You cannot rate Hof as a rapper, nor for his musical practice, which covers much more, nor for his attitude and his way of being. Igotz is a good-natured guy, always with a smile from ear to ear, the neighbor who says hello, who makes a neighborhood wherever he goes. A rapper who doesn’t look over his shoulder, who doesn’t show off. Close to his colleagues Chill Mafia, but differentiating himself and taking care of his career. And that “betiprest” face that he wears is not just a facade. He is a hard worker and it is clear that he is grateful for everything that is happening to him, leaving the meritocracy. As he always says, “hodei batetan bezala”, taking advantage of the wave and enjoying a path that, although longed for, was always unexpected and unattainable like a dream when waking up in the morning.
When I say hard-working (him and his entire team), it is because every time we cross paths I say “let’s see when you rest!”. Last time he promised me that they would leave the road for a while. “To compose,” I thought. He hit me in the face with the immediate publication of “Rage”, without having completed even a month away from the stage. And it is that Hof and its 4:40 It’s not that they adapt to the times of the industry, it’s that they set them themselves. While the first reference was spinning, he already surprised with his collaborations with Brava, La Elite or with the contemporary love letter that “Gremlin” represents, along with a Click at the height of inspiration.
And let’s not think that by following the Woody Allenesque custom of publishing every year they are going to launch the same nonsense as the macho Yankee. No, Hof It’s more about Kurosawa and he makes it clear with the thoroughness with which he works on each release: great work in the audiovisual field (with videos for all the songs by the hand of to Arrigurbut always with the passionate and experienced cinematographic vision of Igotz himself), conceptually and, of course, in the musical part on behalf of 4:40.
The leap in quality in music is evident. Because of the baggage that his accomplices are taking on in the production, yes, but also because of the collaborators with whom he has come together to carry out this work that conceptually can function as a continuation or antagonistic face of the previous one. “Love”. This title “Amorrua” is not just a matter of nomenclature. The minimalist cover makes it clear that, although this is an album with an undoubtedly Hofist style, the perspective is different. While the previous one was reminiscent of a cherry or a piercing, with clean titles, this new one follows the same trail but dropping a puddle of blood.
I’m not going to stop and analyze the nutritious Igotz bars, full of contemporary references like Illojuan or Xokas, mixing Basque and Spanish in a masterful way, but the album has it all. After a totally cinematic intro that warns of what is going to happen (it is a much cruder work than the previous one), the postpunk tribute to Ian Curtis begins and the first times, in a very British style close to Slowthai thanks to the production of Jewlon. The short work reaches its ecstasy (never better said, accompanied by frenetic drumnbass and eurodance synths at dangerous speeds) with the hit “El Xokas”, in which he collaborates once again with an incomparable Kiliki in a totally catchy chorus, worthy of graffiti in bathrooms and millennial love confessions: “I say maiti maite dut zure tota.” A theme with production of Sunny Wright IV (also from Chill Mafia) that will undoubtedly go down in history in his discography. To finish, he shows us a different side, unknown until now in a kind of oriental dembow (“Edamame”) together with Hate, NormanBate$ y J Cream. Whispering, danceable and sensual.
Because Hofe is not a rapper, but an artist who can offer much more. And yes, after a crazy year looking for Chester’s package in terms of live performances, Hofe and his henchmen (the inclusion of Jangitz, Vulk’s drummer, on electronic percussion has given a much more energetic character to the show) will return to spread love (in this case “Rage“) through Barcelona, Donostia, Pamplona, Bilbao and Madrid. Don’t miss the opportunity to see the chillma outsider live!