Ghali (rapper)

Ghali Amdouni, known by the mononym Ghali (born 21 May 1993), is an Italian rapper and record producer. Born in Milan from Tunisian parents,[1] he originally started his career using the pseudonym Fobia.

Ghali
Birth nameGhali Amdouni
Also known asFobia, Ghali Foh
Born (1993-05-21) 21 May 1993
Milan, Italy
Genres
Years active2011 -
Labels
  • Tanta Roba
  • Sto Records
Associated acts

One of the leading figures in Italian rap at the end of 2010s, he released two albums reaching the Top10 of the Italian charts supported by many successful hits, with six top positions in the FIMI chart, including "Happy Days", "Ninna Nanna", "Cara Italia", "Peace & Love" and "Good Times".

As of 2020 has sold over 1.6 million copies in Italy, collaborating with numerous Italian artists such as Fedez, Gué Pequeno, Sfera Ebbasta, Salmo, and international artist like Ed Sheeran, Stormzy and Travis Scott.

In October 2016, Ghali released his hugely successful single "Ninna nanna", solely on Spotify, becoming first single to debut at number one only with streaming, selling over 200,000 copies. The video also hit 100 million views on YouTube, a record for a debut Italian artist.

Besides the favor of the musical press, Ghali was also praised by Italy's literary scene and major newspapers, with writers like Roberto Saviano calling him "a blessing" in La Repubblica[2] and Vanni Santoni praising his poetical skills in Il Corriere della Sera.[3]

Biography and career

Born in Milan from Tunisian parents, he lived in Baggio, a suburb of the city. The rapper started to approach hip hop using the pseudonym Fobia, then became Ghali. In 2011 he joined Troupe D'Elite, a group that also included rapper Ernia.[4] His colleague Gué Pequeno signed a contract on his label Tanta Roba, the singer who made himself known thanks to Fedez, accompanying him on his 2011 tour.[5] The following year he releases with the group the EP homonyms, strongly criticized by critics as a disfigurement to Italian and international rap.[6] In July 2013 Ghali releases Leader Mixtape, collaborating with artists such as Sfera Ebbasta and Maruego.[7] One year later Troupe D'Elite cancel their contract with Tanta Roba and release the album Il Mio Giorno Preferito, available for free download on the Honiro platform.[8]

On October 14, 2016, through Sto Records, the debut single "Ninna nanna" was released on Spotify, which set new streaming records in Italy, achieving the highest number of listeners in the first day, and debuting at the top position of the Italian Singles Chart with 200,000 copies sold in total.[9][10] On 3 February 2017 it was the turn of the second single "Pizza Kebab", reaching number 3 on the Fimi's chart,[11] and on the following 12 May the hit "Happy Days" which reached number 4 and sold over 200,000 copies.[12] On May 27, 2017 he released his first studio album, entitled Album, which debuted at the second potion of the Italian Albums Chart and sold 150,000 copies.[13] The album also debuted at number 24 of Swiss Album Charts and 96 of Belgium Albums Chart.[14] At the same time, eight other album's tracks entered the Singles Chart, selling a total of over 325,000 certified copies.[15] The last single "Habibi" peaked at number seven of FIMI's chart and received four platinum certification.[16]

On January 26, 2018 Ghali made the single "Cara Italia" available for streaming, becoming the second single to reach the first position in Italy, later receiving the three platinum certifications.[17]  On April 20, 2018 was released 20 by Capo Plaza, which features the song "It was worth it" in collaboration with the rapper.[18] A few weeks later it was the turn of a new unreleased single, "Peace & Love", released together with Sfera Ebbasta and producer Charlie Charles, which made his debut at the top of Singles Chart and became a summer hit.[19] Before summer the rapper released another single, "Zingarello", made with producer Sick Luke.[20]

On March 15, 2019 it was the turn of the single "I Love You", becoming his ninth rapper's Top10,[21] while on June 21 two singles were released simultaneously, "Turbococco" and "Hasta la vista", which entered into the Top50.[22] Ghali also participated in the second album by rapper Rkomi, Dove gli occhi non arrivano, on the track "Boogie Nights" and two international remixes of "Vossi Bop" by Stormzy and "Antisocial" with Ed Sheeran and Travis Scott.[23][24]

On november 11, 2019 he released his tenth Top10 single "Flashback", first single from his upcoming second studio album.[25] After the number one collaboration "Boogieman" with rapper Salmo, Ghali published the album DNA, characterized by more hip hop and pop music rather than trap sounds, which became his first number one album and received the gold certification.[26] With the album he released the topper single "Good Thimes".[27]

Personal life

Ghali was born from Tunisian parents.[1] His father was sent to prison when he was just a child and his mother raised him on her own. Additionally, as Ghali was growing up, he and his mother had to sleep in the same room and on the same bed due to their lack of living space. His mother fell ill with cancer aged 38 and then recovered. His mother is also his personal assistant, as of 2019.[28]

