Iranian hip hop

Iranian hip hop originates from Tehran, the country's capital city, although a number of experimental works were recorded earlier by diasporan Iranian musicians, particularly in Los Angeles.[8] Iranian rappers started out by recording mixtapes. Some combined hip hop with Iranian elements, such as Iran's classical music.[7] Hip hop music in Iran has often been an underground movement. On several occasions, recording studios have been shut down, websites have been blocked, and artists have been arrested.[9][10] Only a few works have been officially approved by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.[11] Hip hop dance is also present in underground movements, with few performances having received limited permission.[12]

Iran's premier rap group, 021, named after the telephone area code of Tehran, was founded during the late 1990s.[6] Hichkas, the lead figure of this group, came to be one of Iran's earliest renowned rappers, and therefore nicknamed the Father of Persian Rap.[7] His well-received album Jangale Asfalt ("Asphalt Jungle"), produced by Mahdyar Aghajani, was the first Iranian hip hop album. It incorporated a fusion with traditional Persian harmonies and contributed remarkably to the evolution of hip hop in Iran.[7][13][14] The 021 music group was co-founded by the Yashar and Shayan duo, later renamed Vaajkhonyaa.[15][16]

Zedbazi, founded officially in April 2002, is regarded as the pioneer of gangsta rap in Iran.[9][10] The band quickly gained a huge popularity among the youth, due mainly to their use of explicit lyrics, littered with profanity and depictions of sex and drug use.[17] They are credited with starting a new movement in Iranian music.[18]

Bahram Nouraei, who was once arrested,[19][20] was listed as one of the "50 People Shaping The Culture Of The Middle East" by HuffPost in August 2012.[21] His most popular work, Inja Irane ("Here is Iran"), was described as a "poignant critique of the country" by Rolling Stone.[22]

Yas was the first Iranian rapper to be authorized to perform in Iran.[23][24] He reached national fame through his song CD ro Beshkan ("Break the Disk"), which was written about an Iranian actress who was subjected to a sex tape scandal. On 21 December 2011, he was chosen by voters as the "Artist of the Week" on MTV, entitled "Tehran's Hard-Hitting MC".[25]

The restrictions have been more stringent on women. Salome MC, who started her career collaborating with Hichkas,[6] was one of the first women to contribute to Iranian hip hop.[9][10][26] She was named as an influential and "revolutionizing" artist by MTV and Time.[27][28]

• Music of Iran
• Graffiti in Iran
• Dance in Iran
• List of Iranian hip hop artists