Baby Gang (real name Zaccaria Mouhib; born June 26, 2001 in Lecco, Italy) is an Italian-Moroccan rapper and one of the most prominent and controversial voices of the new wave of Italian trap and street rap. His work is built on autobiographical storytelling, social harshness, the reality of migrant neighborhoods, and the conflict between the system and the streets. In just a few years, he has gone from a local phenomenon to one of the most talked-about artists on the Italian scene.
Early life
Zaccaria Mouhib was born into a family of Moroccan immigrants and grew up between Lecco and nearby areas, spending part of his childhood in Morocco. His early years were marked by family instability, financial difficulties and a constant sense of marginalization.
Baby Gang’s youth unfolded in a street environment: shelters, clashes with the law, and connections with local crews. It was during this time that his stage name appeared — a reflection of the image of a “street kid” living by the unwritten rules of the neighborhood. His experiences with social inequality and the police later became the foundation of his lyrics.
Career beginnings
Baby Gang turned to music as a direct way to speak about his own reality. He began releasing tracks in the late 2010s, quickly attracting attention thanks to his raw realism and unfiltered depictions of life in Italian suburbs.
His early work included:
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first singles recorded and released in a semi-independent way;
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tracks dedicated to children’s homes, prison, lack of rights, and society’s treatment of migrant youth;
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the formation of an artistic persona speaking for those considered “second-class” — people living between multiple cultures, accepted by none.
Baby Gang quickly became a symbolic figure for part of the Italian street audience, who saw in him the voice of their own environment.
Breakthrough: EP1, “Delinquente” and rising popularity
His true breakthrough is associated with the releases:
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EP1 (2021) — his first official project, solidifying his style: aggressive trap, direct lyrics and heavy autobiographical content.
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Delinquente (2021) — a studio album in which he systematizes his personal story: run-ins with the law, life on the periphery, the choice between music and crime. The album cemented his position in the charts and media.
Interest around Baby Gang grows steadily: he becomes one of the central faces of a wave of Italian artists depicting the reality of peripheral youth without romantic filters.
Further growth: EP2, international attention and “Innocente”
In 2022, he releases EP2, where Baby Gang intensifies his dark, melodic trap sound with French, North African and Italian influences. Key tracks reinforce his recognizable approach:
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hard, heavy-hitting beats;
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a blend of Italian and street slang;
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sharp, targeted social criticism.
In 2023, he releases the album “Innocente”, bringing together guests from the Italian and wider European scenes:
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leading names in Italian rap,
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artists from France and other countries.
“Innocente” showcases a more complex sound and concept: the tension between his public image as a “criminal” and his inner self-perception, and an attempt to reframe his story through music. The album enters the upper tiers of the national charts and solidifies Baby Gang’s status as one of the leaders of the genre.
“L’angelo del male” and consolidation of status
In 2024, he releases the album “L’angelo del male”, widely regarded as one of the key projects of his career. On this record, Baby Gang:
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enhances the cinematic quality of his sound;
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combines street rap with large-scale, almost soundtrack-like production;
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develops the figure of the “angel of evil” — a character shaped simultaneously by the system and the streets.
The album features notable artists from the Italian scene, and the release confirms his sustained relevance not only in Italy but internationally.
Style and artistic identity
Baby Gang’s music is characterized by:
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Street realism. Stories of poverty, migrant identity, discrimination, violence and survival.
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Cultural hybridization. Italian mixed with Arabic, French and street slang in language and imagery.
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Emotional directness. Most tracks feel like personal confessions or frontline reports.
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Production. Heavy trap beats, dark melodies, minor keys, dense low-end, and a sound designed both for the streets and big stages.
Baby Gang deliberately builds the image of an artist who refuses to “soften” reality and does not separate his stage persona from his lived experience.
Legal issues and media impact
A significant part of Baby Gang’s public image is tied to his legal and judicial history. Over the years, he has faced charges and proceedings related to violent and property crimes, public order offences and conflicts with the police. These episodes were accompanied by:
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temporary restrictions on performances,
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strong coverage in Italian media,
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debates on street rap, censorship and the stigmatization of migrant youth.
Some decisions were later mitigated or revised. In his music and interviews, Baby Gang emphasizes that his work is the voice of his environment rather than propaganda, using his conflict with the system as part of his artistic statement.
Formally and legally, these episodes remain documented facts rather than fictional constructs, which further intensifies the sense of authenticity in his lyrics.
International dimension
Thanks to:
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collaborations with European artists,
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the streaming success of individual tracks,
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his multicultural image,
Baby Gang has become one of the figures through whom Italian rap projects itself loudly onto the international stage. He is listened to across Europe and North Africa and is part of an interconnected scene where French, Italian, Arabic and street rap intersect.
Significance
Baby Gang represents a generation for whom:
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a street background is not an act, but a starting point,
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a migrant identity is not a stigma, but an integral part of who they are,
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trap is not just entertainment, but a medium for documenting reality.
He is one of the artists who made Italian street rap louder, more confrontational and globally visible.
Conclusion
Baby Gang stands as a symbol of radically honest street expression in contemporary Italian music. His path weaves together social trauma, legal conflict, artistic success and cultural impact. He remains a polarizing figure: for some a dangerous provocateur, for others an authentic chronicler of lives that usually go unheard. In any case, his influence is already established: Baby Gang is one of the key faces of the new European trap scene, shaping how the suburbs of the 2020s sound and speak.
