Gemelli DiVersi emerged in Milan during 1997 as one of Italy’s most commercially oriented and widely embraced hip-hop outfits of the late nineties, born from the union of two separate rap duos—La Cricca, featuring rapper Emanuele “Thema” Busnaghi alongside DJ Alessandro “THG” Merli, and Rima Nel Cuore, comprising MC Luca “Grido” Aleotti (younger brother of Articolo 31’s J-Ax) and singer Francesco “Strano” Stranges. Their first single, “Un Attimo Ancora,” appeared in 1998 and incorporated the chorus from Pooh’s seventies hit “Dammi Solo un Minuto,” achieving massive popularity that drove strong sales for the self-titled debut album Gemelli DiVersi. Following an appearance in a Coca-Cola television spot, the group issued its second album, 4 X 4, in 2000 and simultaneously published the photo book E Mò lo Sai. The subsequent year brought Come Piace a Me, which contained six live cuts plus one previously unreleased song.
After completing a tour in support of Eros Ramazzotti, the quartet tracked Fuego in 2002; the record featured the single “Mary,” whose lyrics addressed a girl’s sexual abuse at the hands of her father. The track held the uppermost positions on Italian charts for eight months, becoming Gemelli DiVersi’s biggest success to date. In 2003 the band received the Best Italian Act prize at the MTV European Music Awards, and the following year it delivered the more melody-driven Reality Show. Participation in the Italian edition of Live8 came in 2005, while 2006 saw the launch of their own MTV Italy series, Pimp My Wheels—a two-wheeled adaptation of the well-known Pimp My Ride—along with a Best Band victory at the inaugural Italian Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards. Returning to their hip-hop foundation, the group released Boom! in 2007, a set that included the track “Che Mondo Meraviglioso” featuring guest vocals from Eros Ramazzotti.
