Inoki

Fabiano Ballarin, known professionally as the Bolognese rapper Inoki, came into the world in October 1979 in Ostia near Rome. When he reached the age of two his family relocated to Imperia in Liguria. At thirteen he took up rapping, drawing inspiration from early-1990s American hip-hop. By sixteen Ballarin had settled in Bologna and fully immersed himself in the city’s thriving music community. He began composing under the name Enok and soon entered the growing local hip-hop circuit. There he connected with rapper and dancer Gianni and lyricist Panic, leading the three to establish the group Porzione Massiccia Crew, or PMC. The trio quickly rose to prominence within Bologna’s rap scene and earned national attention. Joe Cassano later joined the PMC lineup, after which Inoki and Cassano created the collective they called Flick Flack Mob. Additional work with Next Level and Portafoglio Lainz placed Inoki as a guest on several late-1990s recordings, among them Demolizione in 1997 and Cassano’s Dio Lodato in 1999. His contribution to the landmark 2001 project 5 Dan reached his widest audience to date, extending to hip-hop listeners in France, Switzerland, the U.S., and Africa. Appearances in Bologna’s To the Beat freestyle competition, a tour with Tekno Mobil Squad, and multiple roles on Italian television have established Inoki as one of the country’s most recognized rap figures. Solo releases include Fabiano Detto Inoki from 2005 and Nobilta' di Strada from 2007.