Tony Effe breaks his silence after being excluded from the New Year’s concert: “Thank you all”

After days of controversy, criticism, but also a lot of solidarity from colleagues and fans, Tony Effe has decided to break the silence on his exclusion from the big New Year’s concert in Romeannounced by mayor Roberto Gualtieri after protests from some politicians and some associations against violence against women. At the center of the controversy are the trapper’s lyrics, accused of being sexist and misogynistic.

Until now, the former member of the Dark Polo Gang had not commented directly on the Municipality’s decision, nor on the accusations he received. However, on Instagram, he wanted to thank those who are supporting him in this difficult moment. «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. Thanks to all the people and my colleagues who took a stand ❤️ “give me your hand” see you in Sanremo», he wrote, accompanying the words with a photo of him behind broken glass. An image that seems to symbolically tell his state of mind: a dream, that of performing in his city, shattered.

Tony Effe’s exclusion caused a lot of noise. Mahmood and Mara Sattei, artists invited to the Circus Maximus, also decided to back out as a sign of solidarity with their colleague and to condemn what they define as a form of censorship.

But in addition to Mahmood and Mara Sattei, many artists expressed solidarity with the trapper. Emma, ​​her friend, entrusted her message to Instagram: «I find it a truly bad gesture to exclude Tony Effe from the New Year’s concert in Rome, depriving a boy of the opportunity to perform in his city. He’s not a bad person, he didn’t hurt anyone. But it is equally a bad gesture towards all music and art in general. A form of “violent” censorship that cannot be tolerated and justified on the threshold of 2025. I hug you Tony.”

Giorgia also criticized the choice of Campidoglior: «Music is an expression of freedom of those who make it but also of those who listen to it, who can choose whether to listen to it or not. Censorship, history shows, is never a solution, but usually the beginning of a tunnel that never leads to light.”

Lazza, second place in Sanremo 2024, did not hide his disappointment: «I often try to mind my own business, but certain things make me feel less interested. Whenever someone from rap is thrust into a mainstream situation, they always try to point them out for something or make them look like 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 also piss you off… Stop censoring other people’s work 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. Forgive the outburst.”

Tony Effe, meanwhile, continues his journey. Last night he was on stage at Sara Sanremo, where he announced the title of the song with which he will participate in the Festival, Give me your hand.