Rapping all the way from Italy

“Scialla, Scialla, Scialla” is the Italian slang for “just chill and relax”, and also one of the songs Italian rapper Amir Issaa performed at the University of Rhode Island Monday night.

Issaa, a 36-year-old rapper from Italy, and winner of many Italian music awards, played a free concert for students and the general public to enjoy. He shared with the audience his love for rapping and how he incorporates his own experiences into his writing.

“Rapping for me is the more simple meaning to express myself,” Issaa said. “I write poetry with my music; It’s about rapping about my own experiences.”

Born and raised in Rome, Issaa started rapping in his living room at a young age. He said that the first time he listened to rap music was when he listened to Run-D.M.C. and described that the listening experience as a “revolution.” Now, 15 years later, he’s won seven awards and has released 14 different albums.

“It’s a revolution for me because, I think ‘Wow this can be possible for me,’” Issaa explained. “It’s possible to make my own music because it’s not singing- it’s talking.”

Issaa made his way into the hip hop culture in the nineties. He started out as a break-dancer, and then became a writer for the historic crew known as The Riot Bandals. In 2005, he began to work on his first solo album, “Man Luxury”, which was released in July 2006. The album held his first hit single, “Shimi”.

Currently, Issaa is finishing up his 2015 Japan and USA tour. He’s visited schools such as Dartmouth, University of Vermont, University of Rhode Island and Mount Holyoke University.  

In a Q&A session at the end of his performance, a student asked if the United States met his expectations or exceeded them. He responded that the United States is another home for him because the people don’t have prejudice against people of color.

“In Italy, if you have dark skin, you are looked at differently because of the prejudice we have over there,” Issaa said.

In his song, entitled, “La Mia Pelle ‘My Skin,’” Issaa address the prejudices that he’s experience that associate with his skin color. He described his skin as the color of dunes, “a thousand suns and a thousand moons,” but his skin carries his experiences. He said that he will never sell out his skin to anyone, because it’s who he is.

Issaa described his experience on stage as “exhilarating,” and he always feels like it’s the very first time he’s stepped out on stage. He explained that his writing style isn’t as hard as other famous rappers in Italy, and sometimes people don’t understand his writing style.

“When I see a beautiful girl walk past me on the street, I’ll write a love song,” Issaa said. “If I hear that there’s war going on, I’ll write a song about warriors. My music is about my experiences.”

Issaa has a 15-year-old son who loves to play basketball and has not yet been able to travel to the United States yet. He said that he hopes to bring him on tour with him one day, and hopefully take him to a college basketball game.

To check out more of Issaa’s music, visit his website at www.amirmusic.it