A few months ago, we reported that India was finally coming around to hip-hop. While the gigantic country does not host many rappers compared to the United States, it was a place for free expression and growth in the genre. Now, the somewhat-established Iran rap scene is in the news for a completely opposite reason: The country is trying to shut it down.
The Jerusalem Post reports that the Iranian government sees hip-hop as a threat to traditional music and a "problem."
From the story:
For now and in the foreseen future, there is no real possibility that the Islamic regime will permit rap music concerts, in spite of a big underground music scene which includes this genre. In recent years, the Iranian regime arrested many Iranian rap band members and denied permission for concerts.
All public concerts must be approved by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, while any requests must go through a bureaucratic process that "can take a few months."
"This music encourages wild behavior that could have a detrimental effect on society," a spokesman said. "We don't want to have it and we will prevent any unwanted incidents normally associated with such concerts and other events."
Rap is still a relatively new musical invention, with only a few decades of mainstream exposure in its birth country, so it is understandable that other countries will go through the same ignorant processes that the United States went through — and in some ways is still going through.
But this is another reason to embrace the freedom of speech the United States Constitution allows. Our artists are typically able to express themselves in full, and we have benefitted from their hard work.
We can only send our thoughts to those in Iran who want to experience such an amazing, diverse genre.
