My story
<<To be honest it's not so simple writing about myself in these lines, I don't even know exactly where to start or where to arrive, but I'll try anyway.
I was born in Genoa in 1989, and I grew up in Campomorone, a town of about 7500 inhabitants in the hinterland of the main city, halfway between suburb and country. At nine, I started studying piano, at thirteen I stopped: I didn't find it fun enough.
Let's start
At that time there weren't Youtube and ADSL, no one had WIFI, first mobile phones smaller than the phone booths just started appearing; so the only ways I had to listen to music were CDs, radio and MTV.
By listening to MTV, my friend Willy (in the picture with me) and I, decided to write a rap song. We wanted to produce something like Sean Paul, so in my bedroom, with computer's microphone and sounds from my keyboard, we recorded our first song entitled "Willy and Mikke", it was 2003.
From that moment I understood that I really like writing songs. Immediately I wrote two songs more, later in 2005 I was able to complete my first album, fully recorded in the bedroom, entitled "Enjoy".
The following year I released the album "Lasciateci sognare (Let us dream)", produced by me using the software Hip-hop Ejay, keyboard and a midi sampler. Inside "Lasciateci sognare" there was the song "Quello che non riuscivo a dire (What I couldn't tell you)". This track was particularly appreciated by many of my classmates and in 2007 I decided to make my first music video using what i had (a digital camera and windows movie maker). Uploaded the video on Youtube, I got a good response, but also some insults.
Mad Boys
At that time I was playing in AGV, a football team, with Simone Marcenaro (Simo X). Simo liked my CD and we decided with Elisa Solinas (Felix) to write the song "Lasciati guidare da lei (Let you guide by her)". Then with Andrea Galluzzo (Gallu), we reassembled a famous Bolzaneto's crew from the 1990's: the Mad Boys Crew.
Shortly after, Claudio Piras (Claudio), Alessandro Marcenaro (AleMan) and Andreas Giusto (Andrews Right) joined the crew. We were thrilled, with a lot of ideas, so in 2011 we released our first album named "Su questa strada (On this Road)", entirely recorded in our newborn studio: the Mad.
"Su questa strada" became quite popular in Valpolcevera and so we started singing around Genoa and meeting other hip hop crews in the area, especially Gigaflow, Wha & Mel and Frapo.
Zeneize rap
After "On this Road", the crew remained united, but the various members also started personal projects. At this time I wrote "Zena", my first song in Ligurian language. I remember someone laughing at me when I told about the idea of writing in Ligurian, but I didn't care.
At that time I didn't feel very well, I was in the second year of telecommunications engineering. I felt crushed by engineering, Sundays studing and other problems, while I saw other rappers posting new songs every week. It was in engineering faculty that wrote Zena's first verse, and it came out all in one shot, after the first rhyme "ciassa-figassa". That song changed my life. His music video gave me a great charge of enthusiasm to continue making music with new energies and new ideas.
In July 2011 Claudio lost her life in a motorbike accident. Shattered from this tragic event we wrote a song dedicated to him, his family and his son, who would be born a month later. It was a tough hit for all of us. I personally remember and will remember all his teachings in rap and especially in life. Claudio is a great artist, his "Claudio for life" album, produced entirely by Andrews Right, is a masterpiece which can be heard on youtube.
If I've grown up as a rapper and as a person, it's also worthy of Cla and I thank him for that.
14/07/2011
Between engineering and music
Engineering had often tested me hard. I suffered, I felt that the time for music had become smaller and smaller and the frustration of having to study intensely stressed me. After four years of study, I was able to get my bachelor degree, with the intention of finally dedicating myself to my passions as I always wanted. I was determined to stop my studies unless I was admitted to the Master's Degree in Sound Engineering at Como campus of Politecnico di Milano.
I was admitted and so I went to live in Como for two years. This experience was very important for me. In an environment full of international students, I met wonderful people who allowed me to widen my horizons, but never forgetting love for Liguria.
At that time, I finished various musical projects, completing with Mad Boys and UBR "Madness Ep", with Erika the song "Voglia d'estate (Summer wish)", on my own "Chiedersi perchè (Ask yourself why)".
Maybe because of the distance from Liguria, maybe because of the feelings remembering my origins, in Como I wrote in genovese the song "Inte 'n abbrasso (In a hug)". This song has something magic and singing it still gives me great feelings. His video has spread a lot and it's still popular on whatsapp, especially among over forty! I am very happy about it.
