Machete

Machete is an Italian rap collective and record label founded in Milan on December 5, 2010, by Salmo, DJ Slait, En?gma, and Hell Raton. It grew out of the Sardinian and Milanese underground rap scenes and became one of the defining forces of the modern Italian rap sound, blending trap, cloud rap, and aggressive street rap aesthetics with a strong DIY, collective identity.

The crew's name comes from its long-running mixtape series, launched in 2012, which has served as a showcase for major names in Italian rap, pairing established artists with rising talent. Over the years the label and collective have included figures such as Nitro, Jack The Smoker, Rose Villain, Dani Faiv, and the Dope D.O.D. duo, cementing Machete's reputation as a launching pad for new voices.

Machete's influence expanded beyond music into subsidiary ventures, including the 333 Mob label founded by Slait and Low Kidd, and Hell Raton's Hellmuzik imprint, both operating as offshoots of the main brand. A 2019 partnership with Sony Music Italy helped push releases like the fourth Machete mixtape to major commercial success, reflecting the collective's transition from underground crew to a dominant force in the Italian mainstream rap landscape.