Ghemon
Giovanni Luca Picariello, known professionally as Ghemon, is an Italian artist born in Avellino on April 1, 1982. He operates under several names including Ghemon Scienz and Gilmar. Ghemon functions as a rapper, singer-songwriter, and comedian. His stage name originates from Ishikawa Goemon XIII, a character from the Lupin the Third series. Early artistic endeavors included graffiti art from 1995 to 2001, initially under the tag 'Kal,' which he later changed to 'Esi' due to similarities with another artist named Kaf. Ghemon’s musical journey began in 1993 when he discovered hip hop through Articolo 31 and OTR, and he briefly copied J-Ax's lyrics. He was also a fan of Litfiba and Ligabue from 1993 onward. Throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, he participated in various collectives and projects including Blue Nox, Unlimited Struggle, 15 barrato (formed in 1996 with Mobie), and Sangamaro (founded in 1997 with Domenico, also known as Domey Blanco). Sangamaro released a demo, Bloodstains , in 2000. He pursued formal education, studying law at LUISS University in Rome and graduating in 2002. From 2005 to 2006, he was part of the Soulville project, which released his debut EP, Ufficio immaginazione , as a free download in 2006; this release received positive reviews and garnered over 3,000 downloads. Ghemon’s career includes appearances at the Sanremo Music Festival in 2019 with 'Rose viola' and again in 2021 with 'Momento perfetto,' which placed 21st. He also contributed to the soundtrack of NBA 2K17 in 2017 with his single 'Adesso sono qui.' Currently, he is a stand-up comedian. His show, "La Prima Volta. L’Ultima Volta. L’Unica Volta," premieres in April, following his previous show, “Una cosetta così,” which ran from 2023 to 2024 with over 70 performances and concluded with a special event at the Teatro Arcimboldi in Milan. This show, co-written with Carmine Del Grosso, is described as a combination of concert, monologue, and comedy, often featuring previously unreleased songs. He plans his next show, titled "Varietà," aiming for a performance at the Forum di Assago.