Iranian hip hop
Iranian hip hop, also called Persian hip hop, is a style of hip hop music developed in Iran.
It is influenced by the American hip hop, but it is also credited with inspiration from the contemporary Iranian music.
History
Persian hip hop emerged in the late 1980s, from Tehran, the capital of Iran.
The rap group 021 (also known as 021 Music) was one of the very first groups performing hip hop music based in Tehran, which has taken its name from the area code of Tehran City, and was founded by Soroush Lashkary, better known by his stage name, Hichkas. He uses elements of Persian traditional music combined with hip hop and has a unique theistic and nationalistic lyrical style, avoiding vulgar words while referring to social issues. His first Album, Asphalt Jungle (Persian: Jangal e Āsfālt), was one of the first Persian rap albums in Iran and brought much recognition to his name in Iranian communities. In 2009, Hichkas appeared in the movie No One Knows About Persian Cats which explored the subject of Iran's underground music scene.
