of duality. Marracash resolved the duality by going through an existential crisis. This process ended in the rediscovery of the person behind the artist. Fabio Rizzo, behind Marracash.
The reflection on duality evolves by involving more elements in the new record. The artist’s dilemma, this time, is not only about himself, it includes other people. “We are a fragmented society – Marracash said in an interview – everyone of us has their own truth”.

In the last few years, the world saw a progressive polarization. From politics to social themes, people have been eager to express their opinions in a strong way. Social media, of course, made it very easy. As a result, many countries felt a sense of separation. There is “us”, and there is “them”. It gets harder to empathize with other people.

A volte siamo noi, loro.

Marracash

A deeper tracklist

Noi, loro, gli altri goes deeper into the artist than any other previous work of his. As Marracash’s fame grew, so did his feelings of inadequacy. His doubts about the past and the future are the central theme of Dubbi, a dark and honest track.

In Pagliaccio and Cosplayer he offers his point of view about the role of other rappers in today’s society. “There are more entertainers than artists”, Marracash shared in an interview, adding that he sees this as a sign of the times.

The theme of love and relationships, though not central in this record, has received plenty of media coverage due to the artists’ public romantic relationship with Italian singer Elodie. The amicable split coincided with the record’s launch. As a result, the public’s interest in some tracks grew. Incidentally, Crazy Love came out as the first single, Elodie appears in the music video for the song.

Coming of age

The record expresses Marracash’s artistic maturity. The build-up started with Persona reached a peak with this coming of age. Besides the artist, though, there is another inevitable protagonist. The producer Marz and its experimental research with sounds give the album depth. As a result, the record does not sound like a rapper’s album. It is a mix of rap lyrics, streams of consciousness, and catchy beats, original or borrowed. Italian artists like Calcutta, Salmo, and Guè Pequeno lent their voices, adding facets.

Noi, loro, gli altri is a complex record where the honest lyrics match an impressive production. The artist’s maturity is conveyed in a poignant way, making it evident to the listener. The record is a relevant tale of the times it was born in. It paints a clear picture of the artist and society in 2021. Noi, loro, gli altri will stand the test of times due to its sharp rhymes and applicability.