Ensi

Born in Avigliana in 1985 and raised on the outskirts of Turin, Ensi, whose real name is Jari Ivan Vella, established himself in Italian rap from the late 1990s, mixing freestyle practice, local hip-hop culture, and group work with OneMic, formed with his brother Raige and Rayden. His writing sits within a hip-hop that is both technical and conscious, fed by egotrip, social observation and a highly rhythmic diction, with a marked taste for improvisation that has structured a large part of his live career. After the initial milestones with OneMic, notably on Sotto la cintura in 2005 and then Commerciale in 2011, Ensi develops a solo discography started with Vendetta in 2008, followed by Era tutto un sogno in 2012, Rock Steady in 2014, V in 2017 and Clash in 2019. His trajectory also passes through battles and freestyle competitions, with wins at Tecniche Perfette in 2003 and MTV Spit in 2012, which established him durably in the Italian rap scene. Over the years, Ensi has collaborated with several figures of peninsula hip-hop, from Guè to Clementino, Salmo, Gemitaiz or Madame, while maintaining a clear Turin-based anchor. More recently, Ensi published Brava gente in 2023 with Nerone, in a register still centered on flow precision, contemporary rap productions and a direct relationship to performance.