INfo & INsight: Hip Hop Music in Iran

Hip Hop music in Iran? Wow who would have thought! Until I read a recent article about this trend, I had no idea myself. It is interesting that, in a country where two thirds of the population is under the age of 32, most music including Hip Hop, is illegal. In addition, it is illegal for females to sing further inhibiting the efforts of Salome, a female artist who sings about injustice, Iraq and prostitution.
As I Continued to read, I realized that music is a form of art. Art is essential. It allows an individual to challenge ideas and thoughts. The musical revolution of the 1960s is a prime example of the importance of the purpose of music. After a suburban façade of the 1950's, the US faced a very turbulent era of the 1960's with war, civil rights, and assignations. In (1958), Bobby Darin's Splish Splash hit the airwaves, then five years later, Bob Dylan's Blowing in the Wind. The current events of the time revolutionized music by way of the artist's expression as a reaction to their surroundings.

Today, my only hope is to see the same for the youth of this nation. The world is very complicated and seems out of our control these days; however, there is still something that is very much in our control. Music. Truth be told, expression is a liberty. Let creativity and expression become main stream again. It is time to challenge, to create and to change. After all, that is innovation.

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- Thristina
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