Italian drill rapper Rondodasosa has signed a recording deal with Warner Music Italy. He is perhaps best known internationally for ‘Eurovision’, his recent collaboration with fellow Italian rapper Baby Gang and the UK’s Central Cee.

Rondodasosa is the stage name of Mattia Barbieri, a Milan-born rapper who shot to prominence in Italy with his debut single ‘Free Samy’, which racked up more than half a million views on YouTube.

His track ‘Louboutin’, a collaboration with rapper Vale Pain, went viral and its style, inspired by New York drill music, drew comparisons to Pop Smoke from critics. His track ‘Slatt’ generated more than 26 million streams on Spotify alone and helped gain a foothold in the US and UK markets.

‘Eurovision’ features on Central Cee’s 23 mixtape, distributed by Warner Music’s ADA division, and the collaboration helped it enter the Italian albums chart in the Top 30, making the country one of the first outside the UK where Central Cee has charted.

Rondodasosa says: “I’m really happy to sign with Warner Music. The team in Milan have been behind the careers of some of the biggest rappers here in Italy, but they’re also plugged into a global network that’ll help connect me with new audiences worldwide. My recent collab with Cench shows drill is becoming more global than ever and the opportunities are almost limitless.”

Marco Alboni, Chairman and CEO, Warner Music Italy, adds: “It’s great to welcome Rondodasosa to the Warner Music family. He is a stand out talent who has already built a huge following and I know we can help him take his career to the next level. Artists can’t wait to work with him and we’re already talking about some super exciting projects.”

The signing comes at a time when the Italian music business is growing strongly. Figures from industry body FIMI showed the market increased by 27.8% in 2021 to hit a total value of €332.1m. Much of that growth has come from streaming, with Italian hip-hop fans being keen users of the format.