Behind the obstacles (2018)
It is hard to imagine that there is a hip-hop culture in Iran, considering the tense political situation in the Middle East and the region's relations with the United States. The movement appeared in the 1990s, when hip-hop artists mainly focused on socio-political topics. This led to a quick reaction from the government: some rappers had to leave the country, and some were jailed. In 2018, I spent a month in Tehran, where I got to know rappers, beatmakers, and many other members of the movement — that’s how I discovered that hip-hop culture in Iran not only exists but is also actively developing, giving a strong creative impulse to the country’s youth.
It is hard to imagine that there is a hip-hop culture in Iran, considering the tense political situation in the Middle East and the region's relations with the United States. The movement appeared in the 1990s, when hip-hop artists mainly focused on socio-political topics. This led to a quick reaction from the government: some rappers had to leave the country, and some were jailed. In 2018, I spent a month in Tehran, where I got to know rappers, beatmakers, and many other members of the movement — that’s how I discovered that hip-hop culture in Iran not only exists but is also actively developing, giving a strong creative impulse to the country’s youth.
