Examination of the Social Phenomenon of Farsi Rap Music and its Popularity in Iran

The present article has attempted to distinguish between the interpretation of underground music in Iran and the West and to subsequently introduce rap music in Iran as an underground category of music. The author has attempted to categorize different types of Farsi rap music and to indicate the different characteristics and themes of each category in order to study the audiences of these types of music, and subsequently to discuss the social aspects of Farsi rap music and also to illustrate the atmosphere present in production and distribution of this music, finally the author presents the results of a survey attempted at identifying the grounds for popularity of underground rap music among the youth throughout the city of Tehran. In the end the author has discussed the factors influencing the attraction of youth to this type of music and presented certain strategies to be taken by cultural policy makers when approaching this type of music3.