Sfera Ebbasta

Known for his flashy, swaggering fusion of pop and trap, Sfera Ebbasta ranks among Italy’s most prominent rappers. During the 2010s he became the nation’s top-selling artist and logged a record 20 number-one singles on the domestic chart. The full-length projects Sfera Ebbasta (2016), Rockstar (2018), and Famoso (2020) each reached the summit of the Italian album rankings and received multi-platinum awards. In 2022 he teamed with Rvssian for the EP Italiano.

Gionata Boschetti, who performs as Sfera Ebbasta, entered the world in Sesto San Giovanni in 1992 and grew up in the adjacent town of Cinisello Balsamo, a locale he frequently cites in his lyrics. When he was thirteen his father died, leaving him to care for his mother and sister; he dealt with the burden by composing rhymes. Although he left school early, he soon discovered a path into Italy’s rap industry. Over the course of a decade he refined his skills with close friend and producer Charlie Charles, and by the time he turned twenty-three the scene regarded him as a rising figure. The pair established the Billionheadz brand to handle both merchandise and recordings, issuing their first project, Emergenza Mixtape Vol. 1, in 2013. His debut studio album, XDVR, surfaced in 2015 as a free download before being expanded into XDVR Reloaded; it later climbed into the Italian Top 40, earned platinum status, and helped popularize trap music throughout the country.

Located just beyond Milan, Cinisello Balsamo—affectionately called Ciny—prompted Boschetti and Charles to relocate to the larger city in search of broader exposure. The rapper’s first solo album, Sfera Ebbasta, arrived in 2016 via licensing arrangements with Universal and Def Jam. It contained two collaborations with French rapper SCH, “Balenciaga” and “Papers Cartier.” Shifting further toward pop, the record topped the Italian charts and achieved triple-platinum certification. Early 2018 brought the aptly named Rockstar, which held the number-one album position for four weeks; all eleven of its tracks debuted inside the top twelve of the singles chart. The standard edition featured Quavo and DrefGold, while the international version added Tinie Tempah, Rich the Kid, and Lary Over; a Popstar Edition supplied additional tracks and remixes.

After guest spots on a J Balvin “Machika” remix and tracks by Ronny J, DrefGold, and Gué Pequeno, Ebbasta issued his third album, Famoso, in 2020. The set drew on an array of international producers and guests, among them Future, Diplo, Steve Aoki, and Offset. In 2022 he released the EP Italiano alongside Jamaican artist Rvssian, which included appearances by BIA, Fivio Foreign, and Myke Towers.