Egyptian born Alessandro Mahmoud Italian singer became known while competing in the sixth season of The X Factor.
In 2018 he was selected to participate in Sanremo Giovani as a newcomer and his song Gioventu bruciata (Burnt Youth) won a special critics award.
Mahmood is the first openly Muslim contemporary rapper to hit the mainstream Italian pop, and his songs are truly amazing. He describes his music as Moroccan pop, mixing middle eastern sounds within his songs.
Soldi (momey) is an autobiographical song about his own unconventional family and includes a sentence in Arabic.
Mahmood recalls his earliest memories is listening to Arabic music with his father before he left the family.
Soldi is an intense listening experience and controversially won the Sanremo song contest in 2019.
The song exposes the way migrants are exploited for money. It’s a harsh, realistic song that reflects the seedy underbelly of the Italian culture. An emotional journey filled with bitterness, anger and strength.
His debut album Gioventu bruciata (Burnt youth) was released in February 2019 and debuted at number one on the Italian charts.
Mahmood has also worked with other Italian rappers Fabri Fibra and Marracash and has written songs for Marco Mengoni.
Images c/o Instagram
I’m a bit late with my blog reading the last month. I enjoyed watching Mahmoud win San Remo-thought he deserved it!
He’s a real talent ✌