Tony Effe owes much of his success to the trap collective he co-founded in Rome in 2014. Dark Polo Gang—established with Dark Side, Dark Pyrex and Wayne Santana—was a window to the hip-hop world for former actor Effe (aka Nicolò Rapisarda) and he has since regularly worked with his DPG pals. The rapper’s solo debut, “Bassotto”, dropped in 2019, sparking a steady stream of singles and a dynamic 2021 studio album, Untouchable, that was essentially a journey through Italian trap. Effe’s collab with Rose Villain on 2022’s racy “Michelle Pfeiffer” also shows off his chameleonic versatility.