Clementino

Clementino, born Clemente Maccaro in Avellino and raised in Cimitile near Naples, is one of the most prominent figures in Italian rap. He began rapping as a teenager in the Neapolitan hip hop scene, joining the Trema Crew and later TCK, and rose to national attention through freestyle competitions, winning multiple titles in the mid-2000s. His debut album Napoli Manicomio, released in 2006, established him as a distinctive voice blending Neapolitan dialect with rapid-fire technical rap.

His style is marked by rapid flow, wordplay, and a strong connection to Neapolitan identity and dialect, which he weaves into otherwise mainstream Italian rap. Under the alias Iena White, he built a persona around relentless lyrical aggression, later balancing this with more melodic and pop-crossover material as his career progressed, evident in hits like «La Cosa Più Bella Che Ho» and «Hola!». He has also shown a taste for playful, humorous wordplay in songs such as «Cos Cos Cos».

Clementino has collaborated extensively across the Italian scene, notably forming the duo Rapstar with Fabri Fibra for the 2012 album Non È Gratis, and working with the group Videomind alongside TY1 and Francesco Paura. His ability to move between hardcore rap credibility and radio-friendly pop hooks has made him one of the more commercially successful and versatile rappers in Italy.