Iranian hip-hop

Iranian hip hop (Persian: هیپ‌هاپ ایرانی), also known as Persian hip hop (هیپ‌هاپ فارسی), refers to hip hop music in the Persian language developed in Iran and the Iranian diaspora. It originated from American hip hop culture, but has developed into a distinct rap style that draws on Iranian cultural concepts and engages with the modern issues Iranians are facing today.

Hip hop emerged within Iran in the late 1990s, when a few Iranians started translating American gangsta rap into Persian and spread recordings of these songs on the internet. A little later these individuals would start writing their own lyrics and experimented with producing original tracks. Iranian hip hop originates from the country's capital Tehran, although a number of experimental works were recorded earlier by diasporan Iranian musicians, particularly in Los Angeles. In the early 2000s, rap music did not enjoy huge popularity yet within Iran and the emerging hip hop scene consisted of a relatively small community of artists based in several Iranian cities. On several occasions, recording studios have been shut down, websites have been blocked, and artists have been arrested. During the Green Movement that erupted after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's disputed 2009 re-election, a widespread crackdown on artistic expression occurred that targeted those who had participated in or supported the protests.

Rap music and the surrounding hip hop culture that emerged in Iran in the early 20th century defied the country's traditional Islamic conventions and customs. Due to the inclusion of taboo topics and the use of slang and swearing, hip hop is labeled as subversive and morally corrupting by the traditional segments of Iranian society. Hip hop artists have pointed to the directness inherent in rap music to explain the suitability of the genre as a platform for social and religious critique. However, this does not mean that Islamic values and practices have no place in hip hop, as some artists, such as Tataloo and Sefat, incorporate these themes into their works. There are also rappers who have released pro-government songs. Tataloo, for example, has released 'Energy Hasteei' ("Nuclear energy"), a song supporting Iran's nuclear strategies.

On the 30th of October, 2022, rapper Toomaj Salehi (Persian: توماج صالحی) was violently arrested by Iran's security forces. Salehi, who raps under his first name Toomaj, had been actively involved in the Mahsa Amini protests. He was charged with spreading propaganda, cooperating with hostile governments and forming an illegal group aimed at disrupting the country's security. Later the charge of sowing corruption on earth was added, which carries the death sentence. He is currently held in isolation in prison and is mostly denied contact with his lawyers. It has been reported that Salehi has been tortured and requires urgent medical care. His arrest attracted attention from international media outlets, with human rights organizations warning that it is unlikely Salehi or any of the many detained protesters will receive a fair trial. Salehi's songs are socially engaged and have explicitly criticized Iran's government, tackling topics such as poverty, women's inequality, human rights violations and corruption.