Italian rapper Salmo fears that fans will misinterpret his character in upcoming Sky Italia series Blocco 181.
The eight-part drama which explores love and crime, set to the rhythms of rap and reggaeton in a hyper-real, ultra-colourful and multicultural Milan, sees Salmo play the role of Snake.
Blocco 181 is the 37-year-old star's acting debut, but he thinks that some viewers will misunderstand his character.
Speaking exclusively to The Mirror, Salmo spoke about the level of violence in Blocco 181 and why it was so important to include.
"Well, initially there was supposed to be more violence for Snake, but then we decided to have less because it was enough," he explained.
"So it was important because a contrast had to be created and after that, the character was brought to the extreme and taken to the other side, because in people's eyes he was a bad character, he was very bad.
"And so we wanted to show that he had a heart and we did that because this is what's important for a character, this is what makes people fall in love with Snake."
"I hope people will not misinterpret my character, but they probably will," he said, before admitting: "I hate violence."
When asked how it felt to be acting instead of making music, Salmo replied: "If I had to give myself a mark it would be a very low one because I always want a lot from myself, especially when it comes to music, so just imagine what I'm like when it comes to acting.
"It's new to me so I have to work on it and I want to improve," he added, before revealing that he took inspiration from none other than Gary Oldman.
Salmo also served as music supervisor and creative producer on the show and said the soundtrack was just as important as the script.
"It was very important for me not to put any of Salmo's music in the series because I didn't want to show Salmo," he explained.
"I did this because I wanted to escape fame and the world of rapping, and so I simply provided my technical skills but I tried to split from that.
" When it comes to the music, there is a lot of Latin American music. We wanted to put as much of it in there as possible because when Latin American people listen to music, they live it and it's something very different."
Blocco 181 launches on Sky Atlantic and streaming service NOW on Tuesday 21 June at 10pm.
