The “Training Day” of Doye and Giovane Platone. The Interview.

“They could have fought for themselves, but they chose honor, they chose to become myth!”: the powerful intro “Saluto Militare” (Military Salute) that opens “Training Day”, your new album, is a clear declaration of war. The military march laid down by Platone leaves ample space for Doye’s battle bars. So you chose honor and legend. How do you experience the dichotomy between this choice and the legitimate ambition to make a living from it, to not remain “without a paycheck”?

GIOVANE PLATONE: I’ll start with a gem about the beat – it initially included a sample of “Come Together” by the Beatles that we decided to remove together in the studio to emphasize even more that sense of march that you heard. As for the message, I’ll gladly pass the ball to my colleague…

DOYE: Like every self-respecting legend, “we’ll make money when we’re dead!” Lol, just kidding (I hope). It’s a somewhat delicate topic, in the sense that we’re not yet at the point of being able to live off music alone, but the income from it is getting bigger and more consistent, so that’s great. Our strategy was not to wait for someone to discover us out of nowhere and take us to the top, but to immediately start paving our way, working to the best of our abilities and trying to convert “digital” fans right away into organic fans, let’s say, who despite the low numbers, would invest in us and our music through merch, physical copies and so on. Add to that the fact that besides the expenses for music production (recording, mixing and mastering) and material costs, we don’t have to give percentages to anyone, we don’t have to pay for outside work or anything else, since we manage and produce everything ourselves, the profit is net and entirely ours.

Every project you release, you manage to raise the bar. “Rosso Corsa” is already a cult classic of the Italian underground in recent years, but with this new album “Training Day” the step-up was total, in production, writing, communication and also in the physical release, curated by RRC. How did you approach the project and what goals did you set for yourselves?

DOYE: I’ll say it, Plato was a bit reluctant to start working on a new album, it was the period when LF3 was coming out and we didn’t really know what to do or how to do it. We had a few ready tracks that were kind of the skeleton of what the new album should be, but then we met up at his place by the sea and for 3-4 days we cooked. I’d go to his place in the morning with a mic and sound card, he’d send some beats, I’d write, he’d go out to train (Trmnnnn) and I’d record the demos.

Those days in Celle Ligure completely changed everything we already had ready, all the tracks we had made were scrapped in favor of the new stuff, and you could say the bulk of the work was done there. Then in the following months we added stuff, refined the tracks, chose the features, the concept and everything. For the contact with RRC we have to thank Edo from BLVD of Death, who passed our stuff to Domenico, who got hyped and we got in touch. As soon as we had the album ready, we sent it to him and proposed doing the physical release together, he accepted and here we are, with the records ready before the release, like serious artists (Lol).

Our goals are clear if you listen to the album – this is our Training Day, like in the Denzel Washington film. We’re Jake getting into Alonzo’s car, realizing that the world he had idealized is actually corrupt, but refusing to accept this reality. I think that captures the concept well.

GIOVANE PLATONE: The album was born in a period when Ciccio (Doye) came to visit me at the beach around March. We set up an improvised studio under my attic and they were good, productive days where we’d wake up, try to work together on the sound, then I’d go out to train and Ciccio would finish the tracks. We decided on the features once the album was finished based on what the tracks inspired in us and we went to the studio in Milan to record, mix and master it (thx my man Carlito Shak3).

Your productions, Plato, are very diverse. The sound is raw, dense for most of the album; the single “Wackass” has more chill vibes, the banger “Spenderli e Rifarli” feat Gionni Gioielli rests on an infectious sample, but with softer atmospheres, while the title track “Training Day” is a claustrophobic ride where it really feels like gasping in a swamp with crocodiles. Can you tell us about the vision behind the album’s production and how you brought it to life?

GIOVANE PLATONE: The beat of “Training Day” is one of my favorites on the album and of all time. I flipped the sample 3 times before making it sound like that, I played the drums under the supervision of Ciccio Doye who wanted it as minimal as possible. During recording, we had to speed it up a bit to make it even more relentless and make it sound better with Ciccio’s rap.

In “Fratelli miei” (My Brothers), Doye, you talk about the reality of Saronno, of your people, you claim space and opportunities for yourself and your brothers. The area is very prolific and buzzing, you’re taking it all! How important was the environment where you grew up (“read it in people’s faces: this is the province, brother!”) and where do you see yourselves in the future? What are your dreams and ambitions?

DOYE: I think the importance of the environment where I grew up derives mainly from the fact that, in reality, there’s nothing to do, so you have to grab onto something just to defeat boredom and the struggle… For the future we’ll see, I don’t want to jinx myself so I’m not making predictions, but “shoot for the stars, aim for the moon” – always.

In “Demolition Derby pt.2” the “Tweanz” duo returns, the complete Avalanche Team for the new anthem with the veteran Clickhead, underground legend through and through. How and when did you meet, how important was it for you to have a mentor/friend like him? Will we have an Avalanche Team album soon?

DOYE: Avalanche Team in this Bitch! I met Lillo (Click Head) a few years ago now, let’s say through some friends. Then he needed a big guy for a “Usual” shoot and from there we started meeting more frequently, but at the time he was still in Milan. Then when he came back to Saronno we locked in the DOPE Mansion, and for me it was kind of a time & space chamber on a hip-hop version, surrounded by books, records, interviews, stories, films, rap and everything. My knowledge grew exponentially and I think I managed to understand even better the concept of coolness/dopeness, to sharpen my eye and recognize wack stuff. 

