Close up: i lottatori del rap
Digital Photography, Portrait, 30x45cm
“Close up: Naples rap fighters” is a photographic project. It was born at the end of 2012.
The work takes place in a single location: a garage geared with a white neon light, for improving the underground side of the project.
The aim is to photograph tattoos or custom bling of the boys belonging to the rap scene coming from Campania.
The subjects involved in the project are about a dozen, each one with a different story, each one from a different area of Campania, as San Marzano, Angri, Casoria, Secondigliano, Piscinola, Pozzuoli etc...
The guys who got involved are: Dome Flame aka Ogemell, Leleblade, Nero, Danny Megaton, Marcello Valerio, Grubey, Alien Mc, Sdegno,Deszelo , Zhod, Mc Duka, A’Tragedia, Feel g, N’z, Valè Lambo, Dejavu, Marmittone, CiganoPrete, Dacta Polakk, Gli Affiliati, Animali senza Razza, Otrè, Red, Tore.
Among the most interesting stories told me by the boys while photographing them I was stunned by the one of Giulo, aka "Cigano Prete", whom comes from Albania. Giulio comes in Italy with his mother in october, 97'. At the age of seventeen he left the school for working as a flower seller.
Two years ago Giulio gets a tattoo on his chest rappresenting the symbol of the Albanian flag: the two-headed eagle.
“For me it means a lot, it represents freedom, freedom that the Albanian people is still looking for,freedom that some of us have find abroad. Albania, my land and my people are in my heart, that's why I wanted to get a tattoo with the eagle in this part of my body . My sense of belonging is too strong to forget.”.
And then the rap music comes in his life: "I'm following this music since 3-4 years ago. In some way it saved me, it helped me in those moments when all turned wrong. "Giulio has a dream: the dream is to achieve a musical project, with texts mainly in Neapolitan dialect, along with his crew.
The second story that caught my attention is that of Danilo in art "O'Tre". Danilo comes from an historical district of Vomero, the so-called "Cavone-Case Puntellate". I met Danilo during his Ramadan period, infact he converted to the Islamic religion.
“ I approached to this culture thanks to a friend of mine from Senegal.
This religion helps me a lot because I haven't an easy-going character, I need to set limits to myself, I need to have a discipline.
I resumed to study and it really formed me.”.
Danilo also writes poems in Neapolitan dialect and he work as a "extra" waiter in the pub, or by leafleting to survive..
Danilo tells:
“Here it is a bit more difficult than other parts, but life is a struggle, I can't afford to stop”.
The last two stories are about a Polish guy and a guy that does the military at Belluno and soon he have to leave for Afghanistan.
Krzysztof Wozniak was born in Skarzysko-Kamienna, a little Polish town, on June 24th 1991. At the age of nine he moved to the east of Naples (District San Carlo Arena) where he currently lives with his mother and brother. His stage name is "Dacta Polakk ", his lyrics are almost all in Neapolitan dialect. The Neapolitan becomes the language of belonging for him. He is able to comunicate better and in a more fluid way with the Neapolitan dialect.
Anyway this doesn't means that the artist has forgotten his native language, in fact he has also written texts
in Polish.
The last story that struck me is that of Luca in art Deszelo. He Starts writing poems at the age of ten and he approaches to the rap culture at the age of fourteen. In 2007 he enlisted in the Italian army, where he still serves, in the Alpine unit.
He writes texts in Italian and also dedication to his military life, one of his songs, in fact, is titled: "The soul of a soldier."
Luca likes to say of being a person with dual personality "that one of a soldier (at work) and the other one as a rapper (in the private life). Luca will leave soon for a military mission: “'It isn't the first time that I'm prepared for a mission, I've done the first one in 2008, but it didn't last as the one I expected. I lost five colleagues about two years ago and I hope not having to lose any more. The only thing I can say is that many of us have affixed the consciousness, including me, and we fight hoping for something better and not to do as people say, the rambo on duty”.
The work takes place in a single location: a garage geared with a white neon light, for improving the underground side of the project.
The aim is to photograph tattoos or custom bling of the boys belonging to the rap scene coming from Campania.
The subjects involved in the project are about a dozen, each one with a different story, each one from a different area of Campania, as San Marzano, Angri, Casoria, Secondigliano, Piscinola, Pozzuoli etc...
The guys who got involved are: Dome Flame aka Ogemell, Leleblade, Nero, Danny Megaton, Marcello Valerio, Grubey, Alien Mc, Sdegno,Deszelo , Zhod, Mc Duka, A’Tragedia, Feel g, N’z, Valè Lambo, Dejavu, Marmittone, CiganoPrete, Dacta Polakk, Gli Affiliati, Animali senza Razza, Otrè, Red, Tore.
Among the most interesting stories told me by the boys while photographing them I was stunned by the one of Giulo, aka "Cigano Prete", whom comes from Albania. Giulio comes in Italy with his mother in october, 97'. At the age of seventeen he left the school for working as a flower seller.
Two years ago Giulio gets a tattoo on his chest rappresenting the symbol of the Albanian flag: the two-headed eagle.
“For me it means a lot, it represents freedom, freedom that the Albanian people is still looking for,freedom that some of us have find abroad. Albania, my land and my people are in my heart, that's why I wanted to get a tattoo with the eagle in this part of my body . My sense of belonging is too strong to forget.”.
And then the rap music comes in his life: "I'm following this music since 3-4 years ago. In some way it saved me, it helped me in those moments when all turned wrong. "Giulio has a dream: the dream is to achieve a musical project, with texts mainly in Neapolitan dialect, along with his crew.
The second story that caught my attention is that of Danilo in art "O'Tre". Danilo comes from an historical district of Vomero, the so-called "Cavone-Case Puntellate". I met Danilo during his Ramadan period, infact he converted to the Islamic religion.
“ I approached to this culture thanks to a friend of mine from Senegal.
This religion helps me a lot because I haven't an easy-going character, I need to set limits to myself, I need to have a discipline.
I resumed to study and it really formed me.”.
Danilo also writes poems in Neapolitan dialect and he work as a "extra" waiter in the pub, or by leafleting to survive..
Danilo tells:
“Here it is a bit more difficult than other parts, but life is a struggle, I can't afford to stop”.
The last two stories are about a Polish guy and a guy that does the military at Belluno and soon he have to leave for Afghanistan.
Krzysztof Wozniak was born in Skarzysko-Kamienna, a little Polish town, on June 24th 1991. At the age of nine he moved to the east of Naples (District San Carlo Arena) where he currently lives with his mother and brother. His stage name is "Dacta Polakk ", his lyrics are almost all in Neapolitan dialect. The Neapolitan becomes the language of belonging for him. He is able to comunicate better and in a more fluid way with the Neapolitan dialect.
Anyway this doesn't means that the artist has forgotten his native language, in fact he has also written texts
in Polish.
The last story that struck me is that of Luca in art Deszelo. He Starts writing poems at the age of ten and he approaches to the rap culture at the age of fourteen. In 2007 he enlisted in the Italian army, where he still serves, in the Alpine unit.
He writes texts in Italian and also dedication to his military life, one of his songs, in fact, is titled: "The soul of a soldier."
Luca likes to say of being a person with dual personality "that one of a soldier (at work) and the other one as a rapper (in the private life). Luca will leave soon for a military mission: “'It isn't the first time that I'm prepared for a mission, I've done the first one in 2008, but it didn't last as the one I expected. I lost five colleagues about two years ago and I hope not having to lose any more. The only thing I can say is that many of us have affixed the consciousness, including me, and we fight hoping for something better and not to do as people say, the rambo on duty”.
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