Ghali

Ghali Amdouni, formerly known as Fobia or Ghali Foh, an Italian-Tunisian rapper born in Milan, is one of the leading figures of the early Italian trap scene. He rose to success thanks to YouTube. He started out in Troupe D’Elite, a quartet (Ghali, Er Nyah, Maite, Fonzibeat). After the group split up, he began making a name for himself with “Come Milano” (April 2014, ahead of many of his fellow countrymen), produced by Charlie Charles, who would go on to become the most famous producer in the Italian trap scene. With no presence on Spotify, Deezer or iTunes until 2017, and without any free downloads whatsoever, Ghali racked up millions of views, mainstream-style.

2015 is the year of his breakthrough, when he cements his innovative style with a string of singles that increasingly sharpen his artistic identity. His Italian-Tunisian background and his Muslim faith also set him apart in terms of cultural references from many other trappers, still mostly Italian, white and Christian.

His music then becomes increasingly carefree, geared toward a narcotic, cocky sense of fun (see “Cazzo mene”, 2015). Charlie Charles’ production, who would become almost a permanent collaborator, gives the singles of this period a consistency once typical of full albums. After several more singles (“Non lo so”, “Sempre me”, “Marijuana”, “Vai tra” and above all “Dende”) he has by now refined a language full of winks to an audience born between the late 80s and early 90s who, through cultural affinity, can grasp his pop references. His first single released on Spotify, “Ninna Nanna” (2016, quadruple platinum), is a huge hit, becoming the first Italian track to go “viral” worldwide on Spotify. This early period, at times naive but crucial to the Italian trap scene, is well captured by the compilation “Lunga vita a Sto” (2017), which also celebrates the launch of his fledgling label. The double-platinum single “Pizza kebab” (2017) sets the stage for his hugely anticipated debut album, “Albums” (triple platinum, 2017), followed in 2020 by “DNA” and then by “Sensazione ultra” (2022).

(Antonio Silvestri)