Hip-hop singles do not come from Italy all that often. It's not a hip-hop heartland. Nonetheless, here we have a rap track from Stefano "Stylophonic" Fontana, whose debut electronica album has just been released. Man, Music and Technology has had critics marvelling at how the Milanese mixmaster can switch from house to break beat to chillout and back again on one record.
This colourful cut describes a way of life, though it's a lifestyle far removed from catwalks and Mediterranean sunshine. West Coast hip-hop funksters Shock-G and Humpty Hump from rap collective Digital Underground don't try to deepen the mood with anything more profound in their raps than Let's Go Downtown, but who was expecting anything else on this fun-time party number.
The track comes in five flavours, with remixes by Fontana himself, Dino Lenny, Radio Slave and Fusion. Way of Life brings nothing new to the table, but it could be a surprise summer hit.
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