Introduction
DJ Gruff, also known as Gruffetti (real name Sandro Orrù, born in Rome but from a Sardinian family) is an Italian hip hop artist.
Solo musical career
Gruff musical debut in the Italian rap scene is with the Sangue Misto hip hop band (together with Neffa and Deda, two other notable Italian hip hop characters). The work he did with Sangue Misto made him nationwide famous in Italy.
DJ Gruff official solo debut is Rapadopa in 1993, today regarded as milestones in the genre. After the album Zero Stress in 1997, Gruff produces I Tre Tocchi, a trilogy that marks a stylistic evolution in Italian turntable scene.
A bit later the LP Il Suono della Strada comes out, along with a single of the same name. The guitarist of Casino Royale, Pardo, participates to the album: this marks the beginning of the collaboration of DJ Gruff with the band, with a mix of rap and drum'n'bass sound.
The last widely circulated Gruff album is O tutto o niente (1999). Later DJ Gruff dedicates himself to the production of underground projects (Puruchan battle breaks, Tiffititaff, The Worst Hits of Gruffettalco and many others). He also produced a couple of songs for the soundtrack of the Italian film Zora the vampire.
Aside working as a solo artist, Gruff is also a member of the turntablist collective Alien Army.
Articolo 31 controversy
In 1998 DJ Gruff gained notoriety when he wrote the song 1 vs 2, a verbal assault against Articolo 31, a famous Italian rap band. They took him to court, and successfully had the song pulled.
Discography
- Rapadopa (1993)
- Zero Stress (1997)
- Il Suono Della Strada (1998)
- O Tutto O Niente (1999)
- Tiffititaff (2002)
- Svarioni Premeditati (2002)
- Karasau Kid (2002)
- Pecorino Sardo (2003)
- Scientific Experiment (2003)
- Lowdy '82 / '03 (2003)
- Frikkettonism (2004)
- Uno (2005)
- Sandro O.B. (2008)
- Phonogruff (2010)