“Mica pizza and fichi mica pizza and fichi” is what we were all humming in 2018. Ever since it came out, that song has stuck in everyone’s head like a catchphrase. This was Tredici Pietro‘s, class of ’97 and made in Bologna, bold entrance into the Italian rap scene. In the following years, after getting a good media attention, he has matured a lot and to prove it there is his new album “Solito posto, Soliti guai”, available from Friday, April 22 on all digital stores.
Collater.al therefore decided to interview him, in order to understand how he is living this period of music, live performances, audience and strong emotions.

Hi Pietro, how are you? Tell me what’s going on in your head in these post-release days.

I’ll repeat the question: if I was bad would I tell you? Joking aside – he laughs – I’m fine, really fine. Rightly between anxiety and happiness I’m on a roller coaster. Surely the fact that this is the third official release helps me, by now I’m quite accustomed to these dynamics, I’m not in a limbo of waiting as with previous releases, indeed, for this release I’m touching everything with my hand. The fanbase is being heard, the attention on the pieces is palpable. Let’s say that with this question you made me think about how I actually feel, so let’s say I feel great – laughs -.

You were born and raised in Bologna. Usually you have a complex relationship with your city, even if in your recordings you recognize that you are tied to your roots. Tell me a little bit about what kind of bond there is with your city and how you live it.

I can easily answer you, this project could be called “Bologna”. It is an album made to honor my roots. I like to think that I can give voice to people who are close to me, I try to tell what I have lived with my friends, who have always been a fundamental aspect of my life. I have always lived my growth outside the home, never within 4 walls. Now that I live in Milan and I’m fixed here, Bologna has paradoxically received even more attention. “Solito posto, Soliti guai” (Usual place, Usual troubles) is this, it’s us, our bar, our troubles, telling what almost doesn’t happen anymore. A tribute.

Many of the tracks on the album are curated by Andry The Hitmaker. What kind of relationship was established with the producer?

He produced pretty much everything. It all started during a freestyle I did with Roshelle and on a base by Andry. I don’t want to brag or anything, but I remember that I smashed those beats, Andry noticed it, he liked me and after that we got together a couple of times. I also saw other producers, but one particular day during a session in the studio, Andry in the middle of the workflow looked at me and said, a bit randomly, “we should make an EP together”. Born then the whole thing from common working dynamics, but with the luck that we found each other really well. It’s nice to think that sincere relationships can be born from work.

Mecna, Nayt and Giaime are the 3 featuring artists present in the album, you can immediately feel that they have entered on tiptoe on their respective tracks, without overdoing it and enhancing the value of each song. What was it like collaborating with these artists?

I’ll answer right away by saying that all 3 did exactly what I expected: they rocked. With Giaime, who has always worked with Andry, the thing was born in the studio. With Mecna and Nayt instead it all happened during quarantine with a simple message on Instagram. I felt that those pieces were missing something, and it was just their presence.
There is a great artistic and human respect, really nice. Things are more beautiful that are true, that don’t come from a need. There was no filter, even though we initially felt each other on Instagram there was a nice human connection.

Let’s talk a little bit about live shows now. For the past month or so you’ve been starting full force again and the whole industry is experiencing a renaissance. From April 29 onwards you’ll be on the road taking your album around Italy. How do you relate to the live dimension?

Can I give you a spoiler? I can already tell you that from the Milan date on, location permitting, we will have a band during the live show. It is a good level up, we are working on many aspects: we are rearranging the songs, rearranging everything, studying a show in fact. We are working a lot, then we’ll see at the live shows if well – laughs -.
I am absolutely loaded, then the last word is up to the public. They will be the ones who will say if we rocked or not.