Since 2019 Ghali is into a relationship with the top model Mariacarla Boscono, who is 12 years his senior.[29]

Ghali is a Muslim.[30]

Philanthropy and rap's feud

His passion for rap and songwriting made him often misunderstood by his school mates: he said he was often bullied, but this experience strengthened him and pushed him to fight more and more.[31] Ghali is a supporter of the Italian LGBT community.[32]

In his second studio album on the track "Vossi Bop (Remiz)", with Stormzy, he raps "Salvini dice che chi è arrivato col gommon non può stare .it ma stare .com (Salvini says that whoever came in the raft can't stay here but stay .com")" and defined the italian Minister for the Interior, Matteo Salvini, as a fascist. Ghali justified himself :"I'm an artist and doing politics isn't necessarily my job. My music tells my story and rap, which began as a social denunciation and has always been my daily bread, was the best way to satisfy my need to take a position towards those who exploit fear to create an enemy. Stormzy talks about his disagreement with the situation in the UK, I do not agree with Salvini's thought and I found it right to express it through my art".[33]

In January 2019 Ghali, Gué Pequeno, Sfera Ebbasta and Salmo criticized Fedez's album Paranoia Airlines, describing it as boring on Twitter and making negative comments by freestyle. After it in February 2020 in an interview by Il Messaggero, Ghali says:"Fedez? I toured with him in 2012. Then who didn't help me came to ask me duets. In this setting there is a lot of opportunism; [...] I remember when they told me you'll never do anything and you'll stay forever in the dark in a corner: it was Fedez who told me those things. So far there are no contacts. He tries to get close sometimes, but I try to avoid him". The rapper conclude:"Maybe I was wrong, because nobody knows how long and how much dedication is behind a record. If he makes a bad record next time, I'll avoid commenting on it.".[34][35]

Discography

as part of Troupe D'Elite
  • 2012: Troupe D'Elite EP (EP)
  • 2014: Il mio giorno preferito (studio album)

Albums

Year Album Peak positions Certification
ITA
[36]
BEL
(Wa)

[37]
SWI
[38]
2017 Album 2 96 24
2020 DNA 1
[40]
19

Compilations

Year Title Peak

positions

ITA

[42]

2017 Lunga vita a Sto 97

Mixtapes

  • 2013: Leader Mixtape

Singles

Year Title Peak positions Certification[43] Album
ITA
[36]
SWI
[38]
2016 "Ninna nanna" 1 Album
2017 "Pizza kebab" 3
"Happy Days" 4
"Habibi" 7
2018 "Cara Italia" 1
[44]
73 TBA
"Peace & Love"
(with Charlie Charles and Sfera Ebbasta)
1
[45]
31
"Zingarello"
(featuring Sick Luke)
4
[46]
2019 "I Love You" 10
[47]
"Turbococco" 45
[48]
"Flashback" 5
[49]
DNA
2020 "Boogieman"
(featuring Salmo)
1
[50]
"Good Times" 1
[51]

Other charting songs

Year Title Peak positions Certification[52] Album
ITA
[36]
2017 "Ricchi dentro" 6 Album
"Lacrime" 14
"Milano" 20
"Boulevard" 23
"Vida" 28
"Liberté" 30
"Oggi no" 32
"Ora d'aria" 37
2020 Giù x terra 46 DNA
DNA 19
Jennifer (feat. Soolking) 23
22:22 20 * FIMI: Gold
Fast food 28
Marymango (feat. Tha Supreme) 6 * FIMI: Gold
Combo (feat. Mr Eazi) 57
Extasi 55
Barcellona 40
Cuore a destra 47
Scooby 62
Fallito 63

Featured in

Year Title Peak positions Album
ITA
[36]
SWI
[38]
2017 "Tristi"
(Lacrim feat. Ghali)
91 Lacrim album
Force & Honneur
"Bimbi"
(Charlie Charles feat. Izi, Rkomi, Sfera Ebbasta, Tedua & Ghali)
3

