ROME- During the second night of the Sanremo Festival, Fedez, the famous Milanese rapper, surprised the crowd and staff when his freestyle rap turned very political, lambasting leading figures of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's 'post-fascist' government coalition. The rapper used his freestyle to criticize a number of politicians including the leader of Forza Italia, Silvio Berlusconi, about whom he rapped: “I get off a catamaran with the card in my hand, I am Napoleon with the dwarf syndrome. I decide when to come, bro, I prepare it, like Matteo Messina Denaro”. 

  Even if the references to Berlusconi were not evident in the text, the rapper doubled down by posting a post-concert clip depicting Berlusconi  'glued' on Napoleon in the iconic effigy on horseback. “I decide when to come, bro, I prepare it, like Matteo Messina Denaro". And here the handcuffs appear in front of Berlusconi-Napoleon himself. 

 He also went after Galeazzo Bignami, the deputy minister, by showing the crowd a picture of Bignami dressed as a Nazi, and continuing to wave the photo of the politician dressed in SS gear, before ripping it up. Bignami has admitted to dressing up in Nazi gear and subsequently apologised.

 The rapper then went on to criticize the Minister for Equal Opportunities and the Family, Eugenia Maria Roccella, referencing her sentence against abortion with the line: “Unfortunately, abortion is a right, yes but I didn't say it, the 'said a minister. Sometimes I shoot shit from the rooftops too, but I don't do it at taxpayer expense. Because I'm an expert at stepping on shit. Hello Codacons, look how I enjoy it”.  

 Finally, the rapper paid tribute to Gianluca Vialli, the football player who passed away from pancreatic cancer in early January with the lyrics: “Okay, let's lighten up, I had cancer. And like a real tough guy, I went on TV and cried. If I think of who gave me the strength I look up, it is the memory of Gianluca that I bring to this stage.” 

 The Sanremo festival has been in the political spotlight recently after many artists used the festival to make political statements and after the Zelensky controversy.

 Multiple artists including Roberto Benigni, who gave a monologue about the constitution and referenced Paola's participation in Egonu, have used the Sanremo stage to make political comments. Fedez launched his rap after Matteo Salvini, Deputy Minister for Lega Nord had specifically requested for Politics to be kept out of the festival, which some perceived as a rebellion.

 Now the rapper has taken full responsibility, tweeting: “I take full responsibility for what I sang, in the name of that article 21 that was discussed yesterday. The staff here didn't know what I was going to sing and so I take full responsibility."

 jp-sz