“I'm still myself, I don't know how to be an actor.” Thus begins Tony Effe's first social message since the case of the cancellation of his performance at the New Year's Eve concert at the Circus Maximus in Rome broke out, an exclusion desired by the Campidoglio due to the lyrics considered sexist and violent. First invited and then fired.
Probably the Campidoglio did not expect that the other two artists expected at the Circus Maximus, Mahmood and Mara Sattei, would also show up out of solidarity, leaving the Municipality of Rome and the organizers with the task of finding names capable of filling an enormous place and of doing so in about ten days.
Until now the rapper had only expressed himself through his management, for which the artist has suffered “immediate image damage” which risks “compromising his image and career”. Now, presenting the title of the piece that he will bring to Sanremo, Give me your hand (“it's a personal song, there's a Roman feel to it, it's romantic, it's passionate”), he had his say on the matter. «I'm always myself, I don't know how to be an actor. I make music and music cannot be censored. I write what I see and live what I write”, writes Tony Effe on Instagram, explaining that his texts are not fiction comparable to that of a film or series. And finally: «Thanks to all the people and my colleagues who took a stand».
With the lump sum of Mahmood and Sattei came the solidarity of various singers, from pop singers like Noemi and rockers like Vasco Rossi, who both write that «censoring artists is not the solution, art must remain a place of expression» to rappers like Lazza according to whom «every time someone from rap is thrust into a mainstream situation, they always try to point them out for something or pass them off as an idiot. Geolier is no good, he's Neapolitan, he only sings in dialect. And Geolier put it in your ass, and I enjoy it. Tony Effe is misogynistic, he's violent, and that's not okay. And Tony will put it in your ass too. Stop censoring the work of others because you don't consider it to be so and then look for excuses to prove yourself right, it's you who doesn't understand.” And again, quoting his Over2re: «I hate Italy because it only feels good if you find someone guilty».
Among others, Emma Marrone and Gaia also participated, who duetted with Tony Effe respectively in Taxi on the Moon And Sex and samba. For the first we witnessed “a form of violent censorship that cannot be tolerated and justified on the threshold of 2025” which deprives “a boy of the opportunity to perform in his city”. Even for the second it is censorship, or rather “a space where truth and freedom are muzzled and the lie of power creates its dictionary”. For Junior Cally, «censoring an artist is a useless and harmful shortcut. Music should serve to stimulate dialogue, not to silence voices.”
Today The Sheetin an article signed by Gianluca De Rosa, reports a rumor regarding the real reason for the rapper's exclusion from the New Year's Eve at the Circus Maximus, an exclusion which was loudly requested not only by members of the opposition, but also by the PD: «No one is interested in Tony Effe, a party member wants to hit the councilor Onorato». This is Alessandro Onorato, councilor for major events, commercials, tourism and fashion of Rome Capital who a week ago, presenting the concert, said that “it will be a great New Year's Eve celebration for everyone” who, regardless of economic conditions, will have the possibility «to live the last evening of the year in joy with the artists of the moment. It will be a great success and thousands of young people will come from all over Italy to celebrate New Year's Eve in Rome, generating excellent economic benefits for the productive fabric.”
It remains to be seen if and how the Campidoglio will be able to hold the concert and if the controversy over Tony Effe's lyrics will continue until Sanremo 2025. For Laura Boldrini of the PD “the logic of the Municipality of Rome also applies to Sanremo”, that is, it is right to exclude it also from the festival, for Maurizio Gasparri of Forza Italia «this gentleman cannot go to Sanremo otherwise the Rai leaders and Carlo Conti will be held accountable».
