Kicking off the album with “Siamo In Diretta,” there’s a kind of authentic swank that still manages a laid-back feel. The production immediately wins you over with a cleverly created climate, sampling old recordings of crowds cheering in the beginning. Feels like you’re in the corner of Ari’s boxing ring before he starts swinging seriously heavy hits in his flow.

“Non Me N’Ero Mica Andato,” meaning, “I Hadn’t Actually Left,” is a sentiment of still being here, despite it all. The instrumentals are a blend of the nostalgic 90s boombap with horns, blinking piano chord strikes, and acoustic/organic leaning percussion. 

Tracks like “La Veglia,” “Piromani,” and “La Siberica Scilla” are foundational to the overall sonic quality and general tone that Ari Selva and producer Vaynex have accomplished on the record. They’re confident yet laid-back, real and raw.

This is where the album’s cockroach imagery starts to come together. While normally these crawly, creeping things are a displeasing sight, the “Lo Scarafaggio” track translates to “The Cockroach” for a dramatic and gripping thematic effect. The album artwork starts to make a lot more sense, especially with the antennae across the different caricatures of certain positions and depictions.

Mainly, Ari Selva cuts it up on the beat, moving with surgical precision without costing a sanitized performance; he stays with the song, through each word, artfully flowing between each note with the grace of a strong yet quick swimmer. His stories, messages, and lyrics (even from a perspective with little understanding of Italian) are told with conviction and clearly honed talent.