These days, discussions have arisen among groups of teenagers and young adults who have an interest in underground music or, in other words, “rap”, regarding the government’s decision to regulate this type of music. In this piece, we intend to delve into the history of rap music, the government’s treatment of artists and their fans from the beginning until now, and the various aspects of its legalization and its consequences.

Before anything else, it is better to know what rap is and what topics it covers.

Rap music was born in the 1980s AD from the heart of poor African Americans. Rap is essentially a type of protest street music. This music uses the most fallen, easiest and most street-like words, without being able to criticize this type of use in literary terms. In writing rap lyrics, there is no obligation to follow literary rules.

Rap music addresses topics such as class differences, hypocrisy, street fights, dominant global culture, and political crises. Although its rhymes may be weak and it may not be considered as pure poetry by many, it strives to remind us of another meaning of social life with its simplicity and lack of pretentiousness, which is the life of ordinary people in the streets. It can be said that it breaks the predetermined framework of music, which has strict and specific rules, in order to make music accessible to the most common people in society.

A brief look at the history of Persian rap.

Persian rap was born in the late 1970s thanks to the efforts of a few determined Iranian youth. However, at that time, the Iranian society did not have much interest in Persian rap and this genre of music did not have many fans. Due to the lack of government approval, artists in this field produced low-quality music while struggling with poverty. Over time, people’s attention towards this genre of music increased and gradually, rap found its place in the hearts of Iranian youth. As years went by, both artists and fans of this genre grew significantly, to the point where in recent years, Persian rap has become one of the most popular genres among Iranian teenagers and youth.

Suppression and arrests.

The Islamic Republic has always tightly controlled and suppressed this style of music since its inception, and throughout the years, it has attempted to censor and eliminate this genre and its fans through arrests, oppression, and intimidation. These suppressions significantly increased in the late 1980s to the mid-1990s. Whenever a gathering or a meeting of underground and emerging rap artists and fans took place, the police would intervene and arrest the participants. The Islamic Republic also easily damages the recording and production of rap songs by raiding underground studios, confiscating and destroying musical instruments, and arresting studio members. Although it seems that these suppressions have decreased in intensity in Tehran these days, they have not disappeared. However, in smaller cities, the previous pattern of intense suppression still remains.

Below are the names of some of the most prominent artists who have been summoned and arrested by security forces during these years. Undoubtedly, more individuals have been arrested during these years; the author of this article only focuses on a handful of examples.

“Soroush Lashkari”, also known as “Nobody”, was summoned to court in 2008 on charges of “promoting and distributing music without a license”. He was released on bail of 5 million tomans and with a commitment not to perform unlicensed music until his court date. In 2009, he left Iran after releasing the song “A Good Day Will Come”.

Mehdiyar Aghajani, a composer, has a significant number of initial Persian rap songs and is also the composer of the album “Asphalt Jungle”. After the arrest of Soroush Lashkari and the raid of the authorities on his residence in 1387, he went into hiding and later left Iran.

Behram Nooraei, also known as Behram, released a protest song called “Names for the President” in 2007, which addressed the policies of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In 2008, he released a political and social album titled “24 Hours,” which included the song “This is Iran.” That same year, Behram Nooraei was arrested for releasing political songs and was released on bail after a week in Evin Prison. In 2011, after the release of his album “Silence,” he left Iran. He stated that the reason for his migration was the increase in security pressures during the three years after his arrest. It is worth mentioning that according to HuffPost, Behram Nooraei is considered one of the 50 influential cultural figures in the Middle East.

“Hossein Rahmati”, also known as “Hossein”, was arrested in 2007 by the order of Branch 904 of the Revolutionary Court of Mashhad. Police officers raided his home and confiscated his musical instruments due to his mockery of the officials of the Islamic Republic and his distribution of protest songs such as “18 Tir” and “Banabest”. He was later released on bail and had to sign a commitment to be free, but before his trial, he was forced to leave Iran.

“Saman Rezapour”, also known as “Wilson”, was arrested in 2007 after the release of his song “Short Summer” while leaving the country. He was charged with “encouraging corruption” and “promoting Western culture” and was referred to a court in Tehran and sentenced to suspended imprisonment. After seven years, he returned to the music scene and is currently living in Iran.

“Sasan Sonami” was arrested in 1394 (2015) after the release of his album “After 57” in the city of Rasht, and there is no further news about him. It should be noted that the album “After 57” is considered one of the most political Persian rap albums, but this rapper has not released any new work since then.