So yeah, I’d say he was somewhat of a mentor (also due to the age factor tvb Lillo) but I see him more as a big brother. As for an Avalanche Team album, never say never, let’s say we perform better in the cold.

GIOVANE PLATONE: Click (a.k.a “Il Lupo” – the wolf) and I met a few years ago one evening when he invited me to his house to work together on the “Dopecast” theme song: it was love at first knowledge! From that moment we can open a very long chapter made of evenings, sleepovers, wake-ups, lunches, rap, birthdays and you name it. For the full album I’ll tell you that my and Lunar’s beats are always ready for those two…

“…And I have nothing to do with the industry! like a craftsman!” (quote). You’re both champions of self-production: from physical copies of the album, to graphics (@nikelauda), to merch (@leatherfacemansion), you have complete control over your projects. Would you collaborate with larger realities to expand your visibility? And in what ways?

DOYE: Basically it’s making a virtue out of necessity, let me explain: when we started working with Plato, we had no other choice, we didn’t have money to invest in graphics, videos, press office, communication etc (not that we have it now eh!). So the options were either to sit with our hands folded waiting for something, or roll up our sleeves and get to work. I graduated as a graphic design technician, it’s something I’ve always liked to do, so once you understand a bit how the programs work, it’s all a matter of inventiveness and creativity.

I’m not the most skilled graphic designer, nor videomaker, but I feel I can say I have a good eye and some good ideas, and basically that was enough for us to build a stylish and credible image, from merch, to album covers, to videos and everything else. Logistics instead is a matter of hustle, and until there was someone to handle it for us, I did it myself. I don’t exclude collaborations, I’m a big fan of visions coming together to create something unique, so certainly, both for visibility, which never hurts, and because I believe there are many artists, structures, creatives or players in general who can help us develop our vision and enhance our product.

GIOVANE PLATONE: I can confirm that we self-produced our entire catalog of albums and merchandise to date. Now, having received the proposal from an international label very aligned with us like RRC, we decided to entrust them with the printing work, so as to have an even wider distribution. The artistic/graphic vision of the entire project obviously remained to us though.

Doye, your rap is attitude and technique. You’re surgically precise on the beat. Which MCs influenced or inspired you in forming your writing? Who are your favorites, who did you grow up with?

DOYE: A million bro hahaha… But I have to say my very first formation is all Italian, in the sense that as a kid I didn’t understand English well and didn’t fully grasp American rap, so I listened to a lot of stuff from our country. In a certain sense, writing-wise I was more inspired/formed by Italian rappers rather than USA: my trident is Club Dogo – Noyz (and Truceklan) – DSA Commando, who besides the instantly recognizable imagery of all three, always hyped me with how they managed to describe situations and crystal-clear scenes that you can almost visualize. From the states instead I’d say the influence was more on delivery/attitude and more generally on the sound of words, and my trident here is WSG – Camron – Ghostface.

Soon you’ll meet with the Lo-Life ambassador, Thirstin Howl the Third at Biko in Milan (Info & Tickets here) in an evening/event that promises to be historic, then repeated on December 6th at CSOA la Strada in Rome. For you, who are fans of Lo-Life in Italy, what does it mean?

DOYE: So, first of all I want to clarify something – we’re not LoLifers. Sure, we’re huge admirers of this culture, of Ralph Lauren and all the legacy this movement generated, but in reality, we’re incredibly far from the reality in which the movement has its roots… I mean, I’ve never robbed an RL store, nor jumped someone in the middle of the street to steal their jacket (lol).  Then obviously we share many aspects/codes/uniforms, like Love&Loyalty, rocking Polo pieces on every occasion etc, but it’s more about respect/admiration rather than actually being LoLifers.

The December night is already shaping up to be legendary! It’s the first time live in Italy for a monument like Thirstin Howl, and that alone would be enough to make it a once-in-a-lifetime occasion. For me it’s obviously an honor to open both Italian dates, because he was a major reference for what my journey is today, so it seems like a great way to bring it full circle. S/o to my brother OG BIGG DABB who’s organizing the event and hustling like crazy for the history and culture, love you.

GIOVANE PLATONE: I honestly see it as a good test to understand if in Italy there are the cultural foundations to be able to organize this type of event while monetizing it. I’m very curious about people’s response to such an event.

By the way, in 2025 came out a new album by the legend Thirstin Howl III. In the production credits, among the names of DJ Muggs and Psycho Les, appears that of GIOVANE PLATONE. How was the collaboration with the Brownsville Mc?

GIOVANE PLATONE: I’ll spoil that we’ve had a track by OG Bigg Dabb ready for over 2 years with Thirstin “Howl”. Basically by sending him the folder of beats to choose from, he as a good hustler decided to keep another one of mine for his album. I’d say my name among those fits really well ahahahah.

You’re both very connected to the graffiti world. Can you tell us how you approached this culture, how you experience it, how it influences your artistic production?

GIOVANE PLATONE: I started approaching the hip-hop world through my lifelong friends: the ATR crew (Basèg – Speed – Acto + Santo). Then I realized I was bad at painting and it was better to make beats ahahah.

DOYE: I’ve always had friends who do graffiti but as far as I’m concerned no, zero, it’s just not my thing. I always appreciate it, I’m really into it as an art form, but it’s not for me. The only thing I can do is manage not to ruin a record if I have to sign it lol.

AN INTERVIEW BY ELIA FACHERIS