Milan
Italian rapper Fedez has apologized after facing backlash over lyrics that referenced tennis star Jannik Sinner speaking with “Adolf Hitler’s accent.” The controversial line appeared in an Instagram story featuring a snippet from a new song. In Italian, the lyrics said: “Italian has a new idol named Jannik Sinner. Pure-blooded Italian with Adolf Hitler’s accent.”
This sparked outrage, especially in Bolzano, the capital of Alto Adige, where Sinner is from. A local council member, Giuseppe Martucci, filed a formal complaint, accusing Fedez of inciting racial hatred under Italian law.
Fedez addressed the controversy during a concert in Milan. He explained the line was meant as a failed attempt at irony—pointing out how athletes of color born in Italy often aren’t seen as “truly Italian,” while Sinner, a white athlete, is fully embraced. “It came off terribly,” he admitted. “I take full responsibility.”
Martucci criticized the “pure-blooded” phrase as echoing 1930s fascist propaganda and said public figures must not normalize hate speech.
Sinner, now Italy’s top athlete with four Grand Slam titles, has faced past doubts over his identity. Despite earlier criticism, he became a national hero after winning the 2024 Australian Open and meeting Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.