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A deep-voiced figure at the core of the RKT genre, Argentinian rapper Kaleb Di Masi emerged on his country's prominent rap scene during the early 2020s, delivering an unrelenting stream of dancefloor anthems. He soon had more than 100-million streams of his breakout hit "Turraka," followed later that year with hits "DJ Tao Turreo Sessions #5" and "Matatan."

Originally born in La Crujía, a neighbourhood close to the city of Caseros, Argentinian MC Kaleb Di Masi began his musical career after moving west to Pablo Podestá at the age of 10. There he found his footing in Argentina's seminal freestyle competitions, competing with some of the country's strongest upcoming lyricists at events such as El Quinto Escalón. After debuting in 2019 with the reggaeton-led "Piensa en Mí," Di Masi began making immediate inroads into a burgeoning sound known as RKT, a fusion of elements from cumbia, freestyle, and reggaeton that was fast becoming popularized by local rapper L-Gante. Early singles like "Mueve T" and "Pompa Pa Tra" began coalescing his take on the sound, with the rapper using his deep vocals and sexually charged lyricism to build a strong following domestically. After some ventures into melodic trap ("Lo Contratio," "No Puedo Olvidar") at the year's end, he found his first major hit in "Pompa Pa Tra (Remix)," which enlisted scene pioneers L-Gante and DT.Bilardo for the rapper's first multi-million-stream success.

A continual string of RKT floor-fillers followed. In 2021 the rapper released 23 singles, coining his signature "ton/ton/ton" flow pattern and "Kaleb Di Masi Baby" tag. Huge singles began to emerge as early as "Turraka," which racked up over 20 million streams in just a few months with its first remix -- a second, with a roster of Ecko, Papichamp, and Blunted Vato, soon rocketed to over 100 million. Alongside "Turraka," Di Masi made a show-stopping appearance on DJ Tao's "DJ Tao Turreo Sessions #5" and had two further 50-million-stream hits with "Matatan" (feat Alan Gomez) and "Hace Calor" (with Omar Varela). In 2022, he released another 29 singles: among them were remixes of "Matatan" and "Hace Calor," numerous collaborations with Omar Varela, and a relentless barrage of ceiling-shaking anthems. ~ David Crone

Known for his flashy, swaggering blend of pop and trap, Sfera Ebbasta is one of Italy's most successful rappers. The country's biggest-selling artist during the 2010s, he has reached the top of the Italian singles chart a record 20 times. His full-lengths Sfera Ebbasta (2016), Rockstar (2018), and Famoso (2020) topped the Italian album charts and earned multi-platinum certifications. He collaborated with Rvssian for the 2022 EP Italiano.

Gionata Boschetti (aka Sfera Ebbasta) was born in Sesto San Giovanni in 1992, and raised in nearby Cinisello Balsamo, a fact that he often references in his music. At the young age of 13, his father passed away, leaving Boschetti responsible for his mother and sister -- a responsibility he coped with by writing rhymes. Although he dropped out of school, it wasn't long before he found the means to forge a successful rap career in Italy. Alongside close friend and producer Charlie Charles, Groves spent ten years perfecting his craft; by age 23, he was regarded as an emerging talent within the Italian rap scene. Together with Charles they founded their own brand, Billionheadz, through which they released merchandise and music; their first release was 2013's Emergenza Mixtape Vol. 1. Debut studio album XDVR appeared in 2015, initially as a free download, then later expanded as XDVR Reloaded. It eventually hit the Italian Top 40 and was certified platinum, and its success increased trap music's popularity in Italy.

Cinisello Balsamo -- or Ciny as they referred to it -- was located just outside of Milan, and in order to further pursue their dreams, both Ebbasta and Charles moved to the bigger city, giving them access to a wider variety of media opportunities. Sfera Ebbasta, the rapper's debut solo album, was released in 2016, this time through publication deals with Universal and Def Jam. Sfera Ebbasta featured two collaborative tracks with French rapper SCH, "Balenciaga" and "Papers Cartier." Embracing more of a pop sound, the album topped the Italian charts and was certified triple platinum. The appropriately titled Rockstar arrived in early 2018. It topped the Italian album charts for four weeks, and all 11 of its songs debuted in the first 12 positions on the singles chart. The Standard Edition included guest appearances by Quavo and DrefGold, and the International Edition additionally featured Tinie Tempah, Rich the Kid, and Lary Over. There was also a Popstar Edition with further songs and remixes.

Following appearances on a remix of J Balvin's "Machika" as well as songs by artists including Ronny J, DrefGold, and Gué Pequeno, Ebbasta's third album, Famoso, was released in 2020. The release featured numerous international producers and collaborators, including Future, Diplo, Steve Aoki, and Offset. Italiano, an EP with Jamaican artist Rvssian, appeared in 2022, featuring appearances by BIA, Fivio Foreign, and Myke Towers. ~ Liam Martin & Paul Simpson