Marracash, protagonist of the new issue of GQ Italia

The new issue of GQ Italy, on newsstands from 3 December, is dedicated to Men of The Year del 2021. Exceptionally four covers depicting the characters that GQ has chosen globally as the men of the year: Tom Holland, at the cinema in mid-December with the latest Spider Man, for GQ “the superhero of the year”; Lil Nas X, for GQ «the musician of the year», both for the global success of his new album, and for the gender issues that he promotes in a very masculine scene like rap; Giannīs Antetokounmpo, “The athlete of the year”, the man who is dominating the NBA and who with his incredible story, which he tells to GQ, is inspiring millions of young people around the world; And Marracash first in all charts with his latest album.

GQ Italia dedicates an exclusive photo shoot to the Italian rapper who tells himself to Federico Sarica, Head of Editorial Content of GQ Italia, through a long interview released a few hours after the surprise launch of We, Them, The Others (Universal Music), the record that has been at the center of public and private discussions for a couple of weeks. Marracash at GQ Italia talks about its genesis but also talks about rap, music, public debate, the maturity of a man and an artist.

Regarding the public debate he declares: «In a piece like Cosplayer I take a stand, for example. And when I do it I am convinced, but then I am interested in understanding what it means to take a stand: it is always said that it is very easy to hate on social media, and it is true, but it is also very easy to support this or that cause, it is free and not for you you don’t even have to put your coat on to go out. In fact, I do not take easy positions because that for me is not taking a position. It’s background noise. It pollutes. It doesn’t matter, it doesn’t create anything, it’s too easy and too trendy. There is nothing uncomfortable or difficult about doing so. ‘

On the path that rap has had in Italy he comments: «What other genre in Italy has had a path like that of hip hop in the last twenty-five years? Nobody. Here, it is incredible to have been part of it as a protagonist. It’s hard to get away from it, look from the outside and think “fuck, we were part of this stuff.” But it is a fact. I’ve never been an extremist and I think the rap purists’ mistake is not understanding that everything has to evolve in order to survive. Having said that to me the spirit of rap still seems very much alive, even if many things have changed. One above all: a lot of money has come into play. This puts young people potentially on the verge of earning big bucks quickly and very soon, which makes the genre attract very different people; those of my generation had a predisposition to this music which was made of a mixture of obsession and the search for freedom, also because money was truly a mirage. Now they are not anymore and this means that, within our environment, there are more entertainers than artists. There is nothing wrong with that, mind you, but it is a fact that there are careers built more on the concept of testimonial than of musician. This is the consequence of a genre that has greatly expanded, and within it it is no longer certain that we all do the same job. It’s normal, there is. “

On his relationship with fame and success he says: «Honestly? For me, being famous is a bit of a pain in the ass. But I think it’s a very personal thing. I have changed my mind a thousand times, I too thought for a while that being famous was the ultimate goal, but then I realized that it is not what I want from life. Success for me is being able to do what you want and what you dream, if instead you do what others dream for you, in the end you lose however it goes. The money is used to buy you a piece of freedom ».

Marracash then talks about his relationship with fashion: “I care less than I thought. And it is another of the things that I have understood over time. There is a way and a way to deal with it. There are those who totally throw themselves into it and become almost an instrument; is what I call the testimonial artist. I have my own style, which has become a little more classic over time, but I realized that doing that kind of competition, about owning the best garment or the next cool one, is not for me. I enjoy fashion, but I’m not a slave to it. Some colleagues waste too much time, we are musicians, sometimes in my opinion we cross the border. In my opinion, the show at all costs doesn’t pay off in the end, unless your professional goal is to be a brand wearer, which is another career, a different thing. It is no coincidence, however, that those who choose that legitimate path end up selling few records and doing fewer concerts ».