References

  1. "Biography" (in Italian).
  2. http://www.repubblica.it/spettacoli/musica/2017/06/04/news/ghali_il_ragazzo_della_via_rap_che_canta_l_islam_l_isis_e_i_migranti-167196276/
  3. http://www.corriere.it/la-lettura/cards/ghali-trapper-uscito-ghetto/gli-inizi_principale.shtml
  4. "La rivincita di Ernia è una bella storia di musica". Panorama (in Italian). 2017-11-15. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  5. Magazine, Exclusive (2018-04-20). "TANTA ROBA LABEL: LA GENESI DELLE RAP-STAR ITALIANE..." Exclusive Magazine (in Italian). Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  6. "Le scelte imbarazzanti delle major: Troupe D'Elite". RapBurger (in Italian). 2012-06-15. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  7. "Ghali - Leader Mixtape". Rockit.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  8. "Troupe D'Elite (2) - Il Mio Giorno Preferito". Discogs (in Italian). Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  9. "Classifiche - FIMI". www.fimi.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  10. "Ghali: la sua «Ninna Nanna» trap è già un record". TV Sorrisi e Canzoni (in Italian). 2016-10-19. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  11. "È uscito "Pizza kebab", il nuovo singolo di Ghali". Rolling Stone Italia (in Italian). 2017-02-03. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  12. "Classifiche - FIMI". www.fimi.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  13. s.r.l, Rockol com. "√ Il "Raptus" di Ghali diventa un "Album"". Rockol (in Italian). Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  14. "Ghali - hitparade.ch". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  15. "CLASSIFICHE: RIKI ancora primo, GHALI piazza 5 canzoni nella top 20 dei singoli e VASCO ROSSI..." All Music Italia (in Italian). 2017-06-05. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  16. s.r.l, Rockol com. "√ Ghali: la sua 'Habibi' nella colonna sonora di Fifa 19 - ASCOLTA". Rockol (in Italian). Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  17. "Ghali, il nuovo singolo è 'Cara Italia'". Rolling Stone Italia (in Italian). 2018-01-26. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  18. "20 - Capo Plaza | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  19. "Sfera, Ghali e Charlie Charles: la nuova onda della trap all'insegna di "Peace & Love"". Tgcom24 (in Italian). Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  20. "Ghali, il nuovo singolo è 'Zingarello'". Rolling Stone Italia (in Italian). 2018-05-25. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  21. "Ghali a San Vittore per la nuova canzone 'I Love You'". Rolling Stone Italia (in Italian). 2019-03-14. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  22. s.r.l, Rockol com. "√ Ghali, ascolta 'Turbococco' e 'Hasta la vista'". Rockol (in Italian). Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  23. "Ed Sheeran e Ghali cantano insieme nel remix di "Antisocial": ascoltalo qui". www.deejay.it (in Italian). 2019-12-23. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  24. "Rep". rep.repubblica.it. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  25. "Dopo le hit estive, esce "Flashback", il nuovo singolo di Ghali". 2019-11-11. Archived from the original on 2019-11-11. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  26. "Addio alla trap, Ghali è diventato grande. E con "DNA" vuole dimostrarlo a tutti". Linkiesta (in Italian). 2020-02-21. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  27. Ghali – Good Times, retrieved 2020-03-17
  28. "L'infanzia drammatica, l'amico immaginario e il rap: tutto su Ghali!". Donna Glamour (in Italian). 2020-02-05. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  29. Proietti, Andrea Laffranchi e Michela (2020-02-14). "Ghali: "Fino all'anno scorso dormivo con mamma. Mariacarla? Mi ama anche se la carriera finisce"". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  30. "Ghali "Sono musulmano ma amo il Natale"". Musictory (in Italian).
  31. Cusimano, Clarissa (2020-02-28). "Ghali, chi è il tanto amato rapper italiano? Fidanzata, vita privata, curiosità". LettoQuotidiano.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  32. Sisti, Di Carlotta (2019-03-20). "Ghali ha fatto uscire il suo nuovo video I Love You e ha rotto uno dei più pesanti tabù di sempre del rap". ELLE (in Italian). Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  33. "Ghali: "Ecco perché ho realizzato un rap contro Salvini"". la Repubblica (in Italian). 2019-07-19. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  34. "Ghali: «Fedez fu il primo a credere in me, ora non ci sono rapporti»". www.ilmessaggero.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  35. "Fedez a tutto campo: "Mi spiace X Factor sia stato un disastro. Ghali? Meglio non parlare di me quanto promuovi il tuo disco". E la raccolta fondi per il San Raffaele sfonda 3 milioni di euro". Il Fatto Quotidiano (in Italian). 2020-03-10. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  36. "Ghali discography". italiancharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  37. "Ghali discography". ultratop.be/fr/. Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  38. "Ghali discography". hitparade.ch. Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  39. "Ghali - FIMI's Database Top of the Music" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  40. "Album – Classifica settimanale WK 9 (dal 21.2.2020 al 27.2.2020)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  41. "Certificazioni" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  42. "Classifiche - FIMI". www.fimi.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  43. "Ghali - FIMI's Database Top of the Music" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  44. "Top Singoli – Classifica settimanale WK 5" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  45. "Top Singoli – Classifica settimanale WK 19" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  46. "Top Singoli – Classifica settimanale WK 22" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  47. "Top Singoli – Classifica settimanale WK 12" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  48. "Top Singoli – Classifica settimanale WK 33" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  49. "Top Singoli – Classifica settimanale WK 46" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  50. "Top Singoli – Classifica settimanale WK 4" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  51. "Top Singoli – Classifica settimanale WK 9" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  52. "Ghali - FIMI's Database Top of the Music" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.