“Reza Naseri Azad”, also known as “Pishro”, was arrested and transferred to Tehran’s Grand Prison in 2017 due to the release of a song called “No One Cares About You”. He was later released on bail and forced to leave Iran.

Mohammad Rashidian, also known as “Dorchi”, was arrested on September 6, 1983 for releasing a music (Damn Things) that according to the government contained vulgar language. Further details about his case are not available, but he currently resides in Iran and has also released newer works.

“Amirhossein Maghsoudlou”, with the nickname “Tataloo”, was first arrested on December 3, 2013 due to the publication of his works on satellite networks. After a few days, he was released on bail. The following year, on September 23, 2016, he was arrested again on charges of “promoting corruption and obscenity”. After enduring 62 days of detention, he was released on bail once again. In 2018, due to his inability to obtain a license for “legal activities” in Iran, Tataloo left the country. Last year, he decided to return to Iran and on December 6, 2023, he was handed over to Iran by Turkish police at the Bazargan border. Upon entering Iran, he was arrested and is currently in detention.

“Toumaj Salehi” has been repeatedly arrested and subjected to torture by security forces due to his protest songs. During the nationwide protests of 1401, he was also arrested and faced serious charges such as “waging war” and “corruption on earth”, spending over a year in prison. After being released for 12 days on 9 Azar 1402, he was arrested again for the umpteenth time and is currently being held in the notorious Dastgerd prison. Recently, the one-year prison sentence of this artist has been confirmed by the Isfahan Court of Appeals.

“Wafa Ahmadpour”, also known as “Wafadar” (meaning loyal), was arrested on 15 Bahman 1402 (February 4, 1984) for releasing a performance of the song “Roozegoyitoon Roo Be Entehast” (Your Story Has Come to an End). He is currently detained and facing charges without any legal representation.

The angles of becoming legitimate rap.

In the mid-1990s, with the increase in fans of this style of music, the Islamic Republic has drawn some of these artists towards itself by injecting money and, of course, implementing suppression. In the works of these artists, the footprint of the ideology approved by the ruling government is evident to the extent that some of them openly support the violent behaviors of the Islamic Republic. However, it seems that this limited attraction of artists is not pleasing to the government and they are thinking of confiscating this attractive music for young people. But this action has both positive and negative aspects, which we will discuss in this section.

By giving permission and officially recognizing this genre by the government, artists of this music style can create and release music in their own country. On the other hand, with the official recognition of this genre, artists can enter into contracts with financial supporters and this action can help them earn income from their art. With this, artists of this music style may be able to fulfill their long-standing dream of holding concerts in Iran. Their fans no longer need to travel abroad to see their live performances. This is also more economically beneficial for them and reduces the outflow of currency from the country. In summary, by recognizing this branch of music, the isolation of this genre comes to an end and it can also be used in cinema and theater. In fact, giving permission to rap can potentially contribute to its financial growth and the production of more high-quality works.

However, according to the author’s belief, since the Islamic Republic system has always prioritized its ideals and ideologies, granting permission and legitimizing this type of governance has more of a deceptive aspect on the public. The Islamic Republic uses deception and cultural tools to advance its goals, and this is evident to everyone. Obtaining permission from the Islamic Republic means making commitments that breaking them would result in heavy costs for artists. On the other hand, obtaining permission in present-day Iran means giving in to censorship. This is while censorship is always in conflict with the nature of art, especially art that aims to protest and reflect the unfiltered realities of social problems. As a result, it can be argued that authorized art is in conflict with the independence of the artist and independent art. The lack of independence of the artist and non-independent art is essentially dictating what the government desires. Furthermore, with the granting of permission and the influx of financial supporters in this manner, more artists are drawn towards this type of

According to the author, issuing licenses for rap music and the inclination of artists towards this movement, damages the spirit of freedom of expression and thought in this genre of music in Iran. It also takes away the right of artists to protest and we may no longer see protest rap in Iran; in other words, we will witness the birth of branches in Persian rap that it is better to call “dependent rap”.

Notes:

1- “Rap Music Critique with a Masterful Perspective, Chelcheragh Weekly Magazine, 25 Shahrivar 138, Issue 215, p. 20.”

2- Iranian-style rap, Chelcheragh weekly magazine, September 16, 2006, issue 215, page 15.

3- A group of 50 people who shape the culture of the Middle East (50 artists).

HuffPost Magazine.

August 8, 2012.