Legal and Political Problems For Iranian Rap Inside Iran and Outside
The number of Iranian Hip Hop groups has increased dramatically in recent years. In Iran it is necessary to have official government documents from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance for the legal distribution music. However, the Iranian government is very strict about its requirements and controls around Hip Hop Music. Because of the restrictions in place, most artists release their work over the Internet. This causes hardships for artists, as they can't officially sell their music or hold concerts in Iran. Music piracy is also a large deterrent to the financial success of Iranian artists
The Iranian government filters major web sites that distribute rap music. They have also arrested Iranian artists in the past and some have temporarily been barred from leaving the country. Iranian Police has also been known to intimate artist and producers and close recording studios.
Iranian media, which in majority is owned and controlled by the government, takes a very negative view of rap music. In 2008 it featured a documentary on IRIB called "Shock" where they heavily criticized the music for preaching satanism to kids and being the source of many social problems like criminal activity and drug use. The program however backfired when many artists such as Bahram and Yas as well as online Iranian magazines and websites released commentary defending the artists and pointing to the government as looking for a scapegoat for its own problems.
Like the other Persian Artist, Hip Hop Singers in Iran are also relying with those broadcast companies (TV, RADIO, WEBSITES) to connect with the Iranians all over the world.
Read more about this topic: Iranian Hip Hop
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