Studio album number three for Little Vic, an unfairly ignored rapper hailing from New York's crowded new hip-hop scene.
The titles of the tracks recall the names of some mafia characters who really existed: Profaci founded one of the historic Mafia Five Families in New York, the Colombo, Anthony Spero for two decades was the counselor of the Bonanno, always of the Five Families, as well as being one was the Godfathers for a few years, Thomas Pitera was a famous Bonanno hitmen, the use of martial arts in combat earned him the nickname "Tommy Karate", Carmine Galante was first Consigliere and then Godfather of the Bonanno family until his death at the end of the seventies, while I don't think Frank Costello needs introduction: Consigliere to Lucky Luciano and then for twenty years Godfather of the Genovese family (at the time, named Luciano family), among the most renowned in New York.
Trafficante, on the other hand, needs introductions: in Tampa, Florida, in the 1920s there were already several Cuban immigrants, but also some Italians. Control of the mob underworld is in the hands of a small local boss, who's soon supplanted by an Italian, Antinori. In the same period, another Italian, Santo Trafficante, is also making its way, and in a story that bears similarities to the De Palma remake "Scarface", Trafficante joins Antinori's organization and benefits from a mafia war that in the forties weakened both the Antinori gang and its rivals: Trafficante took possession of the city and in the following decades passed on his knowledge to his son, Santo Trafficante Jr., who managed to firmly maintain the ties built by his father with New York families of the Bonanno and the Lucchese.
It remains a name, I left it for last, Nicky Black: little is known about Nicky Black aka Nicky Grancio, he was a soldier of Vittorio Orena, boss of the Colombo family. Here, the circle closes: Orena was born from humble origins and made a name for himself in the underworld, becoming part of the family of the Godfather Carmine Persico and climbing the hierarchies. At the end of the eighties, he's the boss of Brooklyn, but when a few years later Persico is imprisoned, Orena takes the opportunity to definitively oust the Godfather of the Colombo family: the Commission doesn't give him its approval and the boss, nicknamed "Little Vic", is involved in a mafia war that ends with his incarceration.
Now, I've written a lot from what I see, but I still consider it necessary: from the little information I can find, it seems that the rapper's real name is Victor John Orena, a pretty curious coincidence, impossible to miss the moniker — despite the coincidence, it's possible that the MC refers to the Lucchese Godfather Vittorio Amuso, nicknamed "Little Vic". The jazzy boom bap chosen by the producer (I can only assume it's Little Vic himself) is completely fit for the rapper's flow, crisp and smooth, these cuts are solid and make up an eight-track effort with an interlude, devoid of any weaknesses: musically, everything works here, male and female soul samples, drums, pianos, light lo-fi beats, energetic beats, sax samples, vinyl sound, it's all pretty fresh and is enlivened by Little Vic's dope syncopated smooth delivery, at times raw. Lyrically, there isn't much to deduce, I think I've written enough, you should expect a good dose of mafia stuff coupled with healthy aggressive and hardcore braggadocio verses. The guy brings out what will be one of the best and most hidden hip-hop tapes of the season.
Rating: 8/10.
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