Shade

Turin native Vito Paparella came into the world in 1987 and later built a reputation as the sardonic Italian rapper Shade. During his teenage years he honed his skills in freestyle rap contests, securing several titles before turning sixteen. In 2006 he took part in a few films and short features that featured improvised verses, among them the American action picture Endz. Balancing acting and stand-up ambitions, he earned a cameo on the Comedy Central series Favelas in 2011. His profile rose further in 2013 after claiming victory in the second season of the Italian television freestyle showdown MTV Spit. Around the same period he issued tracks such as “Avanti il Prossimo” and “Cambiare Stato,” made appearances on the long-running variety program Zelig, and supplied voices for South Park in 2014.

Warner Music welcomed him to its roster in 2015, issuing his first full-length project, Mirabilansia, before the year ended. The follow-up album Clownstrofobia arrived in 2016 and reached Italy’s Top Ten. Streaming platforms logged millions of plays for the later singles “Odio le Hit Estive” and “Bene Ma Non Benissimo,” the latter surpassing ten million views on YouTube within months of its June 2017 release.