Fedez

Born Federico Leonardo Lucia in Milan, the socially minded Italian rapper Fedez first attracted notice in 2011 by issuing the download-only collections Penisola Che Non C'è and Il Mio Primo Disco da Venduto. After signing with Sony, he delivered his debut proper album, Sig. Brainwash: L'arte di Accontentare, in March 2013; the set immediately claimed the summit of Italy’s FIMI ranking and later earned triple-platinum status. Fresh editions of his earlier releases then propelled both titles into the Top Ten during June 2013. Fedez also took a seat on the judging panel of the Italian edition of X Factor.

His next Sony project, Pop-Hoolista, arrived in October 2014 and likewise dominated the domestic charts, remaining on the tally through the balance of that year and into the first half of 2015 before securing double-platinum honors. In 2017 he returned to number one with the album Comunisti col Rolex, recorded alongside fellow Milanese rapper J-Ax; the project’s blend of pop, rap, and EDM featured both artists alternating between vocals and rhymes, while the tracks “Vorrei Ma Non Posto” and “Assenzio” each reached the top of the singles chart.