Articolo 31 is a band from Milan, Italy, formed in 1990 by J-Ax and DJ Jad, combining hip hop,

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

, pop and traditional Italian musical forms. They are one of the most popular Italian hip hop groups.

Band history

Articolo 31 were formed by rapper J-Ax (real name Alessandro Aleotti) and DJ Jad (Vito Luca Perrini). In the spoken intro of the album ''Strade di Città'' ("City Streets"), it is stated that the band is named after the article of the Irish constitution guaranteeing freedom of the press, although article 31 of the Irish constitution is not about the freedom of the press. They probably meant the Section 31 of the Broadcasting Authority Act. Articolo 31 released one of the first Italian hip hop records, ''Strade di città'', in 1993. Soon, they signed with

BMG Ricordi Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG) was a division of a German media company Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Sony Corporation of America on 1 October 2008. Although it was established in 1987, the music com ...

and started to mix rap with pop music - a move that earned them great commercial success but that alienated the underground hip hop scene, who perceived them as traitors. In 1997,

DJ Gruff Sandro Orrù (born January 8, 1968), known as DJ Gruff, Gruffetti or Lowdy N.C.N., is a pioneer of the Italian Hip Hop scene. Known for his original take on rapping and scratching techniques since 1982, DJ Gruff has been active on the Hip Hop sce ...

dissed Articolo 31 in a track titled ''1 vs 2'' on the first album of the beatmaker Fritz da Cat, starting a feud that would go on for years. In 2001, Articolo 31 collaborated with the American old school rapper Kurtis Blow on the album ''XChé SI!''. In the same year, they made the film ''

Senza filtro ''Without filter'' ( it, Senza filtro) is a 2001 Italian film directed by Mimmo Raimondi starring J-Ax, DJ Jad and Luciano Federico. The film stars the hip hop duo Articolo 31 in their acting debut. Cast * Alessandro Aleotti: Nico * Vito Perr ...

'' (in English, ''" Without filter"''). Their producer was Franco Godi, who also produced the music for the ''Signor Rossi'' animated series. Their 2002 album ''Domani smetto'' represented a further departure from hip hop, increasingly relying on the formula of rapping over pop music samples. Several of their songs rotate around the theme of soft drugs legalization in Italy (pointing strongly in favour). Following their 2003 album "Italiano medio", the band took a break. Both J Ax and DJ Jad have been involved with solo projects. In 2006, the group declared an indefinite hiatus. Their posse, '' Spaghetti Funk'', includes other popular performers like Space One and pop rappers Gemelli DiVersi.

Band members

* J-Ax - vocals *DJ Jad - turntables

Discography

References

{{Authority control Italian hip hop groups Musical groups from Milan Hip hop groups from Milan Italian rappers