You can take Sfera Ebbasta out of Italy, but you can’t take Italy out of Sfera Ebbasta. One of the country’s most-streamed rappers, he has become a poster child for a new wave of Italian artists. Starting his career in Cinisello Balsamo – often referred to as Ciny – he produced his first mixtape alongside close friend Charlie Charles, and later went on to release six albums, with his 2018 project Rockstar reaching the global charts – a major feat for the country’s hip-hop scene.Despite attaining international success, the trap artist has always stayed true to his roots. In every star-studded feature, music video, or performance, he’s been vocal about his close connection to Italy, dedicating his journey to the local fans who have supported him along the way. His new Timberland collaboration is no exception, recently sharing that “every detail of this limited edition drop was created with [my] community in mind.”Following on from their debut collaboration, the artist continues to be hands-on in the boots’ design process. This drop features an alternatively dark, metallic look overlaid with a crackle effect, while on the toebox, a hand-applied airbrush spray, reminiscent of New York’s street art culture, tapers into the heavyweight sole, adding another layer of texture. Like hip-hop artists before him, he’s introduced elements of his eccentric style to the boot with a bejeweled SE emblem adorning the lace tag. Ahead of the release, Timberland handed out pairs of the artist’s collab at the heart of Cinisello Balsamo. In yet another moment of giving back to his fans, the event became a community affair with hundreds of fans turning out to get their hands on his latest creative project. Hypebeast caught up with Sfera Ebbasta days before the event to reflect on the new collaboration and why it proves to be his most iconic yet.
