JD IL MORO, born as Davide J. Spiga, is an independent Italian artist who spent the last 6 years developing his style abroad. He started playing the drums at the age of 14 and began to rap seriously around 2010. Making an impact on Spotify, “Il Sardo Del Nord Mixtape Vol.1” proves that rap music is alive and kicking in Europe. JD IL MORO has opened for popular mainstream rappers in Italy, including Fabri Fibra, Fedez, and Piotta amongst many others. The mixtape boasts features from artists who hail from the Friuli and Milanese music scene. Three of the 14 tracks, were produced by Iniko and Ric de Large, considered hot names in the Italian rap scene.
Even though the mixtape features a venerable who’s who of independent special guests it still keeps JD IL MORO in the forefront. He flexes his considerable muscle on each track and shows, unquestionably, that he’s playing the long game.
The opening, “Intro” builds up the tension on the tape to a sharp crescendo – it starts with a conversational exchange, in an almost-contemplative state, but ends with the rapper growling and snarling angrily through what seems like a full-on verbal assault. It’s effective, to be sure, and sets the tone for the rest of the album.
The rest of the album is just as verbally brutal, showing off diverse states of brilliant effectiveness. On “Mare di Sardegna”, JD IL MORO works solo over a lusciously layered banging beat, but these songs work even better when the rapper is paired up against the features, and the melodic trap hooks.
The juxtaposition of JD IL MORO’s intense flow and hard-hitting verbiage, creates a captivating contrast to the other elements in the music. This is instantly evident on “Frakenstein” ft. Don Nunzio and “Genio” ft. Doro Gjat & IKB, where the entire crew of performers come up with viciously enjoyable punchlines, and display an absolute hurricane of energetic charisma.
The melodic trap flavors are turned up on “Mustang” ft. Don Nunzio & Ric de Large, while JD IL MORO really gets going on “JD non DJ” ft. IKB, latching down on every syllable with contagious glee. As you move through “Il mio nome è Jay” and “Mulla”, you realize that this is not just thoughtful rap music. This is hard, instinctive, and witty rap music.
JD IL MORO presents life’s well-worn clichés. But he finds these quick-witted, oblique ways to present those clichés, and that’s what makes him riveting. There are lightning fast lines on “Zig Zag” ft. Gergo Morales & Shaz that you have to sit with and consider for a moment. Obviously, if don’t understand Italian, you’ll have to rely on the vibe and flow, which will have you captivated anyway.
The mixtape’s sound is pure euphoria: shimmering synth melodies, clean drum beats, and big fat basslines. It’s a great example of a rapper riding in his lane and excelling there. From “Grande Crescita” and “Everything” to “Squali”, JD IL MORO continues to interpret his personal views on the pains of life in this world. Strong traces of realism and pessimism permeates through his words here.
By the time you reach the closing tracks – the autobiographical “Easy” and “Tu va bien”, you realize that there are no skippable tracks on “Il Sardo Del Nord Mixtape Vol.1”. It’s a huge, propulsive mixtape, and it’s a pure showcase for JD IL MORO, who’s talented enough to carry it all by himself, but confident enough to share some of the spotlight with his choice features. His only limit currently, to making it on a global scale, is the same as yours…the language barrier. In the meantime he’ll be ripping up the scene in his home country soon!
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