Emis Killa

Emis Killa, an Italian rapper whose mainstream traction in his homeland stems from absorbing the Diplomats, the Game, and Fabolous, has fused hard-edged verses with melodic hooks to maintain consistent commercial dominance at home. While still in his early twenties he issued his widely praised first album, L'erba cattiva (2012); three subsequent projects—Mercurio (2013), Terza stagione (2016), and Supereroe (2018)—each reached the summit of the Italian album chart. In the interval between his debut and follow-up LPs he drew notice from American listeners by appearing in the cypher portion of the BET Hip Hop Awards.

Born Emiliano Rudolf Giambelli in Vimercate, close to the Milan base he later adopted, Emis Killa—son of keyboardist Sergio Giambelli—began rapping in his early teens and gained early recognition at seventeen by winning a freestyle contest. He soon linked with Blocco Recordz, which issued his initial two mixtapes in 2009 and 2010, before stepping up to the established Carosello imprint. His first official album, L'erba cattiva, arrived in 2012, climbed to number two on Italy’s national chart, and earned platinum status thanks in part to the breakout single “Parole di ghiaccio.” Recognition followed from the Italian edition of Total Request Live, which named him Best Emerging Artist, and from the MTV Europe Music Awards, which awarded him Best Italian Act.

Mercurio, his second studio album, surfaced the next year, surpassed the debut’s chart placement by hitting number one, and also achieved platinum certification. Later in 2013 Emis took part in the BET Hip Hop Awards cypher, a notable sign of acceptance for an artist raised on U.S. rap recordings. After a three-year recording hiatus that included a coaching stint on The Voice of Italy, he returned to the top spot with Terza stagione in 2016. Fronted by the major single “Rollercoaster,” Supereroe extended his run of number-one albums when it appeared in 2018.