This video is going to talk about RAP! In particular, we will see all the most common words that belong to the specialized vocabulary of Italian rap. I hope you keep watching the video even if you’re not big fans of rap! Because you always learn something new! You could always brag to the younger ones you know: nephews, little brothers, little sisters, little cousins and so on!
The “Specialized Vocabulary” of Italian RAP!
So, here is a short list of the slang most used by the most famous Italian rappers: Marracash, Massimo Pericolo, Sfera Ebbasta, Salmo, Ghali, Anna… (to mention just few of them)
– 4L
Origin from the English expression “for life”, it is a term proper to designate something that, as a matter of fact, will last forever, for live.
4L, per tutta la vita 4L
Okay
Ehi, ehi (Sick Luke, Sick Luke)
Cucino pezzi, chiudo le tapparelle (Pezzi)
(4L, Dark Polo Gang)
– Bando
Famous track of Anna, it normally indicates a suburban neighborhood or an abandoned house where you usually meet up but also a place where you get high or you deal drugs.
Ci beccavamo nel bando, sopra il Booster
Anna fattura e no, non parlo di buste
Mando tutto io, svuota il freezer
C’ho il passaggio assicurato sopra questo diesel
(Bando, Anna)
– Bufu
Acronym of the Anglo-American expression “by us fuck u”, it is a term introduced and coined by the DPG (Dark Polo Gang). It is usually addressed to the haters as counterattack with the simple meaning “as far as we are concerned, screw yourself”. However, the term is also used as a general insult whose meaning is ‘idler’, ‘stupid’, ‘idiotic’, ‘ridiculous’.
Curiosity: the term “Bufu” officially entered the Treccani, Italian encyclopedia.
Questo è un gioco, non mi serve
Questi rappers sono bufu mostragli l’inferno
Sono il re del rione, pensano che scherzo
A palle potrebbe farglielo vedere
(Piccoli brividi, Dark Polo Gang)
– Eskere
Nothing more than the Italianization of the American expression “esketit”, an abbreviation used in place of “let’s get it”. In Italian, then, it means something like “let’s do it / let’s take it” in relation to what could be a climb to power, money, success, fame.
Contando soldi su una spiaggia in camicia
Side e Tony veniamo dalla cucina (trap, trap)
Bling, bling, il mio orologio non fa tic-tac (Eskere)
(Tic Tac, Dark Polo Gang)
– Ollare
Italianization of the English expression “whole lotta gang shit”. It’s a verb that indicates a criminal action carried out by one’s own gang.
Ollare, ollare, ollare, ollare
Sto studiando medicina (gang)
La mia tipa conta i soldi (ollare gang)
Dice che sono 4L (4L)
(4L, FSK Satellite)
– Fareshi
Italianization of the English expression “Fuck that shit”. It entered the Italian rap background thanks to the trappers Ski e Wok who introduced it referring to the way it is pronounced. It has the meanings of “screw that shit / go to the hell”.
Faccio triplicare i conti
Fareshì se non parli di soldi (cash)
Fareshì se non mi parli di soldi (cash)
(Fareshi, Ski & Wok)
– Flexare
A verb with more meanings, depending on the context in which it is used. It can mean to spend, to own, to show off, to exhibit and it derives from the English expression “to flex” referring, actually, to the muscle flexion being showed.
Prendo la tua tipa e ci flexo (flexo)
Prendo il mio catchet e poi lo spendo (spendo)
Cucino in mano come un drago
(Flex, Dark Polo Gang)
– Bro, Fra
Synonyms, more or less colloquial, used as abbraviated slang of “brother”. The term almost never defines a blood relationship, but rather a close person, a friend but also a partner, a friend within a deal.
Gli sguardi, degli altri che male possono farmi
Se c’è un bro, bro, bro, bro
‘Na calamita per un bro, bro, bro, bro
Alla mia destra solo un bro, bro, bro, bro
Darei la vita per un bro, bro, bro, bro
Non sei dei miei
(Bro, Ernia)
– No cap
American-derived expression and abbreviation of “capping”. It can be conventionally translated with “to lie” and be used to show skeptisism facing what could be a lie but also to underline the truthfullness of a statement.
Ancora chiedono di chi è la macchina
Quant’è costata e come l’ho comprata, yeah (no cap)
No cap, pe via ‘e chisti sorde ormai nun saccio cchiù chi songo
(No Cap, Emis Killa e Jake La Furia)
– Gang
The term changed value over time, adapting to the historical period but to the context of use as well. While in the 600s it was used to indicate a company of workers, in the 700s moved on to indicate slaves who worked on the plantations; and finally in the 800s its meaning began to refer to a “group of criminals”. Today, it’s a term used to define both a group of hooligans that inveigh against the external world – a view certainly inherited from the American reality where social inequalities are more evident than in Italy – and a simple “family” of friends.
Machete è la gang (what?)
Gang (what?), gang (what?)
Machete, Machete è la gang (what?)
Gang (what?), gang (brr)
(GANG!, Machete)
It’s definitely not an exhaustive “instructions manual” but those who lack the basics to enter the “system” will need to take their first steps!
If, instead, you hate Anglisisms in the Italian language, I suggest you to give a look at the video-lesson about how to avoid English expressions in the Italian language!
And don’t forget to read our book Italiano Colloquiale: Parole ed Espressioni per Tutti i Giorni!
Want the lesson PDF with exercises and solutions?
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