What's Left of Frankie Hi-Nrg: "This is my hip-hop distillation."

They're all around us, among us. After seeing his band Quelli che benpensano hit stadium stages thanks to Marracash and his transformation into Quelli che non pensare, Frankie hi-nrg mc is heading into the summer with a new show. He's performing tonight in Piazza Roma, in Spinetoli (Ascoli Piceno), as part of the L'arte non è acqua festival. He's bringing his vocals and drums to remind us that "the most drastic and brutal definition of rap is speaking rhythmically," as he explains when discussing this new artistic venture with Donato Stolfi.

Francesco, twenty-eight years later. Those who think right are still on everyone's lips. Surprised?

"If it is in the hearts and minds of so many people, it means that something good was there."

Even in rap, despite popular belief, songs aren't written in five minutes.

It depends. I wrote the lyrics to another hit song of mine, "Fight da Faida," in one go, with almost no crossing outs. But that can't be the rule. The vast majority of the time, I need to reflect, go over it, refine what I'm writing. Above all, I need to lighten it, take away. As Coco Chanel said: to be truly elegant, once you're finished getting dressed, you have to stand in front of the mirror and take off three things from your body..."

Work by subtraction.

"One of the most complex things to do. Ennio Flaiano used to say: 'Sorry, but I didn't have time to be concise.'"

Fruit of age?

"As in life, there's no golden rule. In some things I feel like I'm more instinctive now than I used to be, because experience encourages me to shorten, if not skip, certain steps. And this despite the common belief that young people are more impulsive. That's not necessarily true. When I was young, I never would have imagined myself putting on a show for voice and drums."

Is it better without a safety net or with the band covering your back?

"Honestly, I feel protected even when I'm on stage alone with a microphone. The quality of my a cappella singing, the quality of the lyrics I took responsibility for at the time and which I renew a little with each performance, make me feel at ease. Protected by an armor that allows me to face the moment with energy."

Voice and drums are not the only dimension in which you can see her on stage this summer.

"If this is the new thing, I have more traditional concerts on the agenda, a theatrical monologue based on the book Faccio la mia cosa, and DJ sets. But my energies are focused on Vocals and Drums, where, with Stolfi on drums, we've managed to achieve a synthesis, a distillation, of what music, hip hop, and the message mean to us, to allow people to come together. The most necessary thing right now: meeting in person, physically, in the same space and sharing the same energy while dancing."