Caparezza - Le Dimensioni Del Mio Caos (2008)

Conceived as the sonic counterpart to a short story included in Caparezza's first book, Saghe Mentali, Le Dimensioni del Mio Caos is a concept album of sorts that tells the story of the rapper's infatuation with Ilaria, a young girl accidentally teletransported from 1968 to the present day, but who -- to Caparezza's dismay -- soon transforms from idealist hippie into hedonist consumer. Other characters include crooked politician Carneade and humble construction worker Luigi delle Bicocche. This ambitious but definitely overreaching work is typically chock-full of Caparezza's hilarious and extremely lucid observations on the many ills of today's Italy, but its length and unyielding energy can get grating as it goes along. Likewise, the album suffers musically from an unrelenting storm of same-sounding rap and heavy metal. Not coincidentally, the most memorable moments occur when it deviates from the norm, as in the brilliant singles "Vieni a Ballare in Puglia" and "Eroe." A special edition adds a DVD with concert footage and a photo gallery.