Salmo

Salmo (Maurizio Pisciottu, born 1984) is a pioneer of Italian rap music. In 2011 he produced his first solo record, “The Island Chainshaw Massacre” (platinum certified), and the following year released “Death USB”, which immediately topped the iTunes chart. In 2013 came “Midnite” (double platinum), which reached number one among the best-selling albums in Italy. In 2014 Salmo announced his departure from the Tanta Roba label to launch his new record project with Machete Empire, and founded “Lebonski Agency”, a booking and management company. In December 2015 he released “1984” (double platinum), which paved the way for the album “Hellvisback” (February 2016), certified triple platinum, which debuted at #1 on both the iTunes and FIMI charts, staying there for two weeks.

Between March and April 2017 he played some of Europe's most prestigious festivals (Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, Dublin, London, Berlin, Brussels, Amsterdam and Thessaloniki) and fired up audiences across more than 50 dates in Italy. After three epic sold-out arena shows in Milan, Rome and Vigevano in December 2018, in March 2019 he returned to the stages of Italy's main arenas with the “Playlists Tour 2019”, selling out every single date, and on 12 July 2019 he took part in Rock in Roma for an exclusive live show ahead of the summer tour. In total, the “Playlist Tour 2019” drew over 220,000 attendees. On Friday 21 September 2018 came “90Min”, his new single certified quadruple platinum, which preceded the new album “Playlist” (9 November 2018).

After breaking numerous Spotify records and dominating the FIMI-GfK charts, Salmo also became the first Italian artist to release a music video exclusively on Netflix and to have a dedicated channel on “Pornhub”, where, in an unconventional marketing move, he launched his new album. On the FIMI-GfK charts it debuted straight at number one among best-selling albums and completely swept the podium of best-selling singles. All 13 tracks on the album placed within the top 16 positions of the chart.

In the summer of 2019, the Sardinian artist headlined the Open Sea Republic project in partnership with Red Bull: from 21 to 23 June, a GNV ferry became the setting for a special 36-hour festival curated by Salmo, featuring DJ sets, concerts, showcases and activities dedicated to film and video games. Released on 5 July 2019, “Machete Mixtape 4” (Machete Empire Records/Sony Music Italy) is the first album released under the Machete name, certified triple platinum, which, 10 years after its founding, cements the crew's status as the longest-running in Italy, currently made up of “frontman” SALMO, Slait, Hell Raton, Nitro, Dani Faiv and Jack The Smoker. “Machete Mixtape 4” features artistic direction by Salmo, Slait and Low Kidd, and executive production by Salmo, Slait and Hell Raton. On 6 December 2019 he released “Playlists Live”, the live version of his latest studio album, containing the previously unreleased tracks “Salmo 23” and “Charles Manson (Buon Natale 2)”, platinum certified, made with Lazza, Dani Faiv and Nitro.

Breaking into the rap scene, Salmo managed to reshape its genre identity, introducing elements of electronic music and hardcore rap never before seen in Italy: with over 2.3 billion total streams, 62 platinum records and 37 gold records, on 1 October 2021 he released the new album “Flop” (double platinum), followed by two summer 2022 dates — 1 July at the Stadio Comunale in Bibione (Venice) and 6 July at the San Siro stadium in Milan — plus a 12-date tour of the same name (organised and produced by Vivo Concerts) across Italy's major arenas, scheduled for November and December 2022.

On May 27, 2022, the album “Blocco 181 – Original Soundtrack” was also released, with Salmo overseeing its artistic direction. The record is inspired by the new Sky Original series “Blocco 181”, on which Salmo serves as music supervisor and producer, creative producer, and actor.

2025 brings a new album, titled “Ranch“, which attempts a further evolution. The seventh album in the career of Maurizio “Salmo” Pisciottu arrives as the Sardinian rapper turns forty, with a rich career behind him: youthful forays into metal-stoner-hardcore, and a discography ranging from a crossover unique within the Italian scene, as practiced on “The Island Chainsaw Massacre” (2011), through to the horror-themed joint album “CVLT” (2023) alongside Noyz Narcos. A workhorse of the live stage and a seasoned performer who's no stranger to hits, Salmo has little left to prove, and across these 16 new tracks he seems intent on veering away from the rest of the pack. It would seem the time has come for a more author-driven turn, as happened for fellow 1979-born artist Marracash — but in truth, these premises are only partly fulfilled...