CONCEPT
“The Language of Rap” is the first festival dedicated to the encounter between Italian rap and American rap. It takes place in New York, at the Italian Cultural Institute, as part of the Week of the Italian Language in the World. For many young Italians, American rap has represented an imaginary world, a language and a cultural universe that has crossed the ocean, inspiring new forms of expression.
Today, through this festival, Italian rap symbolically returns to the city where hip hop culture was born. For three days, the festival will feature Skyzoo and Dynasty from the United States and Davide Shorty and Adriana from Italy, with concerts, talks and workshops. The festival was conceived by Amir Issaa, rapper, writer and educator, who oversees its artistic direction and hosts the events. The events will take place between the Italian Cultural Institute and several universities in New York.
Giorno 3, Davide Shorty e Skyzoo, live show
A concert uniting two worlds and two generations of rap. From Brooklyn to Palermo, Skyzoo and Davide Shorty meet on the stage of the Italian Cultural Institute for a direct dialogue between New York hip hop and Italian rap with soul influences, where English and Italian flow together into a single musical current.
BIO
Davide Shorty is a singer-songwriter, rapper and producer from Palermo who combines his unmistakable soul voice with melodies influenced by jazz and rap. In 2009 he moved to London to embark on a new musical journey; in 2012 he founded the band Retrospective For Love, with which he made a name for himself on the UK underground scene. After placing third in the 2015 edition of X Factor, the artist released his first official album “Straniero”, featuring collaborations with the likes of Daniele Silvestri and Tormento. In 2018 he released the album “Terapia di Gruppo”, together with Funk Shui Project. The work was highly acclaimed by audiences and critics alike, leading to perform more than 40 dates throughout Italy, as well as prestigious international opening slots for Chinese Man and Daniel Caesar (Grammy award 2019). The collaboration between Davide and Funk Shui Project continued in 2019 with the release of the album “La Soluzione” on the independent label Totally Imported. The album was followed by the release of its reboot: “La Soluzione Reboot”, featuring the previously unreleased track “Carillon” feat. Roy Paci. Also in 2019, he collaborated once again with Daniele Silvestri on the song “Tempi modesti”, the lead single from Silvestri’s album “La terra sotto i piedi”, while in July 2020 “CANTI ANCORA?!” was released, a single featuring his friend and former X Factor judge Elio (Elio e le Storie Tese). In 2021 he took part in the 71st edition of the Sanremo Festival in the “Nuove Proposte” category, where he placed 2nd and won the “Premio della Sala Stampa Lucio Dalla”, “Premio Enzo Jannacci NUOVO IMAIE “and the “Lunezia 2021” award, becoming the most awarded artist of the edition. In May 2021 his album “Fusion” was released on the Totally Imported label, taking him to perform on the biggest Italian stages for two years. In summer 2022 he was invited as a guest to two dates of the Jova Beach Tour. 2023 was the year in which the tracks “Demone” and “Finestra” were released, followed in 2024 by “Essere Uomo” and the highly successful “Fuori Fuoco” tour. 2024 closed with the single “Lacrime di Felicità”, feat. Casadilego, accompanied by an official music video. The new album “Nuova Forma”, entirely produced by Davide, was released on 28 February 2025
Skyzoo, growing up just a block away from The Notorious B.I.G., watching him go from local corner boy to rap superstar, Skyzoo couldn’t help but dream big. The Brooklyn, NY native saw life in all of its “heaven and hell” juxtaposition, being from the infamous home of both Jay-Z and “Do The Right Thing”. He started rapping at age nine, writing about what he witnessed on his daily routines as a child. He’s collaborated with a plethora of artists and producers, including the likes of Jill Scott, Just Blaze, Dr. Dre, Bilal, Tyrese, Jadakiss, Black Thought, Pete Rock, Illmind, John Legend, Apollo Brown, Griselda, Comductor Williams, Raheem Devaughn, Talib Kweli, and Spike Lee, just to name a few. Over the course of his career Skyzoo has released an array of albums that have all been critically acclaimed chart toppers on lists from Billboard and Spotify to Apple and Tidal, including his most recent release “Views of a Lifetime”. From the MLB/The Jackie Robinson estate to HBO and NBA 2K to ESPN and Buffalo Wild Wings, Sky has lucratively brought corporate America along for a Brooklyn ride. 2023 saw Skyzoo write and perform all of the the music as well as narrate the entire Jackie Robinson documentary “Get To The Bag”, with Skyzoo becoming the face of the doc which was executive produced by La Dodger superstar Mookie Betts and presented by the MLB.
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