In June 2014 I released "Dove vai (Where are you going)", my album containing all the songs of that period. The CD is made up of 15 songs all recorded, produced and mixed by me at the Mad Studio.
In July 2015 I graduated, completing Master of Science degree in computer engineering with specialization in Sound and Music engineering. It was time to go back to Campo.
Once finished my studies, I thought nothing would "stop me" in making music. Only after I realized it was an illusion. Engineering was for me an excuse to hide me, to lock me, to justify me, but the real locks are inside of us and sometimes we need time and patience to get rid of them.
From July 2015 to 2018
Since then I've devoted myself to work at the studio as sound engineer and in small steps I've been able to find again the concreteness achieving my musical projects, which I started uploading on my new Youtube channel.
I'm currently working on a project entirely in genovese and another one in italian.
On February 3rd and 4th 2017, I've participated at 16th edition of San Giorgio's Festival for songs in Ligurian language, receiving the "Elmo Bazzano" award and the best soloist prize with the song "T'e speciale (You're special)".
Afterwards, I've published other songs very important for me: "Splenderà (It will shine)", featuring Oriana Langella, and "Luxe inti euggi (Light in the eyes), a trap song in Ligurian language.
On 11th July 2017, I've published the video of "Coae de cantà" featuring "I Trilli", a band that has written the history of Ligurian music. About a month later, it was tima for "Tou lì", a song touching different styles (dance, folk, pop and rap) featuring "I Demueluin", a summer hit in Liguria.
In september of that year it's time for "In un abbraccio", riedited italian version of "Inte 'n abbrasso". On November 11th "Sfioreremo le stelle" is uploaded, this song is dedicated to all people pursuing their goals and dreams, despite everything, sure to achieve important goals.
On February 2nd 2018 I take part in "Festival della Canzone in lingua ligure" with the song "Fermâ o tenpo". With this song I receive best lyrics and best soloist singer awards, repeating previous year's success.
Few days before April 25th (the date in which historically Italy ended second World War), song's videoclip is posted on Youtube.
In the same period, I also release the single "Ci rido sopra".
Alta Via's Diary
December 6th "Diario d'Alta Via" is released , it's a jourey-documentary about the Alta Via of Ligurian mountains.
This project starts from the wish to travel around Ligurian mountains, understanding something more about myself.
I'm not a "PRO hiker", I couldn't bring a lot of videomaking equipment and I hadn't sponsors, but these features make the project true and close to the viewer, who perceives the authenticity of the journey through the truthfulness with which it's told.
"Luxe inti euggi", first album in Ligurian language
On May 25th 2019 "Luxe inti euggi" is published. It's my first album entirely in "zeneize", or better Ligurian language, as I often like to say.
This project contains songs already published, partly rearranged, remixed and corrected, and unpublished songs.
Musical genres range from trap, to pop, to reggae up to Afro and Latin rhythms, passing through songs that I would call classic.
The album also has important featurings with great artists of the Genoese music panorama, such as Lord Jaan, Maz Vilander, Chiara Franzi, I Trilli and I Demueluin.
All the infos to listen, download and / or buy the disc, are reported in the MUSIC section of this website.
After the album's release, music videos of "Ghe semmo", with the dancers of Funk Lab ASD, and "Pe-i monti a pê", a song inspired by the journey on the Alta Via dei Monti Liguri, are published.
In September 2019 first edition of the "Ghe semmo Festival" took place in Campomorone, an event organized by me with the municipality of Campomorone and broadcast live by Primocanale, dedicated to music in Ligurian language, with special care to the most innovative art forms.
Creative projects go on at full speed and new music videos have been released, including the ukulele version of "Ave Maria zeneize" and "Aregagimmose" with Maz Vilander and Makadam Zena.
Other interesting musical project released are "Natale a Zena", rearranged version of "Natale a Pavana" by Francesco Guccini, and "Dase 'na man" featuring Guido Perata, this song receaived a special prize at Festival della Canzone in lingua ligure 2021.
On March 3rd I left for a very special experience: living 40 days without "technology" in a house into the wild.
Only when I came back I discovered what was happening into the rest of the world. One year later the videostory of this experience is released on YouTube. During that time I wrote some songs and poems which have given life to a new musical project. Work in progress :)
On the occasion of the 700th anniversary of Dante's physical death, I decided to publish a special project: a rap of the first Canto of Hell. It's not always easy to approach great authors, I think a particular sensitivity is necessary. Perhaps to someone this project could seem "excessive" or "irreverent", for me it's a different way of listening to the beauty that the Supreme Poet has given us.
latest update 30/08/2021