Italian rapper Ghali threads together various stylistic approaches in his infectious and hooky tracks, creating a sound that has repeatedly landed him at the top of the charts. His pop-friendly singles and collaborations with everyone from Lacrim to Ed Sheeran amassed hundreds of millions in streaming numbers and view counts. He collected his hits into album-length presentations like 2020's DNA, which topped the charts in Italy.

Ghali was born Ghali Amdouni in Milan in 1993. He was rapping by the early 2010s, performing first under the name Fobia and then as part of the group Troupe D'Elite before releasing his first mixtapes under the name Ghali in 2013. Around 2016, his fame began to grow significantly, first through stand-alone tracks and videos and continuing with his 2017 debut full-length, Album, and its follow-up, Lunga Vita a Sto, which arrived later the same year. The video for his 2018 single "Car Italia" broke records for the most views for an Italian artist in a 24-hour period, and the song hit number one on multiple charts. Now a certified platinum star, Ghali began releasing highly visible collaborative songs with artists like Stormzy, Soprano, Ed Sheeran, Lacrim, and others, as well as consistently doing big numbers with his solo singles. In 2020, he released his second album, DNA, and it debuted at number one on the Italian charts. A non-album track, "Chiagne Ancora," featuring Liberato and J-Lord arrived in June 2021. ~ Fred Thomas