Sottotono

Formed in Milan in 1994, Sottotono first established itself on the Italian hip-hop scene with a sound marked by American West Coast rap, funk and a strong soul and R&B dimension. The group emerged as a quartet bringing together Tormento, Nega, Big Fish and DJ Irmu, before quickly tightening around the duo Tormento and Big Fish, a configuration that would remain the most identified with Sottotono. After a first album, Soprattutto sotto (1994), Sottotono developed a more melodic and urban writing on Sotto effetto stono (1996), then Sotto lo stesso effetto (1999), where rap blends more with sung refrains and a looser production, between contemporary soul and R&B. Active on the major Italian stages of the late 1990s, Sottotono also performed at Festivalbar, MTV Days and Concerto del Primo Maggio. In 2001, the duo participated in the Festival di Sanremo with Mezze verità and released ...In teoria, an album that strengthens the opening toward soul and contemporary R&B without breaking with its hip-hop base. After a breakup in the same year, Tormento and Big Fish pursued separate paths before relaunching Sottotono in 2021 with the album Originali. In the history of Italian rap, Sottotono remains associated with a form of crossover between hip-hop culture, urban chanson and soul sensibilities.