For much of its history, Italian rap was heard almost entirely through male voices. That is changing. A wave of women — from Turin, Milan, Abruzzo, Puglia and Italian-speaking Switzerland — is now shaping the scene through technical writing, melodic experimentation and independent releases. This selection looks at eleven of them, ranging from artists with major-label records behind them to newer names still building a catalogue.
Seven Artists With a Documented Track Record
Beba — Turin
Beba formed a rap and DJ duo in 2017 after years of grassroots work, signed with Island Records in 2018 and in July 2019 became the first woman to appear on Salmo’s Machete Mixtape 4. Her debut album Crisalide followed in October 2021, and she has continued to release singles, most recently “2K LACRIME” in 2026.
Chadia Rodriguez — Turin and Milan
Raised in Turin and based in Milan, Chadia Rodriguez was signed in 2018 by Big Fish and Jake La Furia as the first artist on their new label, and later released through Sony Music Italy. Her EP Avere vent’anni (2019) collected her early singles, and she is noted as the first female rapper on the cover of a Spotify Italia rap playlist. She is more established than most artists here, and her influence on the generation that followed is considerable.
Ele A — Ticino, Switzerland
Eleonora Antognini, who performs as Ele A, grew up in Aranno in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland and raps in Italian, so she belongs to the Italian scene by language and audience rather than by passport. She began posting freestyles on Instagram in early 2022, released the EP Acqua in 2024 and her first studio album, Pixel, in October 2025, with guests including Guè and Neffa. Il Post reported more than 850,000 monthly Spotify listeners at the time of the album’s release, and credited her with a measured, reflective style that has won over veteran rappers.
Leslie — Abruzzo
Lisa Cardoni, known as Leslie, comes from Abruzzo. She reached the final six on Elettra Lamborghini’s team in the sixth edition of The Voice of Italy in 2019, then released her first EP, Bipolar, the same year. She has continued to release music, including Canzoni tristi e cose (2022), and Rolling Stone has described her as one of the rare cases in which even skeptics are won over.
Comagatte — Molfetta and Milan
Serena Spadavecchia, who performs as Comagatte, is from Molfetta in Puglia and lives in the Calvairate district of Milan, which she celebrates in songs such as “Le ragazze di Calvairate”. In a 2021 interview with Zero she described herself as eclectic and resisted fixed genre labels. Her mix of irony and a straight beat marks her as one of the scene’s more idiosyncratic voices.
Marte
Marte gained attention through TikTok in 2023 and 2024 and released her first single, the freestyle “Stay On Bars #1”, in June 2024. Rockit praised her flow, technical skill and ambitious rhyme schemes. A steady run of singles has followed, including “Oversize” in February 2026.
Shark — Milan
Shark is signed to OG Records. Her video for “Sport”, directed by 18 Carati and filmed on the streets of Milan, was published in May 2025. Few biographical details are publicly documented, so we limit ourselves to what can be confirmed.
Also Worth Watching
Four further artists are on our radar. Public information about them is still limited, so we point to a representative release for each rather than draw conclusions.
Tokyo
Tokyo — start with “Scappa”.
Coco93
Coco93 — start with “Contali”.
Fata
Fata — start with “Habiba”, a collaboration with Comagatte.
Jasmin407
Jasmin407 — start with “Big Man”.
A Scene Defined by Range
What stands out across these artists is the absence of a single template. Beba and Chadia Rodriguez came up through the major-label system; Ele A and Marte built audiences online; Comagatte and Leslie work from distinctly personal and regional starting points. Together they show an Italian rap scene that is becoming broader in sound and in who gets to be heard. To discover more artists, visit our Discover page, or nominate one we should feature.
Sources
- Beba — Rockit, TV Sorrisi e Canzoni
- Chadia Rodriguez — Rockit
- Ele A — Il Post
- Leslie — Rockit
- Comagatte — Zero
- Marte — Rockit
- Shark — The Stylish Insider
Tokyo, Coco93, Fata and Jasmin407 are described from their own official releases only. Full source lists are on each artist’s linked profile.
