Rome drops Tony Effe from New Year's Eve concert amid calls for Sanremo to do the same.

Italian rapper Tony Effe has been dropped from the line-up of Rome's New Year's Eve concert following a controversy over the singer's sexist and misogynistic lyrics.

Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri on Monday denied that the move amounted to "censorship", telling news agency ANSA: "When it became clear that that choice would divide the city and offend the sensibilities of many, we thought it appropriate to ask [him to] step back." 

"We should have made this assessment earlier and for this we apologise first of all to Tony Effe", Gualtieri told ANSA, adding that "luckily there were no contracts signed and there are no penalties to pay" for dropping the singer from the line-up.

The city made the embarrassing u-turn after days of criticism following the announcement that Tony Effe, 33, would perform in the concert along with Mahmood and Mara Sattei.

The rapper's presence in the line-up was attacked by various groups and politicians, including from within Gualtieri's centre-left Partito Democratico (PD) party.

Differenza Donna, a Rome-based association whose mission is to combat and prevent gender-based violence, slammed the "atrocious" inclusion of Tony Effe in the concert programme. 

Describing him as the author of "sexist, misogynistic and violent lyrics" that represent a "culture of abuse and contempt towards women", the association's president Elisa Ercoli said Tony Effe's presence "would be an unbearable offence to all women who suffer violence and to the victims of femicide: we cannot accept it".

City councillors from the right-wing Fratelli d'Italia party of prime minister Giorgia Meloni also called on Gualtieri to drop the rapper from the line-up, condemning his offensive lyrics which "attack the dignity of women and send negative messages" to young people.

Maurizio Gasparri, a senator from the centre-right Forza Italia party, joined the chorus of protests and questioned the inclusion of Tony Effe in the upcoming edition of Sanremo, Italy's biggest music festival, in February.

"I publicly invite [state broadcaster] RAI to reflect on some rappers imprudently involved by [host Carlo] Conti in the Sanremo Festival", Gasparri said, claiming that certain musicians are "not an expression of Italian music, but only of a trash subculture that offers bad examples and uses bad language".

Consumer watchdog Codacons also waded into the controversy, citing Tony Effe's "violent and sexist lyrics" and saying: "If he doesn't play in Rome, he shouldn't go on stage at Sanremo either".

When asked on Monday about the Tony Effe case, Sanremo host Carlo Conti responded to news agency Adnkronos with "No comment".

Prior to being dropped from the concert line-up, Tony Effe had sought to defend himself on social media, saying: "I respect and love all women and I'm sorry that some people still think otherwise. Rome, see you on New Year's Eve".

Amid efforts to find a replacement act, Gualtieri will be keen to move on from the controversy which comes just days before the launch of the Vatican's Jubilee Year.

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