Hichkas

Soroush Lashkari (Persian: سروش لشکری‎; born May 8, 1984), known professionally as Hichkas (Persian: هیچکس‎; meaning "No One")[2] is an Iranian rapper, songwriter, and record producer from Tehran.[3] . Credited with popularizing Persian hip hop to the Iranian people and other Persian-speaking countries such as Afghanistan and Tajikistan, Hichkas's national success and acclaimed works are widely regarded as having broken the barriers that were in place by the Islamic regime for the acceptance of rappers in popular music. Hichkas is considered as one of the pioneers of Iranian hip hop and is nicknamed "Father of Persian Rap" (Persian: پدر رپ فارسی‎) by his fans.[4][5] He became a representation of the Iranian underclass and reflected the angst of the young Iranians. He has been influential for many artists of various genres and is often cited as one of the greatest rappers of the Iranian hip hop.

Hichkas
Hichkas Performing at Anjam Vazife Tour
Background information
Birth nameSoroush Lashkary
Also known asHichkas
Born (1984-05-08) May 8, 1984
OriginTehran, Iran
GenresRap, Hip Hop, Experimental Music
Occupation(s)Rapper, songwriter, record producer, actor
Years active1999–present[1]
LabelsMoltafet, 021, Candis, Saamet
Associated actsMahdyar Aghajani, Reveal, Yas, Kool G Rap, Fadaei, Zedbazi, Pishro, Lowkey, Quf, Sohrab Mj, Mehrad Hidden, Reza Pishro
Websitewww.hichkas.me

Hichkas as is also the founder of the label 021 (alongside Shayan and Yashar) which is considered the first Persian hip hop group. After that, he founded the labels Samet (alongside Reza Pishro and Reveal), and Moltafet (alongside Ali Quf and Ashkan Fadaei). Hichkas's songs are themed around social and cultural issues in Iran and his lyrical ability and influence pervade the hip hop and rap genre, placing him at the forefront of contemporary Iranian music, inspiring a new generation of Iranian songwriters and artists. Hichkas’s first album ‘'Jangale Asfalt’ (Persian: جنگل آسفالت‎; The Asphalt-paved Jungle) was the first Iranian hip hop album released in 2005.[6] Hichkas’s early releases combined traditional Persian instruments and urban beats to create a hybrid genre, a combination of east and west.[7]

In addition to performance, Hichkas's work further spans into art direction, production and artist development, working closely with up and coming artists and providing mentoring and coaching, and consistently being the inspiration behind many Iranian artists in urban arts. He has appeared as guest speaker in many universities including Oxford University[8], Cambridge University, and Calgary University[9] and discussing Iranian poetry, Iranian underground music scene, and the effect of internet on music publishing in Iran.

Hichkas has collaborated with a number of International hip hop artists including the American hip hop artist Kool G Rap. His highly anticipated second album Mojaz (Persian: مجاز‎; permissible) was released on March 31st, 2020 after 8 years of its initial announcement.[10][11]

Early life

Soroush Lashkari was born on May 8, 1984, in Tehran and is the son of a family of five. He lived in Germany until he was two years old and then lived in the Vanak neighborhood of Tehran. He was studying translation at Garmsar University but has dropped out of college due to personal reasons and pursue of the Persian hip hop. His father is from Hamedan and has a family relationship with Hossein Lashkari (pilot of Iran's Air Force who was captured in Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war). Hichkas currently lives in London after emigrating to Great Britain in the aftermath of the 2009 Iranian presidential election protests. He's married to the British based Iranian feminist activist Azadeh Akbari.[12]

In his early years, Hichkas was known for founding a supergroup called 021 (the area code for Tehran).[5][13] Around about 2003, he started his music career work in Vanak participating in Persian free-styling with people who also cover some English language songs in the Rap battle.[5] Hichkas gained attention when he began rapping in Persian about social problems and the younger generation in Iran.[5]. Hichkas’s early releases combined traditional Iranian instruments and urban beats to create a hybrid genre, a combination of east and west.

Discography

Studio albums

Compilation albums

International collaborations

Filmography
  • 'Trip e Ma' (Our Style) (2004), music video edited by Fred Khoshtinat
  • 'Ye Mosht Sarbaz' (A Bunch of Soldiers) (2008), music video directed by Fred Khoshtinat, with guest appearances by Mahdyar Aghajani, Reveal, Reza Pishro, Ali Quf, Atour and Bahram Nouraei. Sections of the video are included in the Cultures of Resistance full-length documentary feature film by Iara Lee.
  • 'No One Knows About Persian Cats' (2009) feature film directed by Bahman Ghobadi, which won an Un Certain Regard Special Jury Prize Ex-aequo at the Cannes Film Festival.

See also

References
  1. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbureau/2009/10/political-hip-hop.html
  2. Iran's underground music challenge BBC Radio 1 article
  3. "IRAN: HISTORIES OF MUSICAL RESISTANCE". Archived from the original on 2008-01-18.
  4. (in Persian) Nasir Shakouri. Chelcheragh Magazine, September 2006, No. 225, p. 16.
  5. Hamshahri Newspaper Archived 2011-07-17 at the Wayback Machine
  6. https://culturesofresistancefilms.com/music
  7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QU1NNAH6b_g
  8. Siamdoust, Nahid (2017-01-18). Soundtrack of the Revolution: The Politics of Music in Iran. ISBN 9781503600966.
  9. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWGTqKSSBRs
  10. Edwards, Paul, 2009, How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC, Chicago Review Press, p. viii, 88, 324.
  11. Arnold, Paul W (March 5, 2008). "Kool G Rap: These Are Our Heroes | Rappers Talk Hip Hop Beef & Old School Hip Hop". HipHop DX. Archived from the original on September 8, 2012. Retrieved November 13, 2011.
  12. https://iranwire.com/en/features/6973
  13. Etemaad-e-melli Newspaper
  14. https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/jangale-asfalt/1347952696
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