Geolier

Emanuele Palumbo, born in 2000 in Naples, decided to make his way in Italian rap as Geolier, a clever play on words combining the French term for “jailer” with the term used for residents of the Neapolitan neighborhood of Secondigliano. He dedicated his debut single, “P Secondigliano” (2018), to that renowned Naples neighborhood, an example of dialect trap that carries forward what Enzo Dong's “Secondigliano regna” (2015) had started.

After further singles that became hits through YouTube, he released “Emanuele” (2019, double platinum), reissued in 2020 as “Emanuele (marchio registrato)” with six additional tracks.

With guest appearances on the various “M Manc” (with Shablo and Sfera Ebbasta), “Nena” (with Boro Boro), “Cyborg” (with Guè Pequeno), “Friend” (with Shiva and Lazza), “Troppi soldi” (Gemitaiz), he established himself as one of the most sought-after voices in hip-hop in 2020, with a few curious forays into Neapolitan pop territory through collaborations with Anna Tatangelo and Gigi D'Alessio.

Between 2021 and 2022 he is one of the names most worth watching, also with an eye toward crossover success in pop, so “The courage of children” (2023) is met with considerable expectation.

His third album “God knows” promises consistency, before God and listeners alike: indeed, it does little to shake up what we heard on “The courage of children” (2023), a hugely successful commercial album that turned him into one of Italy's most famous rappers and brought him within a step of victory at Sanremo 2024, only to be overtaken in the final vote by Angelina Mango.

(Antonio Silvestri)