99 Posse are an Italianhip hop/reggae group from Naples. They rap both in Italian and in the local Naples dialect. Most of 99 Posse's songs deal with political or social issues, and they are considered to be left-wing hardliners. As a showing of their activism, all of their albums have beens released with a prezzo politico ("political price"), each CD displaying a sticker saying "Don't pay more than..." For 99 Posse, this means "putting into practice a specific understanding about their relationship with the market, a sort of ideal practice." They have gained popularity in Italy through their songs and the way in which they give voice to progressive political causes. Their first album "Curre Curre Guagliò" (1993) was mainly influenced by reggae and world music, "Cerco Tiempo"(1996) and "Corto Circuito" (1998) included new styles like drum 'n bass and trip hop. "Curre Curre Guaglio" was self-produced, though it rose from its underground status to become an iconic album and cultural manifesto that eventually inspired the film "Sud" by Oscar winning director Gabriele Salvatores. The group also has their own record label, Novenove, which works to promote underground artists.
